Current innovations in last mile delivery echo successful strategies of the past. By Sarah B. Hood— Sometimes it seems like we’re living in the world of The Jetsons, the 1960s television cartoon series that predicted robotic maids, flying cars, drones and 3-D printed food. But as change sweeps across the supply chain, many innovations are actually a replay of successful ...

The machines that move material and product along supply chains are getting smarter—increasing efficiency, eliminating monotony and collecting mountains of useful data. By Amy Drew Thompson— The Internet of Things (IoT) may sound a bit like just another industry buzz word, but it’s not. Nor is it above your tech-knowledge pay grade. Not really, anyway. The phrase was actually coined ...

When it comes to last mile delivery, partnerships are helping organizations of all sizes compete. By Fiona Soltes— Long gone are the days of believing the personal doesn’t bleed over into the professional. Recent years have proven that solid relationships are key to business success. Call it partnership. Call it collaboration. Regardless, today’s companies are learning the importance of working ...

The emergence of the chief supply chain officer reflects the importance of the supply chain to all aspects of a business. By Sheryl S. Jackson— The complexity of business—as retailers and manufacturers in all industries compete in an e-commerce, global world—has led to the emergence of new member of the C-suite: the chief supply chain officer, or CSCO. This move ...

Today’s retail industry has, and is, undergoing a fundamental shift. Five retail trends are particularly impacting the supply chains as well. By Sandy Smith— There is no doubt that today’s retail industry has, and is, undergoing a fundamental shift. Trying to get one’s arms around these changes may feel a little like traveling through a mall, laden down with packages. ...

Driverless vehicles or drones? Choices for home delivery methods are expanding, but there are challenges and new aspects to take into consideration. By Michael G. Kay— Given the rapid recent development of driverless vehicle technologies, it is interesting to speculate as to what their impact will be with respect to the last mile delivery of goods to homes in urban ...

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont to integrate MHI’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) program content. By Patrick Davison— With MHI and Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont both located in Charlotte, NC, the two organizations have connected over their mutual objectives: Serving those who seek education and training to remove barriers to employment and operations throughout the supply chain ...

The two MHI Student Days participants who won the raffle at ProMat 2017 to shadow NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson share behind-the-scenes observations about their adventure. By Delana Hopkins— An eagerly anticipated tradition during Student Days at ProMat and MODEX events, the Wednesday afternoon keynote speaker (typically a celebrity entrepreneur) spends time with the students and their instructors. Most recently ...

MHI, in partnership with Smart Workforce Strategies, published a white paper documenting the successes that supply chain companies and local schools have had with collaborations. By Patrick Davison— The skilled labor shortage phenomenon has been gaining traction in the news lately. A perfect storm of demographics and changes in educational initiatives are creating conditions where employers are having a difficult ...

From April 9-12, the best supply chain solutions, the latest equipment and innovations and the smartest thinking will all be at MODEX 2018. Read more…