Northgate Public Services, which has a track record in delivering IT solutions to central Government departments, has been appointed by the Department for Transport (DfT) to develop and operate the foreign operator payment system for the forthcoming heavy goods vehicle (HGV) road user levy.

Sharjah-based Gulftainer is expected to record a volume increase of 30 percent in 2013. The group is continuing to expand its global footprint, with the June takeover of the Gulf Stevedoring Contracting Company (GSCCO) in Saudi Arabia acting as the major driver.

Why is multi-tier supply-chain visibility such a hot topic in the C-suite today? Douglas Kent, global vice president of Avnet Velocity, has an answer.

As ever-larger "megacities" become home to more and more of the world's people, the supply chains that bring essential supplies to these crowded populations will become increasingly complex.

Most everyone in manufacturing is aware that today, supply chain is, more or less, "king" of the manufacturing lifecycle. With more globalized supply chains and the trend of working with more and more third parties, it's critical that manufacturers keep a strong hold on the flow of materials from one location to the next.