Whatever logistics services you need, our list of 50 providers based in North America can provide Class-A operations for you - anywhere in the world.

A recent Deloitte survey of 600 executives at manufacturing and retail companies found that 63 percent were highly concerned about risks within the extended supply chain comprising vendors and customers, ranking it among their top-two concerns. The executives surveyed also cited "lack of acceptable cross-functional collaboration" as the number one obstacle to managing risk effectively. While these survey results indicating a serious lack of collaboration and coordination among trading partners are certainly worrisome, should they really come as a surprise?

A warehouse is not a warehouse and a supply chain is not a supply chain. They come in various sizes, varieties and specifications. They vary by industry and product requirements. So, in short, it is hard to generalize. They need to be designed and fit for purpose, but there is no question that they are growing more complex.

Analyst Insight: There has been an explosive and exciting level of growth and innovation in the development of new automation solutions for distribution operations, particularly in the areas of full-case and less-than-case automation. It is inevitable that companies in North America and other developing nations will increasingly adopt these solutions as labor markets contract due to the aging population in the decades ahead. - Marc Wulfraat, president, MWPVL International Inc.