Leading businesses today are using natural capital accounting, assigning monetary values to natural resources such as clean water. Then, company leaders consider those figures when making business decisions.

Karen Mills, administrator of the US Small Business Administration, writes that investment in US small business is a result of high worker productivity, rising labor and energy costs, and logistical advantages of closer supplier networks.

Many business leaders already are capitalizing on the power of effective supply chain management. Supply chain excellence is a competitive advantage, and well-run supply chains create value in organizations.

The Gap is working to strengthen its global strategy, focusing on brands instead of channels; global assortment; and speed to market, where having a responsive supply chain is most critical.

Supply chains are difficult to secure; the risk is challenging to identify, hard to quantify, and costly to address. Supply chain risk management is increasingly a critical subject for supply chain and operations management professionals.

The answer to the competitiveness question may be quite simple. If businesses are going to succeed in the global marketplace, they need to make their customers happy.

One organization in India is working to get rural villages access to water, basic sanitation, health care, and education. They aim to prevent migration out of villages and entice workers to build their own local businesses.

Today, some argue that supply chains are becoming an autonomous global force, greater than any nation or economy, and that certain recent high-profile business stories are actually supply chain stories.

There’s a historic shift happening in India, Bangladesh, and other South Asian Nations. Millions of people are rising out of poverty, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reports billions more are crossing over into a new global middle class. This information comes from the 2013 Human Development Report, released last week by the UNDP in Mexico City.

The Toyota Motor Corporation is making some big changes, especially across its North and South American affiliate companies. Leaders want operations there to be more agile and more autonomous.

Is the record-breaking economy leaving small businesses behind? Small-business confidence hasn't returned to where it was before the recession, even as large enterprises enjoy pre-recession levels of confidence.

We at APICS have been working to connect opportunities in China, India, and Mexico with workforce development in those markets. Supply chain and operations management professionals contribute to economic growth all over the world.

The job market is tight at all levels across organizations, industries, and geographies. More and more companies are demanding greater credentials for all types of employment.

Recent incidences of beef contamination have illustrated that the food supply chain is complex and difficult to trace. And food fraud is becoming an attractive enterprise to criminals.

Building factories like they were in the 1970s isn’t the key to adding value in 2013. Take a core manufacturing concept—visibility—and apply it throughout the enterprise.

India's current manufacturing policy aims to create more than 100 million jobs and boost manufacturing's profile. The country also is looking for opportunities to woo global investors.

Businesspeople of all stripes are starting to pay attention to the issues surrounding offshoring and reshoring, especially as they pursue business success in an uncertain economy.

A company called Pebble crowdfunded its new smartwatch to the tune of $10 million, but they ran into production difficulties. The APICS body of knowledge might have helped them experience a more successful launch.

This week, we examine the fast-fashion business Zara and its chief executive, Amancio Ortega. Ortega founded his business on two basic priorities—customer focus and speed.

This year, think differently about resolutions and consider how you can take steps to make your career healthier. One way is to explore APICS principles, such as five whys, to improve your skills.