The use of automation and robotics in the supply chain is not new, but it is increas­ingly identified as both a disruptive force and a competitive advantage by supply chain leaders. In the 2016 MHI Annual Industry Report, 51 percent of survey respondents said the technology has the potential to disrupt the industry and offer an advantage to companies that ...

3D printing is a “game changer” for manufacturing, but its real impact on supply chains will take years to play out, experts say. According to the 2016 MHI Annual Industry Report, Accelerating change: how innovation is driving digital, always on supply chains, only 17 percent of nearly 900 supply chain professionals surveyed said they believe that 3D printing can be ...

The concept of predictive analytics is one that sends many to thinking of the future. Not so for Randy McClary. He’s quickly reminded of the past. As a champion of the theory of dis­ruptive innovation—when a new idea is so much better than the traditional way of doing things that it completely displaces the old—what comes to mind for McClary ...

In 10 years’ time, there will be more than 100 billion people, devices and systems connected to the Internet of Things, and each connected device will be equipped with dozens of sensors, says Boris Felgendreher, director of marketing, EMEA, GT Nexus. “You have big data and cloud platforms and the Internet of Things all coming together at the same; it’s ...

Consumer electronics used to be limited to radio and TV, but in a few short decades, it has expanded to include computers, tablets, phones—and yes, that refrigerator. At the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, attendees were able to see refrigerators that used a built-in camera to take pictures of its contents, or provided the capability to order groceries via an ...

Connected. Intelligent. Scalable. Nimble. These are the words used to describe the anticipated outcome of the current transformation of traditionally linear supply chains in the third edition of MHI’s Annual Industry Report, “Accelerating change: How innovation is driving digital, always-on supply chains.” As evidenced by the title, the report examines the concept of the always-on supply chain, defined as: “An ...

For the fourth year, MHI honors the most innovative products and solutions in our industry. At MODEX 2016 exhibitors were invited to submit entries in three different categories: Best New Innovation, Best Innovation of an Existing Product and Best IT Innovation. We received 95 entries between the three categories—an increase from 84 entrants at MODEX 2014. It’s a clear demonstration ...

MHI launched the #iWorkInTheSupplyChain awareness campaign late last year, aiming to dispel popular preconceptions about careers in manufacturing and supply chain. The initiative set out to tell the world about the broad and diverse range of people who have chosen a career in our field. Because, by its own admission, the industry hasn’t done an especially great job at communicating ...

In 2015, MHI’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) program received several calls from school districts on both coasts seeking more information about how to establish their own supply chain, material handling and logistics education programs at the high school level. Those calls led directly and regional workforce development to our participation in two different Supply Chain Education and Workforce Summits— ...

Collaboration has always been a pillar of MHI’s commitment to enhancing and improving the supply chain, material handling and logistics industries. Not just by creating opportunities for connections among our members, but also externally. For decades, we’ve built relationships with other industry associations, including (but not limited to): the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA), the Warehousing Education and Research ...