Growing your business in difficult times while coping with change is the challenge facing companies today, says Richard Sherman, chief marketing officer for V3 Systems, a Charlotte, N.C., provider of supply chain execution systems.

The solution to managing dynamic variables is a supply chain software system that can respond to change, said Sherman at the Council of Logistics Management annual conference.

The steps begin with an analysis of the three structures that drive business activity in any company: Demand creation, or the creation, marketing, and sale of products. Demand fulfillment, which involves the execution and delivery of orders. Demand performance, or how well a company maximizes revenue while minimizing costs.