Retail: Supply Networks

Today, shopping takes place not only in stores-it's happening everywhere. New channels allow shoppers to easily share information about products, retailers and shopping experiences. And other shoppers rely increasingly on this feedback to inform how and what they purchase.

All these smarter consumers are generating an astonishing amount of data-from who they are and where they shop, to how goods reach them after leaving the manufacturer. If retailers can capture that data and analyze it intelligently, they can expand operations while limiting costs, promote customer retention and appeal to new audiences.