Analyst Insight: Direct delivery of orders to the customer's doorstep is a hot topic for transportation and logistics executives"”from giants like Amazon to mom-and-pop specialty retailers. In particular, there is a lot of buzz around the direct-to-consumer cold chain. Free delivery and free returns, combined with the complexity and cost of cold chain distribution center (DC) and delivery assets, make for a chief marketing officer's dream and a chief financial officer's nightmare. How can you get this capability just right? - Don Anderson, Principal, Tompkins International

Increasing real-time visibility is key to achieving greater efficiencies in logistics management practices. As all goods often go through multiple yards throughout the lifecycle, any inefficiencies or errors in the yard are amplified as the effects propagate through the supply chain network.