Current Features

Feature ProMat showcased the latest technological achievements advancing the supply chain industry. Here are some of the top innovations seen at the show. BY NICK FORTUNA ProMat may have been a four-day event, but with more than 1,000 of the world’s leading manufacturing and supply chain solution providers exhibiting under one roof, even the most caffeinated attendees were guaranteed to ...

Industry Focus BY TOM GRESHAM As with many other sectors, the supply chain of the automotive industry has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Before the pandemic, “things had sort of been humming along,” said Edgar Faler, senior analyst for the Center for Automotive Research. Then the industry experienced a myriad of fresh challenges associated with the pandemic—from production ...

BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS AND CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® There are many different ways to frame and evaluate sustainability. Sometimes it is couched as environmental, social and governance (ESG) and other times, it is focused on the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). And in some industries, like supply chain and material handling, emissions are currently ...

Feature The manufacturing and supply chain community came together in a big way after four years for a record-setting ProMat event, according to show producer MHI. With an overall registration count of 50,924 and 1,051 exhibitors, the event featured 562,700 net square feet of exhibit solutions and over 150 educational sessions encompassing 1.2 million square feet at Chicago’s McCormick Place. ...

OCTOBER 1-4, 2023DIPLOMAT BEACH RESORT, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL Learn more & register today at mhi.org/conference. The 2023 MHI Annual Conference is an interactive thought leadership event for manufacturing, material handling and supply chain professionals that focuses on the technology innovation taking place across the supply chain industry—and the associated workforce challenges highlighted in the 2023 MHI Annual Industry Report. By ...

BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI One of the benefits of a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative is a company’s ability to leverage that distinction when recruiting, retaining and empowering employees. There’s something very Field of Dreams about that idea. “If you build it, they will come…” (and work for you instead of another employer), right? ...

Feature Retailers, manufacturers and distributors are increasingly leveraging Artificial Intelligence-powered software to aggregate and analyze data for forecasting, allocation and replenishment planning. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI If you’ve ever been frustrated because your favorite brand of ketchup is sold-out at the grocery store or had to postpone a home improvement project because some of the key materials ...

Feature Does the customer remain at the center? BY FIONA SOLTES ISTOCK.COM/IPOPBA Action and adaptability, said speaker and author Garrison Wynn, create opportunity. After years of experiencing the former, it’s surely the time for the latter. With pandemic-related disruptions and reactive solutions increasingly in the rearview mirror, has there ever been a better season for re-evaluating overall supply chain strategies ...

By The Numbers BLUE PLANET STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM It’s an increasingly common refrain: 83% of supply chain practitioners surveyed by Gartner say they’re being asked to improve customer experience as part of their organization’s digital business strategy. The most common priority is developing a customer-centric culture. According to the Gartner for Supply Chain Report “Four Steps to Becoming a Customer-Centric Supply Chain,” ...

Feature BY MARY LOU JAY ISTOCK.COM/METAMORWORKS When companies introduce new automation and digital technology into their supply chains, they anticipate it will provide benefits like lower costs and increased production. But they’re also concerned about the potential for business disruption during transition. Will they be able to get their products out the door on time? Can key staff members support ...