Automation not only delivers ROI, it enhances supply chain jobs and increases worker satisfaction. By Fiona Soltes— A variety of factors are converging to bolster the ROI for automation. Beyond the present and future state of the workforce, the ever-increasing technological sophistication, and the growing understanding that supply chain operations must be faster, more efficient, more accurate and more transparent ...

Students with soft skills training make smoother, more successful transitions from the classroom to the workplace. By Mary Lou Jay— Graduates of vocational logistics programs may come to an employer with an impressive academic record. But unless they understand the basics of how to conduct themselves on the job, and of how to interact with their supervisors and their coworkers, ...

In the drive to address the skills gap in the supply chain sector, companies have a strong ally in academia. By Sarah B. Hood— In the drive to address the skills gap in the supply chain sector, companies have a strong ally in academia. While community colleges and trade schools are adjusting their curriculums to produce work-ready graduates for entry-level ...

It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that it’s critical to shift your focus to Millennials and Generation Z (GenZ) now in order to future-proof your supply chain workforce. But how? By Brian Reaves— When the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics: Version 2.0 was published at this time last year, it included an entire chapter of revelations ...

Succession planning and identifying talent are imperative for survival , now that the impending surge of Baby Boomer retirements is almost upon us. By Sandy Smith— Brian Reh, a mechanical engineer by trade, never planned to end up at MHI member Gorbel, the overhead material handling and fall protection product manufacturer founded by his father in 1977. These days, he ...

The secret is far more carrot than stick in the age of the Millennial workforce. By Amy Drew Thompson— The “e” in e-commerce could stand for “explosion” these days, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. But we don’t have to tell you that. “When you look at a large-scale fulfillment center, whether it’s highly automated or a manual ...

Are lead acid batteries still a good fit when it comes to forklifts used in material handling operations? By Sheryl S. Jackson— The lead acid battery has been the mainstay for reliable electrical storage for over 116 years, with more than 65 percent of all forklifts in the U.S. relying on lead batteries, but do they still fit a material ...

Transportation trends are reflective of what’s happening throughout the supply chain. By Sandy Smith— Intermodal hasn’t escaped the larger trends that affect all of industry, including material handling. Higher demands, faster shipments, tighter margins and disruptive technologies all are at play. But because of the unique nature of intermodal—with each form of transport enduring its own challenges and opportunities—getting a ...

Education is an important tool to address manufacturing challenges; however, in both industry and education, one thing is for certain, the old way of doing business just isn’t going to cut it. By Dana A. Magliola— It’s not breaking news that the global business landscape is changing rapidly, nor is it a revelation that ever-increasing customer expectations and shifting business ...

How confident can we be in experts’ predictions and would they be able to make better predictions if they had more data? By Patrick Davison— It’s spring and the start of the 2018 Major League Baseball season. With the start of the new season comes the pundits’ predictions of who will win the World Series in October. Even though the ...