Marquis Management was hit with a huge, sudden influx of crude oil shipments at its terminal on the Mississippi River. The company scrambled to find a planning and execution system that could cope with the surge of business.

Speed, Efficiency, Optimization. For many companies, actualizing this powerful trio can seem more like a dream than a concrete, achievable supply-chain goal. There are ways to realize all three, and the evolving excellence of supply chain technology is providing more and more opportunity to do so. Enter Big Calculations: the act of optimizing your business in real time, to create fast and efficient results.

There's no lack of data out there, to help companies balance supply and demand. The problem is what to do with it. Victor Allis, chief executive officer with Quintiq, offers a solution to the management of Big Data: Big Calculations.