Maersk, the world's largest container shipping line, has teamed up with Alibaba to allow customers to reserve space on its vessels through the Chinese company, illustrating growing cooperation between e-commerce and logistics firms.

Challenge: When this automotive OEM upgraded the warehouse management system for its largest distribution facility, it knew a better way to manage handheld equipment was needed. There was no way to track equipment and no employee accountability. Scanners were being hidden, lost and damaged almost daily. The cost of managing this valuable equipment increased as productivity decreased.

Pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods giant Johnson & Johnson has held a position on the Top 25 Supply Chains list for the past dozen years, dating back to when Gartner first began compiling its rankings, and a lot of the credit for the company's solid reputation in supply chain circles is due to Kathy Wengel, worldwide vice president of Johnson & Johnson Supply Chain.

What did retailers want for Christmas? Apparently, new Chief Financial Officers. Neiman Marcus Group Inc. is on the hunt for a new CFO. So are Kohl's Corp., Coach Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. Whole Foods Market Inc.'s CFO of 29 years - and the longest-serving female CFO in the Fortune 500 - will be leaving in 2017.

Low interest rates, healthy consumer spending and strong e-commerce are forming good conditions for industrial and logistics real estate growth in 2017, says JLL, an investment management firm that offers real estate services. Potential investment in infrastructure and continued company expansion are also expected to fuel demand for warehouses and distribution centers despite global economic uncertainty.

As it continues infrastructure upgrades, Miami International Airport (MIA) has announced further growth in its freighter service with the addition of two weekly roundtrip flights on a triangular route between MIA, Mexico City and Mérida via AeroUnion.

Innovative partnerships between private sector companies, voluntary organisations and governments can help solve global challenges and provide access to healthcare and food, according to a report by SCM World and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Shenyang Airport sees promising potential in northeastern China, not far from the border with North Korea. In September, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. (Hactl) subsidiary Hactl Development Holdings signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Liaoning Airport Management Group, owner of Shenyang Taoxian International Airport, in what both parties described as "a first step in developing the airport as a major regional hub."