Contract terms being demanded by shippers and consignees in their agreements with logistics providers have become unacceptably onerous and one-sided, says Philip M. Coughlin of Expeditors International. Coughlin details common requirements, such as shifting all risk to providers, which he considers unfair, as well as discussing ideas on how to move forward.

The term "digital supply chain" describes the integration of advanced technology, big data, and analytics to better manage and execute the physical supply chain, says Frederick Hartung of Jabil. He explains how this is playing out today and what it means for the future.

Even though the invoice-to-cash cycle is critical to corporate health, many companies give little attention to the billing process, says Sean Smalley of Billtrust. Many opportunities exist within that process, however, to speed payment and reduce costs.

Echo's recent acquisition of Command Transportation will grow its revenue by 50 percent and strengthen its presence in the truckload brokerage market, says Echo CEO Doug Waggoner. He explains the role of acquisitions in Echo's growth strategy and his view on 3PL consolidation trends.

Retailers increasingly are using customized packaging to meet the preferences of customers in specific stores, regions or channels, says Jason Tham, CEO of Nulogy. This work often is outsourced by brand manufacturers and Nulogy has developed software to link and streamline the process.

Today's businesses need to go beyond visibility to full transparency, says Nancy Marino, partner at Columbus Consulting, whose clients are mostly retailers. This means using technology to focus the performance of independent silos on corporate KPIs, thus improving performance, she says.

Warehouse operations can be the throttle or the chokehold of a supply chain, a truth that has become more evident with the growth of e-commerce, says Robert Carver Jr., IBS director of sales. Carver discusses how technology is helping companies address challenges and opportunities in today's warehouse.

Tom Sanderson, CEO of Transplace, discusses the growing U.S.-Mexico freight market and how Transplace continues to strengthen its presence there. Sanderson also highlights border-crossing issues that continue to complicate U.S.-Mexico freight moves.

Consumers' demand for ever faster service and the overall rapid pace of change in today’s markets will force companies to completely rethink their supply chains over the next few years, says Thomas Craig, president of LTD Management.

Tim Brown, managing director of the Supply Chain & Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, describes how supply chain education has evolved over the past two decades and highlights how the Institute is employing internet and hybrid classes to expand its continuing education program.