Put it on Autopilot Make your Global Supply Chain lean and mean.

To thrive in the global marketplace, your business must establish a flexible and lean global supply chain, or GSC, covering everything from your supplier's supplier to your customer's customer, anywhere in the world. Automation is the key to a streamlined GSC because it eliminates a disjointed system of phone calls, e-mails, spreadsheets and faxes, and improves your ability to meet shipment and production deadlines.

Automated GSC can result in operational improvements, cost reductions and increased profitability. "It has huge cost benefits because you can buy as much as you need, when you need it," says Evan Goldberg, CTO and founder of business software firm NetSuite Inc.