Tomini Shipping has revealed plans for further expansion following an order for nine new bulkers. Chairman Imtiaz Shaikh has said that the Dubai-based company has set itself a target of at least 20 new vessels over the next few years.

Ray Barger, research director with Gartner, describes the firm's five-stage "maturity model" for supply-chain management and procurement. He also grades companies' progress toward ultimate maturity.

October was a depressed month for freight and the economy in general. The number of shipments and freight expenditures both declined from September, by 3.5 and 2.6 percent, respectively. This marks only the second time this year that both indexes declined in the same month. (Shipment volume in April dropped 3.5 percent, but expenditures fell only 1.6 percent.) The 16-day federal government shutdown is partly to blame for the declines, but prior to the shutdown the economy was already exhibiting signs of a cool down.

The Institute of Logistics and Supply Chain Management (ILSCM) has opened in Johannesburg with the aim to partner with industry and to improve the general caliber of those pursuing careers in logistics and supply chain and related disciplines.

In the United States, B2B e-commerce revenue has now more than doubled that of B2C - with $559bn annually in sales - and B2B players that fail to embrace online and mobile as leading channels risk losing market share in the short and medium term, and sustainable competitive advantage in the long-term.