Move over, Alexa. Wal-Mart is going high-tech in its fight against Amazon.com.

The success of logistics service providers (LSPs) rises and falls with the ever-shifting strategies of the manufacturers, suppliers and retailers that make up their customer base. Today, outsourcing is on the ascent. But can LSPs keep supporting the demand?

Melanie Lichtfeld, owner of a Madison, Wis.-based plumbing company, used to tell customers they could wait weeks to buy their new kitchen sink from a local supplier. Now she orders the parts she needs on Amazon.com and they arrive two days later.

It's no secret that Amazon is the greatest disruptor in the history of retail. The question is, how can traditional retailers, even very large ones, compete against a giant that can plow hundreds of millions into warehousing, order fulfillment and delivery? Customer satisfaction - and possibly the survival of many retailers - rides on the answer.