While companies expend much time, energy and resources in finding better ways to reduce excess inventory and maintain desirable stock turnover, understanding and managing demand remains a problem. Refining the supply chain to its most effective form is an ongoing challenge for logistics practitioners, and in today’s hyper-competitive and globalized business landscape, finding a way to do so will likely mean the difference between success and failure for many businesses.

The deadline for the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is looming. As of 25 May, anyone trading with EU businesses, marketing to EU citizens, or holding the personal data of even a single European national, needs to be fully compliant. This means making major changes to how one captures, processes and stores consumer data, with a strong focus on data protection and archiving practices. Ignore GDPR, and you run the risk of hefty fines (up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is greater)