Imagine a day in the not-so-distant future: A woman strolls past "dress shop #12." A GPS application on her smartphone pings the store's CRM system, alerting it of the woman's proximity to the store. The system automatically searches her purchasing history, connecting her most recent internet search for floral, pleated skirts to the last such skirt in stock now at Dress Shop #12 - in her exact size. The system then texts her a 10-percent discount on the desired item, along with the store's address. The woman sees the store, enters and purchases the item. The transaction is processed and the sale is reported to the inventory system. A replenishment order is sent to a 3PL warehouse in the Philippines, and on the next delivery, a new floral pleated skirt arrives at the store. The woman leaves with the merchandise, and before she gets home, an email is already waiting in her inbox providing a coupon for her next store visit.

How innovative IBP technologies can help drive the right process and the best business value in an environment where volatility is the "new normal."

The reshoring of manufactured goods from Asia to North America is bound to take some import business away from U.S. ports. But there are other developing threats to the continued dominance of gateways like Los Angeles-Long Beach - specifically, a couple of upstarts to the north and south.