MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
By George W. Prest, Chief Executive Officer, MHI
Emerging technology has been a common theme over the last seven Annual Industry Reports MHI has released with Deloitte over the same number of years.
So, it is no surprise that, according to the newly released 2020 MHI Annual Industry Report, 21% of the manufacturing and supply chain professionals surveyed said that digital supply chains that are connected, intelligent, scalable and nimble are the predominant model today. This is up from just 15% since last year. A full 81% say they will be the norm by 2025.
Digital supply chains mean more complexity, more data and more change. Technologies like robotics, cloud computing, AI, automation and IIoT are supplementing and augmenting human roles in areas such as supply chain planning, analytics, order and inventory management. They are also impacting the workers who have to run and glean actionable data from them.
Clearly, the time to act is now if you have not started your digital journey already. For those who invest in digital supply chains, and the people who run them, the payoffs will be huge. But, it’s really become an evolve-or-die situation—either create a digital strategy or you will fall behind in a way that you may not recover from.
This issue of MHI Solutions focuses on this important topic from the top technologies driving this change, tips for how to implement and test them to what this change will mean for the future supply chain workforce.
We have also included detailed information on MODEX 2020, being held in Atlanta as you read this. MODEX is where the brightest minds in manufacturing and the supply chain are gathering to discuss the trends of today and the challenges of tomorrow.
With 950 exhibits and over 150 educational sessions, MODEX is where leading companies get reliable information and solid advice about capital expenditures and supply chain investments. It’s also the best place to learn about and experience the latest and greatest supply chain equipment and technology trends.
Many of these innovations are among the submissions for the 2020 MHI Innovation Award, which you can view on page 121. The MHI Innovation Award winners will be announced at MODEX during MHI Industry Night on March 11.
My hope is that this issue of MHI Solutions helps provide the information and resources you need to address emerging trends and technologies in your supply chain.