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The December Supply Chain Index from Cortera provides additional evidence that retailers were cautious in their 2009 holiday inventory strategies, resulting in less debt and better cash positions. The monthly index measures accounts receivable activities among manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers, retailers, services, and transportation companies.

The December results were largely consistent with levels from November 2009, marking the second consecutive month of conditions historically seen in the months following a holiday shopping season but rarely seen during peak shopping months.

FLOW is an intensive one-day workshop on the use of advanced analytic and computerised methods for optimising freight transport and logistics operations. The workshop is a joint initiative between CSIRO and the Logistics Association of Australia (LAA).

Inefficient or poorly-managed logistics operations increase overhead and reduce customer satisfaction, posing a significant threat to a manufacturer's profitability.

Top companies are able to blend both supply chain management and financial management strategies in order to optimize their working capital, according to a new study from analyst firm Aberdeen Group. The report examines how enterprises can shorten cash conversion cycles, improve order fulfillment and increase return on working capital by taking a complete view of their supply chain.

"As companies focus more on internal strategies for driving working capital improvement, they should remember that working capital should be managed with a view of end-to-end supply chain process optimization," says Nari Viswanathan, vice president / principal analyst with Aberdeen Group.