Supply-chain inefficiencies are having a huge impact the world round. In the UK alone, they cost businesses at least US$1.9 billion annually in lost productivity.

When it comes to running the modern-day factory, there’s a yawning gap between theory and reality.

From marketing consultants and supply-chain partners to accountants and IT service providers, organizations today depend on all kinds of third parties for virtually every conceivable business function.

Digital transformation within the supply chain is well underway. But consumer-products companies are lagging many other industries in progressing toward that goal.

The meteoric rise of business-to-consumer retail e-commerce has sent shock waves throughout the industry. Now, the impact is reverberating beyond Amazon and eBay to affect business-to-business companies everywhere.

The past decade has seen a monumental shift in the requirements placed on distribution centers. As customers continue to trend toward online sales and demand faster delivery times, retailers and wholesalers are feeling the pressure.