Features

More than half of industry leaders plan to increase investments in supply chain technologies to facilitate end‑to‑end orchestration of equipment, workforce and goods, according to the 12th edition of the MHI Annual Industry Report. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI The increasing complexity and volatility of today’s highly competitive business environment is prompting companies to pursue a more integrated ...

Feature The next generation of artificial intelligence—called agentic AI—is being hailed as the technology that will finally fulfill the promise of autonomous supply chains that are smarter, faster, more agile, more efficient and more reliable than ever before. What are the real opportunities and roadblocks, and when can we expect agentic AI to make a real impact? We talk to ...

Feature   Ingenious technologies honored with the 13th Annual MHI Innovation Awards across four categories during ProMat 2025. BY GREG BAER, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES, MHI Among the thousands of supply chain and material handling technologies and products showcased throughout McCormick Place during ProMat 2025, four received MHI Innovation Awards. These solutions stood out amid 234 entries to MHI’s 13th ...

Feature   BY FIONA SOLTES Solo performances and smaller ensembles can highlight any orchestra’s performance. But when the entire group plays seamlessly together, the magic of the symphony can be experienced in dynamic, powerful—and sometimes even awe‑inspiring—ways. In today’s supply chain community, there’s much talk of “orchestration” and “harmonization” in warehouses and distribution centers, alongside notes of scalability and interconnectivity. ...

Feature   BY MARY LOU JAY   Wearable technologies for warehouse and distribution center operations have been around for more than a decade, but it’s only in the last five years, as the tech has matured, that their adoption has become more widespread and real‑world efficiencies are being seen. Wearables for picking and/or putting come in a variety of configurations. ...

Feature The manufacturing and supply chain community came together for a record‑setting ProMat exhibition, according to show producer MHI. With an overall registration count of 52,223 and 1,160 exhibitors, ProMat included 659,000 net square feet of exhibit solutions and 215 educational sessions across three show halls at Chicago’s McCormick Place. This was the largest ProMat to date for MHI, with ...

Feature BY CHRISTY DULA, CHIEF EXPERIENCE & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, MHI More than 19 million Americans—8% of all adults in the U.S.—bear a felony conviction on their permanent record. That includes nearly two million people currently incarcerated. With roughly 75% leaving state prisons convicted of a nonviolent crime (drug trafficking is the most common offense), employers who haven’t yet explored ...

WERC Matters   Which credentials are the right ones for your unique role in supply chain? WERC Advisory Council President Will Sparks has the answers. BY MICHAEL MIKITKA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MHI’S KNOWLEDGE VALUE CENTER AND WERC Have you ever seen a LinkedIn profile with a downright comical number of acronyms following the person’s name? Something like “John Doe, ...

Higher Education   BY KATE VITASEK, KARL MANRODT, PH.D. AND GERALD (JERRY) LEDLOW, PH.D.   In ways both big and small, we choose to trust every day. When we get into our cars for the commute to work, we trust the brakes will work. We trust the food set before us has been prepared correctly and is safe to eat. ...

October 12‑15, 2025Tucson, AZ JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass3800 W. Starr Pass Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona LEAD CHANGE. DRIVE INNOVATION. The 2025 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 2025 MHI ...