Scott Koegler, editor of ec-bp.com talks with Elliott Grant of Harvestmark at GS1 Connect 2012 about how case and item level tracking works with the fresh produce grocery market.

The world is changing, and consumers’ ability to get information and buy products from their mobile devices anywhere, anytime, is having a trickle down effect on the supply chain—they want their items delivered quickly and at a competitive price. So retailers now have to re-examine how they are sourcing their products and where to get them cheaper in order to bring something more to the table.

I help my buddy Buzz select articles for the Supply Chain Buzz page every week (our motto: “we read ‘em so you don’t have to!”). We review a range of stories and blogs on the subjects of supply chain, electronic commerce, ERP, continuous improvement, and general management. Since there’s a great diversity of jobs, departments, and company sizes among our readers, not all will be on target. However, we noticed a few themes that cut across nearly all jobs and organizations. Let’s take a look at a prominent one: risk.

Once an order leaves a warehouse, it’s anyone’s guess what happens to the goods and when they will arrive at their final destination. At least, that’s how it goes for many retailers right now.