Large companies in North America and Europe are now losing over 250,000 jobs each year in IT, finance, and other key business services areas, due to the combined impact of offshoring, technology-driven productivity improvements, and the low-growth business environment, according to a new research update from The Hackett Group Inc.

The Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA), Canada's largest association for supply chain professionals, has officially launched. Representing nearly 8000 members working in all facets of the supply chain, SCMA is the country's principle source for education, training, professional development and networking in the field.

Consolidating multiple shipments of vehicle accessories and replacement parts, some quite heavy, into one movement has saved a U.S. distributor a lot of money and really given the gas to its business growth in Canada.

The balance of world economic growth is tipping in another direction. Just as economists have begun lowering their forecasts for China and many other developing economies, the American economy is bouncing back. Japan appears to have turned a corner and is ending almost two decades of grinding deflation. Economic data out of Europe on Wednesday provided the first solid indication that many countries in the euro zone may be escaping the clutches of recession.

A host of marketplace trends are driving logistics companies to offer more value-added services and to physically locate closer to customers in order to support continued growth, says John Ferguson, CEO of SCI Logistics, a major logistics provider in Canada.