A method is disclosed for automatically identifying and resolving one or
more discrepancies in an outsourced manufacturing supply chain in which a
plurality of supply chain partners participate. According to this aspect,
information representing one or more supply chain events is received from
each of the supply chain partners in a database with which each of the
supply chain partners may communicate over a public network. One or more
rules are applied periodically to the supply chain event information,
resulting in generating one or more alerts pertaining to one or more
discrepancies that are found in the supply chain event information. The
alerts are communicated to the supply chain partners who are
participating in a transaction to which the discrepancies relate. Each
alert remains active until second information is received that represents
a second supply chain event that resolves the alert. According to one
feature, the alerts are periodically escalated until they are resolved. A
hub-and-spoke supply chain management system that facilitates the
foregoing method, and other features, is also disclosed. In other
aspects, the invention encompasses a computer apparatus, a computer
readable medium, and a carrier wave configured to carry out the foregoing
steps.