Staffing warehouses and distribution centers has been an especially difficult task in recent years, with historically low unemployment rates and growing wages fueling stiff competition for talented workers. Now, with COVID-19 and social distancing added to the mix, that task has become more challenging and complex than ever before, forcing many companies to embrace emerging technologies sooner than they had ...

If you want to be part of the 2021 MHI Annual Industry Report survey (and be entered into a drawing for a $500 VISA gift card), Jan. 8 is the new deadline. Click here for a link to the survey. Since 2014, MHI has been partnering with Deloitte Consulting LLP to put out an industry report that reflects digital trends ...

The Q4 2020 Issue of MHI Solutions takes a deep dive into a subject that has always been a priority in our industry, but has seen added layers over the past year: Safety. These additional layers of safety and health protocols are necessary to ensure worker safety continues to be a top priority during the pandemic.  Leading firms are accepting ...

If 2020 has taught us anything it is that the health and safety of our workers and all our stakeholders must be our top priority. For me, the pandemic reinforced my sense of our common humanity, our responsibility to each other. It’s in times of crisis like these that leaders reveal their true commitment to workers and corporate social responsibility. ...

BY CAROL MILLER, MHI VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Supply chain disruptions took on a whole new dimension in 2020 with the emergence and worldwide spread of COVID-19. The simultaneous challenges of overseas supplier shutdowns, domestic shelter-in-place mandates, and an unprecedented uptick in demand for the basics initially left the world’s supply chains reeling. Here, nine supply chain leaders ...

U.S. workforce percentages, truck drivers’ compensation numbers, labor issues and the pandemic, and robots in manufacturing are all given a statistical look in this “By the Numbers” infographic. Read More…

Overall worker safety and truck drivers and safety are given a closer look in this “By the Numbers” infographic. Read More…

BY MD SARDER, BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES, and SEYED MOHSEN HOSSEINI, INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI In recent years, supply chains have been more susceptible to a variety of disruption—including natural disaster, technical failure and human errors. Hence, many supply chain enterprises are recognizing the importance of designing reliable and resilient supply chains in ...

Looking Forward to 2021 Despite Election Uncertainty Risks BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESTIGE ECONOMICS As we begin to plan for the year ahead, we need to look back at 2020, understand current uncertainties and be prepared for how they could cast a shadow on the year ahead. Fortunately, we also need to consider upside opportunities for the economy and material handling ...

The people who work at MHI are the gears that keep the association rolling. They ensure MHI continues to be a valuable association and resource for people involved in the industry, and do so with wit, competence and a smile on their face. The goal of this column in MHI Solutions magazine is to give readers a glimpse into what ...