Amazon will require its US third-party sellers to pay a 5% surcharge to cover the cost of fuel and inflation beginning April 28. The company says the fee is "subject to change."

Lineage Logistics is buying Canadian cold chain warehouse and transport company VersaCold Logistics Services, a deal that will approximately quintuple Lineage's footprint in Canada after the deal closes in the third quarter. VersaCold operates 24 facilities in nine provinces.

The story of former Alcoa CEO Paul O'Neill's ability to increase worker safety and profit by implementing a real-time safety-reporting system is an example of how safety is closely tied to operational excellence, writes Sandy Smith of Intelex Technologies. "Businesses need to understand two things: That workplace safety is an issue they can manage and control, and that safety professionals need better tools and technology for measuring the economic impact of occupational injuries and illnesses," Smith writes.

Organizations can minimize the risk posed by supply chain disruptions by using collaboration software platforms that provide a 360-degree view, are highly configurable and allow for collaboration across supplier tiers, writes Alex Zhong, director of product marketing at GEP. Such tools let companies "respond to disruptions with greater agility without the disconnect between supply chain and procurement operations," Zhong writes.

Modern distribution sales organizations should make information quickly accessible to consumers, use information from competitors to control negotiations, operate with integrity and frequently ask suppliers and customers questions, writes Kayla Jane McLaughlin, director of inside operations at Surpless Dunn & Co. "The modern customer further seeks the human traits of integrity, genuineness and services going above and beyond for a need," McLaughlin writes.

Public relations and marketing agency CEO Jodi Amendola explains five traits of successful business-to-business content marketing that can help spark interest, create demand and boost sales. Amendola explains how to make content engaging, why an omnipresent approach is vital and how to create accessible, refined content for all stages of the buying journey, particularly for the decision-making stage.

Leaders need the courage and humility to be vulnerable and open with their employees, writes Ken Blanchard, quoting advice from Colleen Barrett and Brene Brown. Focusing on the needs of others and owning your mistakes are two things leaders can do to build trust and transparency, Blanchard writes.

The pace of change during the pandemic has been overwhelming for many leadership teams, who need to rethink workloads, prioritize planning time together and remember their primary role in creating change, writes Tegan Trovato, founder of Bright Arrow. "[T]he CEO or other member of the executive team should hold all leaders accountable for regular, scheduled collaboration meetings to deliver weekly on shared goals," Trovato writes.