Jon Gordon, author of Energy Bus and other books on leadership, shares a host of ideas on how leaders can recharge, refocus and reenergize to stay on top of their game.

Stage Stores, which operates 880 small-town department stores under such names as Beall's and Peebles, has learned the value of having products delivered floor ready. Tim Duvic, vice president of distribution, explains how the company educates its suppliers on packaging and preparing orders for fast processing on receipt.

Logistics operations driven by the shale energy boom employed 32,000 workers in 2012, a figure which is expected to grow by over 26,000 jobs, or 82 percent, to more than 58,000 jobs in 2025.

The speed of change, sustainability and customization are three issues currently impacting the supply chain, says Dan Whitnable, director of business development at Hilmot Corp. He explains what these trends mean for the warehousing sector and its customers.