When it comes to inventory, at least, that is the question. Managers involved in global trade are particularly bedeviled by questions about the tradeoff between inventory and transportation costs. If they decide to run lean and hold inventories to a minimum, they risk squandering the transportation budget on frequent smallquantity shipments. If they ship in bulk to save money, they risk pushing inventory carrying costs through the roof.

To help managers struggling with decisions like these, G-Log has introduced the latest version of Global Command and Control Center (GC3) software, version 4.5. This release adds 40 new features, including expanded inventory management and international trade functionality. The software evaluates inventory, transportation costs and logistics tradeoffs to help managers control costs and optimize their supply chains. It can even factor in a shipment's time sensitivity and the need to obtain hazardous materials licenses or pay export fees. For information, contact G-Log at (877) GO2-GLOG or www.g-log.com.