PwC

Optimism for domestic economy at highest level since 2005, more than a third of respondents report a lack of qualified workers.

Supply chains are the lifeblood of commercial industry, so it is vital that you have the right talent to keep everything running smoothly.

Intersections is a quarterly analysis of global merger and acquisition activity in the transportation and logistics industry - it provides an overview of the most recent M&A results and our expectations for future deal activity.

PwC's analysis of deal activity in 2014 revealed a lackluster year as M&A volume and value remained near ten-year lows.

In the most recent edition of its quarterly report, entitled Intersections, consultancy PwC noted that fourth quarter merger and acquisition activity within the transportation and logistics sector was steady overall, while full-year deal making activity in 2014 was on the slower side as it was near a ten-year low.

How can organisations start to mitigate the potential disruption on supply chains due to climate change risk?

New hubs, new spokes, new industry leaders?

Merger and acquisition activity in first nine months of 2014 surpasses annual totals in the previous decade.

Transportation and logistics merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the third quarter saw annual gains, which were driven by smaller deals in the trucking logistics, shipping, and passenger air sectors, according to data issued in the Intersections report by PwC this week.

For the quarter, PwC said there were 51 transportation and logistics transactions values at $50 million or more for a total of $20 billion, which was ahead of 38 deals for a cumulative $16.2 billion recorded during the first quarter and the 39 deals valued at a cumulative $16.b billion in the second quarter of 2013.

Top two practices that Chinese companies are investing in are "End-to-end supply chain planning and visibility" and "Involvement of partners for capacity reservation".

Fit for the future Capitalizing on global trends. The number of CEOs who believe that the global economy will improve over the next 12 months has doubled to 44%, compared to the previous year.

PwC’s Annual Global CEO Survey, now in its seventeenth year, aims to inform and stimulate the debate on how businesses are facing today’s challenges.

Key findings in the transportation & logistics industry. 45% of T&L CEOs believe the economy will improve.

Survey indicates optimized supply chains have 15% lower costs, less than half the inventory and more than three times shorter cash-to-cash cycles.