Importers and exporters need to know where their product is. Lenders need to know when and how to pay for it. Innovative companies have sprung up to harness the power of the IT, making it easier than ever for logistics managers to track and manage international shipments, and to serve their changing needs as they reach ever further across the globe to source goods. Companies such as Home Depot, Xerox and Sears already use on-demand, Web-based data hubs to identify where their goods are in real time, and if delays along the way should be corrected to avoid broader supply chain disruptions and expensive recovery work.