For most suppliers the distance between their product and their consumers is a long and twisted path with little or no direct feedback. In a perfect world, this arrangement would work fine because retailers handle the direct consumer interaction and simply order more product from their suppliers to restock their shelves. And the tight margins, short lead times, localized demand cycles, and global distribution of the supply chain make it difficult to adequately plan production and delivery schedules. What's been termed 'supply chain visibility' has been touted as the answer to many supply chain issues, but is there any reality to this kind of monitoring? Read more...