Is the nearly two decade long "Wal-Mart era" in the consumer goods to retail supply chain ebbing? So says a recent Wall Street Journal story, along with other market indicators. What are the supply chain implications? We take a look.

The ROI from investments in supply chain and logistics software and automation are often dependent on efficiency gains that frankly mean reduced staffing levels - white collar or blue collar. That puts managers in a very tough spot - and often the headcount never really goes away. So did the company really save money? What is the answer here that works for everyone?

20 years after the concept was introduced, Sales and Operations Planning is still hot, with very few companies doing it well.

Right now, companies seem to be in one of two camps with regard to distribution center automation. Some are looking to highly automated systems that can significantly reduce logistics labor costs and headaches. Another camp seems to be negative on automation altogether, finding productivity and flexibility in systems with little automation. It is the middle ground approach that might get squeezed over the next decade.

A new book, Dragons at Your Door: How Chinese Cost Innovation is Disrupting Global Competition, should serve as a wake up call to companies around the globe. SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore provides his review and comment, and as usual, supply chain plays a key role.

What are the ten most important Megatrends that are driving supply chains right now? This week, in Part 2, we take a look at the last five of these megatrends, from the centralization of supply chain operations and functions to "instrumenting the supply chain."

What are the most important Megatrends that are driving companies' supply chains right now? This week, we take a look at the first five of these megatrends, from the focus on improved alignment to the disruptive supply chain force that is China.

In our continuing series on Supply Chain Best Practices, we review a recent book on the topic that provides some excellent examples of great things leading companies are doing with their supply chains - but is it best practice? In some cases maybe yes, but for other examples the strategies seem more company-specific.

As sales of supply chain software continue to be strong, we look at eight key factors that are driving companies to invest in supply chain and logistics technologies. The good times will not last forever, but right now, rapid supply chain change is leading companies to make investments.

Across almost all areas of supply chain software, times are good right now. Perhaps the best since the late 1990s. If vendors are selling, it means users are buying. What's driving this surge? We take a look a the factors behind the strong level of supply chain technology investment we're seeing right now.