Debt levels at China's 200 biggest companies increased by five times between 2007 and 2013 and financial pressures on them will likely intensify as the economy continues to cool, Standard & Poor's said.

Transportation professionals may talk to their peers in marketing and finance, but often there is little real understanding of how decisions impact customer service and, ultimately, the bottom line. Steven Raetz and Kevin McCarthy, executives at C.H. Robinson, discuss a paper they co-authored on bridging this communications gap.

Retailers, particularly big box stores, are demanding more customized packaging of products, which increases demand for contract packaging services, says Dave Mabon, president of contract packaging at Genco. With margins that average 30 to 40 percent, this presents a huge opportunity for service providers.

GlobalStar Consulting LLC has joined the Infor Partner Network (IPN) as an Infor Alliance partner.