At a time when ports are suffering from severe congestion and scarcity of land, one designer of cargo-handling equipment is proposing a radical new way of moving ocean containers between ship and shore.

Reverse logistics has become a prerequisite for businesses dealing with connected in-field assets that are managed by service-based contracts. But many have yet to master the complex process, which is directly linked to an organization’s profitability.

Logistics, shipping rates and the need to assess full landed cost are among the challenges that shippers face in the modern-day world of e-commerce, says Hagar Valiano Rips, CEO and co-founder of Ladingo.

E-commerce buyers are demanding ever-faster delivery of orders, even though the economics of such service are anything but profitable for providers. John Haber, founder and CEO of Spend Management Experts, describes the current landscape of competitors in that sector.

"The delivery economy" describes the transformation of retail, driven by customer demands for the highest possible level of service. But can companies provide it in an economic fashion? Christian Piller, vice president of value engineering with Project 44, offers a perspective.

With all the recent attention paid to plastic and the damage that it’s wreaking on the environment, one might assume cardboard to be the acceptable “green” alternative. Think again.

Fulfilling e-commerce orders in today's market requires a carefully designed balance of centralization distribution and micro-fulfillment centers, says Kraig Foreman, vice president of operations with DHL Supply Chain.