We are barely into the new year of 2012 and already it appears the year will be an interesting one. Of course there's the US elections and all the positioning and hyperbole that comes with it. Then there are the rising and falling Internet properties, with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ all jockying for lead in social media. The continuing increase in retail sales via the Internet doesn't surprise anyone any more, but its growth in this weakened economy may be something to watch closely. And what about those of us concerned with changes in the supply chain?
During 2011 ec-bp has run a wide range of articles focusing on the supply chain, EDI and a few other topics. In this last issue of the year, we are providing a recap and review of some of the articles that were most popular with our audience. Of course, being most pupular means that you may have already read at least some of them. Even so, I think that reviewing at least some of these articles is worth your time.
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n my copious free time over the holidays, I managed to knock off a few of the books that had stacked up on me. Although I tend to stick to mysteries, thrillers, spy novels, and stuff like that, I occasionally find a biography that interests me. I couldn’t wait to read the Steve Jobs bio written by Walter Isaacson, and it was a winner. Even if you don’t like Apple products and you may not give a hoot about its recently deceased leader, you’ll still find it fascinating.
How do you know when you are truly wealthy? Your perception of prosperity will most likely change throughout your life. At the age of 5, being prosperous is having your favorite toys within reach, being able to eat ice cream after dinner, and being allowed to stay up an extra hour later than usual.
Ever wonder how your telecommuting colleagues really live? Turns out, many of them actually do work in their pajamas. They also tend to love their work-life balance – to the point where they’d take a pay cut to maintain the status quo. 
Over the years EDI has proven to be an integral part of the strategic vision of many companies. Gaining systems integration with our customers and vendors allows us to decide and act more quickly, with more accurate and reliable data to the fluid movements of the business environment. This in and of itself can be a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
There continues to be confusion around who pays the price for EDI. There are three answers to this based on the definition of the question.
As you're planning out your strategy for 2012 there are a couple areas I'd suggest taking a look at that I have not commented on in that past; these are around additional entities within your corporate umbrella. We've learned over time that a retailer may have businesses within the US that are sister companies, have a Parent Company, have other divisions or entities in Canada or Mexico, or perhaps a Sourcing Office. All these could benefit from implementing an electronic trading program with their trading partners. Let me explain in a little more detail -
By all accounts, 2011 will personally go down as one of the most rewarding years in my professional career. During this year I have had the opportunity to not only to be a driving catalyst at my own workplace, but I have also had the pleasure of committing my thoughts down to paper and sharing them with my colleagues in the industry through blogging for E Commerce Best Practices.
Dale Rogers of Rutgers University talks with Scott Koegler at the VCF 2011 Fall Conference about Sustainability in the Supply Chain.
