Supply chain finance has continued to exhibit strong growth in the last two years, according to latest research from Demica, which reveals average annual SCF growth rates between 30 percent and 40 percent at major international banks.

AFN, a 3PL based in Chicago, uses business intelligence to improve its internal decision making and to support supply chain decisions of its clients. Eric Malcolm, director of sales strategy, explains the company's approach.

The 2012 MAP-21 bill provides highway and transit funding through FY 2014. Janet Kavinoky of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce provides insight into how this law will impact logistics and discusses other transportation issues before Congress.

Mobile has become an integral part of our everyday lives, extending beyond just personal use for the consumer to what is now a can't-live-without-it tool in the business world as well. Today, just about every industry is impacted by mobile devices, opening the door to workplace flexibility, increased efficiency and quicker exchange of data and knowledge. However, with this opportunity comes greater risk. Without the proper data exchange technology, secure information can be exposed, lost or more difficult to track. To address these challenges, application programming interfaces (APIs) are being used to help supply chain organizations take control of their data, and enable various systems and devices to communicate with each other.

Eight months into a controversial customer-tracking mobile trial, Nordstrom has halted the effort. Although Nordstrom took a lot of criticism for the mostly misunderstood program from consumer media, it's not clear whether the project ended as a result of the criticism or the trial had simply run its course.