DEI Feature BY CHRISTY DULA, CHIEF EXPERIENCE & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, MHI If you read the headlines over the past year, you might have believed that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts had fallen out of favor with corporations. “Pop Goes the DEI Bubble,” pronounced The Wall Street Journal. “DEI is Dead,” declared Fortune. “DEI Goes Quiet,” asserted The New ...

WERC Matters Designed to help emerging leaders hone their management skills, the program builds confidence and connections with industry peers and seasoned mentors. BY MICHAEL MIKITKA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MHI’S KNOWLEDGE VALUE CENTER AND WERC Most companies consider their employees to be their biggest asset. With the ongoing workforce hiring and retention challenges facing supply chains, many are realizing ...

Higher Education A logistical challenge for retailers and a business opportunity for the material handling industry BY JENNIFER PAZOUR AND JOYJIT BHOWMICK, RESEARCHERS, RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE In 2020, about 40% of Americans tried an online grocery service, resulting in a year-over-year increase of 193%.1 While not all these customers kept shopping this way, many people did. Consequently, omnichannel services, such ...

MHI Solutions Community BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI When professional football players take the field in subzero weather conditions wearing short-sleeved jerseys and no extra layers, they’re touting their toughness. But in reality, they’ve got nothing on the dedicated warehouse workers who handle refrigerated and frozen products day in and day out. It’s ...

CEO Update The efficient movement of goods and products is the lifeblood that fuels supply chain operations. Each stage of this process carries its own set of complexities and challenges. One thing that is true for all stages is that speed, accuracy, efficiency and transparency are paramount. Meeting the challenges of first, middle and last mile logistics is no easy ...

Executive Viewpoint BY ARCH THOMASON, CEO, SUNLAND LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS AND CHAIR, WERC ADVISORY COMMITTEE Over the past 15 years, Sunland Logistics Solutions has grown from a small, local company with 75 total employees—most of them temporary—to a national third-party logistics provider serving Fortune 500 organizations in warehousing and transportation. We now have 14 sites and a high-performance team of about ...

Transforming Last Mile Delivery with Real-Time Visibility, Technology and Data Integration BY SARA PEARSON SPECTER In supply chain, perhaps no question is asked more often than “where’s my stuff?” From ocean freight aboard transport ships, ports and inbound logistics via rail or tractor trailer, to receiving at the warehouse or distribution center for crossdocking or put away into stored inventory, ...

  IS DIGITIZATION A PRIORITY? 73%of warehouse decision makers have or will be accelerating timelines of modernization projects 86%of associates agree that implementing warehouse technologies, robotics and devices would help attract and retain workers 69%of warehouse decisionmakers already have or are planning to automate workflows by 2024 to support warehouse associates and shift them toward more customer-centric, high-value tasks 58%of ...

AI and human intelligence are a potent blend in route planning and optimization. BY MARY LOU JAY Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently in the hype stage of new technology adoption; some proponents see it as the answer to many problems, including, for the supply chain industry, last mile logistics. While AI does have potential for resolving some last mile issues, ...

After years in development, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles continue to tantalize with their potential to keep supply chains moving in the distribution yard and on the highway. That alluring promise appears closer than ever to being fulfilled, but how humans will figure into the equation remains to be seen. BY DAVID H. COBURN When MHI member Phantom Auto began developing ...