Razat Gaurav, senior vice president of i2 Technologies, discusses how a stressed economy, globalization, tight financial markets and various delivery models such as software as a service will impact logistics in 2010.

New-product development and a complete makeover of its supply chain came simultaneously for Motorola. Ann Deardorff, senior director of quality and strategy, outlines some of the challenges the electronics giant has faced so far in this ongoing project.

Manual yard operations continue to be the norm for many companies, but they are clearly losing out on substantial savings, says Aleks Gollu, CEO of PINC Solutions. Moreover, effective yard management benefits the entire supply chain.

Rather than take a hands-off approach to transportation, the U.S. Department of Commerce is very much involved in trying to bring efficiencies to the country's freight policies, says Joe Holecko, a global trade specialist with the department's International Trade Administration.

Dick Metzler, chief commercial officer of Greatwide Logistics Services, discusses whether the transportation and logistics market is returning to health or if signs of life merely illustrate Wall Street's colorful term for a small, brief recovery.

Sustainability has moved from buzzword to boardroom mandate, says Michael Youn, logistics manager for Cintas, a provider of uniforms, apparel and other services. Leadership from the top is required to effectively engage the team charged with carrying out the initiative.

Steve Rubinson, director of global trade compliance at JohnsonDiversey Inc., which markets environmentally friendly cleaning products, discusses how to manage the risk of delays related to adhering to trade regulations, and how cultural differences impact global businesses.

Smaller, regional less-than-truckload motor carriers need to leverage technology to remain competitive with larger competitors, says Rick Berryman, vice president-business development for ROADVision Systems. Using the internet to enable shippers to perform such self-service actions as making pickup and delivery appointments, requesting quotes and tracking shipments is something all carriers can do with minimum investment, he says.

Transportation brokers play an important role in the supply chain, but they often do not receive the respect they deserve, says Robert Voltmann, president and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association.

Routing and loading optimization applications are two important technologies that trucking companies can leverage to achieve greater efficiency, says Ray Penn, consultant at Ortec. Both result in better utilization of equipment which ultimately means fewer miles driven, fewer trucks on the road and lower fuel and labor costs, he says. When enhanced by mobile communications between driver and home office, these tools become even more powerful.