Analyst Insight: The retail industry is undergoing massive transformations as a result of three megatrends: technology, globalization and supply chain. New technologies have changed the definition of the word "shopping." Globalization has resulted in products designed for international consumption and manufactured in the country with lowest total delivered cost. Supply chain's role is to support the desires of global customers with an efficient flow of goods, information and cash. The omnichannel supply chain is critical to these transformations, and it should evolve through a Strategy-Structure-Implementation process. – Jim Tompkins, CEO, Tompkins International

With a tentative agreement in place between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the 7-month-long West Coast port crisis has come to an end. What comes next is the final body count - what percentage of GDP shrank because of the slowdown? What was the impact on the trade deficit? Who got hit hardest, and just how hard? Then what? There may be a collective sigh of relief in the air, but can things really go back to normal? Should they?

The top five events causing disruption to supply chains in 2014 were Typhoon Halong in western Japan with a revenue impact of more than $10bn, severe flooding in Long Island, New York, with a revenue impact of more than $4bn, Typhoon Rammasun in China and Vietnam, which caused a revenue impact exceeding $1.5bn, the Taiwan gas explosions and their $900m impact, and the Intel hazardous chemical spill in Arizona, which also had a revenue impact that topped $900m.

What does it take to overcome the logistics challenges of serving customers in emerging markets?

Analyst Insight: Keeping talent has risen to be a concern for managers, directors and CEOs across the country. It's even caught the attention of academics. What policies employed at the DC level gets the most out of the money spent on training, and gets the best results? Our 2014 study starts to answer that question. – Karl B. Manrodt, Professor of Logistics, and Donnie Williams, Assistant Professor of Logistics, Georgia College and State University

Analyst Insight: The pharmaceutical industry is finally sharpening its focus on profitability and efficiency. 2014 saw continued mergers and acquisitions, but more importantly, the acceleration of business focus on core sectors. Now that the impacts of the Affordable Care Act are better understood, the ability to streamline operations into sectors is driving spin-offs, sell-offs and renewed operational pressures. Two key drivers this year involving supply chains will be inventory reduction and control and lean cost reduction. – Brian Hudock, Partner, Tompkins International

SupplyChainBrain and JobsInLogistics have joined forces in 2015 for the specialized purpose of: