Penske Logistics has reached agreement to acquire Transfreight North America, a provider of third-party logistics and supply-chain services, from Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

BlueStar Inc., a global distribution of ADC, mobility, point-of-sale, radio frequency identification, digital signage and security technology, is enhancing its warehouse and logistics services to resellers across North America.

Barcoding Inc. has launched Supply Chain Architecture by Barcoding, a dedicated practice for the identification, formulation and management of "perfect order" fulfillment processes.

Analyst Insight: From humble beginnings at the machine control layer, warehouse systems have matured and expanded to allow visibility and control over what is happening at the machine, parcel, associate and order/wave level. When combined with data from wearables and other Internet of Things technologies, warehouse control software will drive new opportunities for distribution efficiency. – Nikko Pianetto, Group Vice President, Integrated Technology Solutions, Fortna Inc.

Analyst Insight: Speed is a game-changer. Leaders are enabling faster fulfillment and reaping real bottom line and competitive advantage benefits. The key is balancing potential revenue gain or service level improvement against the investment and operating costs required to deliver on the promise. Choosing the right strategy depends on understanding the impacts, not just within the distribution center, but across the entire organization. – Helgi Thor Leja, Industrial Distribution Leader, Fortna Inc.

Assuming that the rank and file of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) ratifies the new five-year contract negotiated with terminal operators, West Coast ports can finally focus on getting container-handling operations back to normal. So is everyone happy?