What is the current state of supply chain collaboration? While there is much confusion about the topic, and lack of progress in many areas, examples of collaboration success from Hershey, Campbells Soup, Adtran and Fonterra show there is strong reason to be bullish on collaboration.

Our article suggesting there were two paths for distribution center automation - highly automated and manual, with the middle being squuezed - drew dozens of reader responses. We share some highlights of those reader comments here, some of which agree with our thesis, and some that do not.

The annual CSCMP conference in Philadephia was held this week. SCDigest was there, with full coverage and commentary on the conference itself and many of the key sessions. Whether you attended or did not, you will enjoy our written and video coverage.

After covering many twists and turns in what was a bit of an RFID "Soap Opera" in 2007, SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore shares his perspective on where we are at right now. So far, it has been Wal-Mart - and then everything else. The technology is becoming routine in many areas, and in retail, the action right now is for the marketing managers, not the supply chain.

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."