Analyst Insight: From humble beginnings at the machine control layer, warehouse systems have matured and expanded to allow visibility and control over what is happening at the machine, parcel, associate and order/wave level. When combined with data from wearables and other Internet of Things technologies, warehouse control software will drive new opportunities for distribution efficiency. – Nikko Pianetto, Group Vice President, Integrated Technology Solutions, Fortna Inc.

Analyst Insight: Service providers, couriers and retailers have been doing last mile for decades. But times are different now. Consider: omnichannel, Amazon's game-changing free and same-day delivery, and Sears creating an offering service for third parties. The last two years also saw disrupters who were previously unknown enter the logistics market. But traditional transportation technology firms are fighting back. 2015 will show dramatic changes in the market. – Ann Grackin, CEO ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: Fourth-party logistics providers (4PLs) are gaining traction in the final delivery service provider industry. The explosion of order-direct to customer delivery has created a need for final delivery service providers with varying capacities and capabilities. 4PLs can provide a network of regional final delivery companies. The creation of strong 4PL players has captured the trust of manufacturers and retailers. – Lisa Kennedy, Project Manager, Tompkins International

Analyst Insight: Shippers have controlled the dialogue on rates and service for several years. This has now past, as several key factors now help carriers negotiate at the bargaining table. The could lead to a true "play or pay" scenario most shippers are not prepared to fully appreciate. – Karl B. Manrodt, Professor of Logistics, Georgia College & State University

Analyst Insight: Speed is a game-changer. Leaders are enabling faster fulfillment and reaping real bottom line and competitive advantage benefits. The key is balancing potential revenue gain or service level improvement against the investment and operating costs required to deliver on the promise. Choosing the right strategy depends on understanding the impacts, not just within the distribution center, but across the entire organization. – Helgi Thor Leja, Industrial Distribution Leader, Fortna Inc.

The Reusable Packaging Association has issued comprehensive protocols to ensure the continued safe use of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) for fresh and perishable products in the supply chain. The guidelines encompass washing, handling, storing, packing, displaying and collecting RPCs. They also include rigorous and defined Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP), and hourly, daily, monthly, and quarterly microbiological testing.

Paquetexpress, a courier, messenger and consolidated freight carrier based in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, has developed a new service linking 99 Mexican destinations with the southeast region of the U.S.

Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to rise an unusually high 16.9 percent this month over the same time last year as West Coast ports begin to dig out from a backlog of cargo that built up during just-concluded contract negotiations with dockworkers, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.