The outlook for U.S. economic growth and material handling for 2016 and 2017 has softened sharply in recent quarters. U.S. manufacturing activity fell to recession levels when it began contracting at the end of 2015, which can be seen in the yearover- year rate of industrial production and the ISM Manufacturing Index (see graph on page 110). Although U.S. manufacturing ...

When was the last time that you stopped to think about the journey that brought you into the supply chain? I speak to students frequently, and I end up explaining my journey pretty much the same way each time. Instead of telling the real story, I just list the sequence of jobs that I’ve had. Who cares? The important information ...

Ergonomic workstations bring the work to the workers by optimizing the fit between people, their tools, the task and their environment. Examples include raising tables or using tilting work surfaces. The goal is to avoid forcing operators to lean over to do their work using a poor posture that could result in low back and/or upper back discomfort, explained Kelly ...

The U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics (Roadmap) identifies trust and technology as two key barriers to effective collaboration. At MHI we are building and testing a platform with trust embedded so that the value of sharing information and assisting others with their material handling and supply chain issues can be realized. The opportunities for MHI members to elevate ...

Certified track and trace using blockchain or other emerging technologies—is there an actual case for this in the next three years? A growing number of experts are certainly bullish on the prospects, and there is movement among the manufacturing and retail industries to explore how to best leverage such technologies for use within their own supply chains. “Track and trace ...

Across the country, new and innovative protective guarding products are being designed to protect personnel, equipment and inventory in industrial facilities. Recently, we spoke with industry leaders to learn more about new technologies around electronic guarding and how they can be used in conjunction with traditional guarding for a robust overall solution. Aaron Conway, president of MHI member Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, ...

Wearable technology, 3D printing, advanced robotics, real-time shipment tracking and integrated business planning tools are just a few examples of technologies that are in place now, or will be in the near future, throughout the supply chain. grows, and supply chain leaders are facing a major talent shortage. This lack of talent can slow innovation throughout the industry, according to ...

Having difficulty finding the necessary talent for your supply chain team? It’s time for a new approach. “The supply chain has evolved over the last decade or so into a complex orientation that combines a number of different traditional functions together and asks them to work together to not only operate the business for low cost but also to provide ...

Patterson, CA is right off Interstate 5. It’s roughly an hour and a half from the San Francisco Bay, and the high property values in the nearby city have made the town of roughly 20,000 an ideal place for an increasing number of distribution centers—especially large ones. There’s only one challenge: Many of the younger generation coming up, the future ...

Although well understood within the industry, the general public has—by and large—failed to recognize the significance of supply chain jobs to business and to the overall economy. The story needs to be told that supply chains are led by a diverse group of professionals who utilize innovation, creativity and smart thinking to keep the economy moving. Last quarter, MHI launched ...