The manufacturer of industrial safety products and cleaning supplies "didn't have a clue" about what was in its warehouses - until it implemented a new system for forecasting, purchasing and inventory control.

When a key customer opted to embrace the internet, the U.K.'s Europa Worldwide Logistics had to step up with new software to manage the intensified demands for order management and customer service.

The role of technology in warehouses has shifted from purely reducing costs and has increasingly expanded into benefits that can drive differentiation and profitable growth for business, according to a study by Motorola Solutions Inc., which provides communication solutions and services for enterprise and government customers.

London Heathrow is the most expensive logistics location in the world, according to a new report by DTZ. The property solutions firm's Global Occupancy Costs Logistics 2013 report reveals that renting a logistics facility around the London airport will cost $313 per square meter a year.

Andy Williams, business development manager with Vanderlande Industries, talks about how companies are embracing the direct-to-consumer model of distribution.

Tim Weiner, global risk manager of commodities and metals at MillerCoors LLC, smells a rat in his supply chain. He believes bank holding companies, through their control and ownership of stores of aluminum, are inflating the metal's prices.

More and more companies are choosing to invest in green building practices, enjoying quick returns on investments that pay off in profit and public opinion. And the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Certification Program is allowing companies to make their newer, greener policies official.