Rob Lewin, director of global logistics at Flowserve Worldwide, discusses capacity issues in an evolving carrier landscape, leveraging spend with rate and non-rate negotiations, knowing which providers to keep, and what collaboration really means to a company.

When Intel realized it lagged behind competitors in meeting same-day delivery of its chips, it knew a drastic makeover of its supply chain was necessary, says Viju Menon, director of worldwide supply planning operations at the company. He discusses how the paradigm shift has improved customer responsiveness and inventory optimization.

Sales and operations planning is growing in importance to manufacturers and so is the necessity to manage risk, says Simon Ellis, practice director, supply chain strategies, at IDC Manufacturing Insights. In his analysis, Ellis assesses the future of outsourcing and the health of the supply chain.

Razat Gaurav, senior vice president of i2 Technologies, discusses how a stressed economy, globalization, tight financial markets and various delivery models such as software as a service will impact logistics in 2010.

New-product development and a complete makeover of its supply chain came simultaneously for Motorola. Ann Deardorff, senior director of quality and strategy, outlines some of the challenges the electronics giant has faced so far in this ongoing project.

Manual yard operations continue to be the norm for many companies, but they are clearly losing out on substantial savings, says Aleks Gollu, CEO of PINC Solutions. Moreover, effective yard management benefits the entire supply chain.

Rather than take a hands-off approach to transportation, the U.S. Department of Commerce is very much involved in trying to bring efficiencies to the country's freight policies, says Joe Holecko, a global trade specialist with the department's International Trade Administration.

Dick Metzler, chief commercial officer of Greatwide Logistics Services, discusses whether the transportation and logistics market is returning to health or if signs of life merely illustrate Wall Street's colorful term for a small, brief recovery.

Sustainability has moved from buzzword to boardroom mandate, says Michael Youn, logistics manager for Cintas, a provider of uniforms, apparel and other services. Leadership from the top is required to effectively engage the team charged with carrying out the initiative.

Steve Rubinson, director of global trade compliance at JohnsonDiversey Inc., which markets environmentally friendly cleaning products, discusses how to manage the risk of delays related to adhering to trade regulations, and how cultural differences impact global businesses.