Features

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 ...

The digital transformation of supply chains promises to supercharge performance, improve efficiency and resilience, slash operating costs, increase customer satisfaction and boost sustainability efforts. However, a persistent shortage of workers with the right skillsets has become a major roadblock to realizing these much‑ballyhooed benefits. It’s time, experts say, to focus on the people side of the human‑tech equation.   BY ...

Automation doesn’t replace jobs. Instead, it allows companies to increase job satisfaction and productivity among their existing workforces. Here, experts share how to identify the optimal tasks for automation and the ideal solutions for the job. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI As supply chain workforce shortages persist, operations are relying less on recruitment and retention incentives to cope ...

BY MARY LOU JAY   ISTOCK.COM/2D ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTO The ongoing shortage of talent remains a top concern of supply chain companies throughout the world. In fact, the newly released 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report found that 52% of leaders surveyed described hiring and retaining talent as extremely or somewhat challenging. One way to prime the talent pipeline is by ...