The battle of the parcel carriers has begun.

Manufacturer looking to launch a new line of 3D printers sees the value of having packaging and manufacturing engineers work collaboratively from the get-go.

Anticipating dramatic growth in its business, the 2009 high-tech start-up acquired an optimization tool that could easily scale up in the years ahead - yet deliver a full range of services in the meantime.

It's fair to say that some mouths dropped in some quarters when word got out that the vice president of supply chain for McDonald's in the UK said he had handshakes rather than formal contracts with key suppliers. In dispensing with the written word, the fast-food chain formed long-term relationships with its partners in food, packaging and distribution, and included them in planning – even helping to set prices and volumes. Said Warren Anderson, "We don’t have contracts, but we do have our very assured supply partnerships with our food and paper suppliers," he said. "A gentleman’s handshake is just as powerful here."

Randy Curran, CEO of OHL, talks about the impact of e-commerce on the 3PL industry today and in the future and discusses how the omnichannel customer is changing logistics operations.

Amazon.com is attacking traditional retailers on all fronts. How can they fight back?