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By tailoring its supply chain strategy for specific product segments, the global beverage company reduced the risk of disruption to its growing Asian business. In the process, it gained a competitive advantage in this vast and variable market.

When its original logistics and procurement model threatened to constrain its rapid growth, the U.K.-based coffee retailer went all-in: new leadership, new supply chain strategy, new logistics provider, and new software. Here's how it all paid off.

In just a few months, publicly traded U.S. companies will have to report their use of certain minerals and their derivatives to the government. Not ready just yet? Here's how to get your compliance efforts under way.

Most companies treat all suppliers the same, and they respond too late to supplier-related risk. By segmenting their supply base and basing governance agreements on a supplier's role and importance in the supply chain, they could better anticipate and prevent disruption.

The technology giant's global command centers coordinate parts logistics and field technicians to respond swiftly to customers' requests. They even monitor potential problems like natural disasters and work with customers to develop contingency plans.

By adopting proven practices from the supply chain literature, a Mercedes-Benz bus factory in Turkey avoided "reinventing the supply chain wheel" while making big gains in production and efficiency.

Some ports and ocean carriers expect significant new business to come their way following the Panama Canal expansion. But do the "shipper math," says the author, and it's clear that U.S. distribution patterns are unlikely to change much.

Kimberly-Clark helped to pioneer the concept of collaborative supply chains. The benefits have been so great that the practice is now sweeping through Europe.

Optimizing truck movements offers developed countries the best opportunity to maximize scarce infrastructure resources. To achieve that goal, governments should tax motor carriers for highway utilization on the basis of time as a way to encourage better routing of shipments.