Workforce

The 2026 MHI Annual Industry Report findings underscore that supply chains can no longer evolve incrementally. To compete in an era defined by volatility, organizations must integrate artificial intelligence, automation and workforce strategy into a cohesive, scalable operating model. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI WITH THE RAPID emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), supply chain leaders have arrived at ...

BY KATIE KUEHNER‑HEBERT   AUTOMATION, CONTROLS AND Electrification (ACE) members are the material handling industry’s leading suppliers of electrification and controlling devices. ACE is a rebranding of the Electrification and Controls Manufacturers Association (ECMA), which originally focused on electrification and control systems for cranes. Since 2022, the industry group has expanded to include manufacturers and suppliers of such devices for ...

Supply chains are becoming more automated and complex as artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates the pace of change, but pressing workforce challenges—including a massive skills gap, chronic labor shortages and high turnover among frontline workers—threaten to limit the benefits of innovation. AI may be exacerbating those challenges, but experts say it will also be the key to solving them. BY DAVID ...

BY MARY LOU JAY HYEJINKANG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM AI, AUTOMATION AND RELATED technologies are changing the way that people work today and altering the approach that organizations are taking to determine their future workforce needs. “Traditional operational workforce planning is focused on filling headcount and managing short-term staffing needs, as well as on the ability to run the organization in the current environment,” ...

From early‑career apprenticeships to mid‑career transitions, companies are rethinking how talent enters—and stays in—the industry. BY MICHAEL MIKITKA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE MHI KNOWLEDGE CENTER AND WERC DIVISION AS THE MATERIAL handling and supply chain industry continues to grapple with persistent labor shortages, a growing number of companies are rethinking a long‑held assumption: that talent must be sourced externally. ...

Supply chains are investing heavily in AI, automation and advanced analytics, yet workforce skills are not keeping pace, limiting the return on technology spend. Leading experts from academia and research organizations share strategies for closing this gap, including designing targeted upskilling programs, avoiding common pitfalls and measuring real business impact. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI SUPPLY CHAINS TODAY ...

BY CHRISTY DULA, CHIEF EXPERIENCE AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, MHI   AS SUPPLY CHAINS expand across borders, cultures and time zones, communication has become both more complex and more essential. Operations depend on people who think differently, work differently and bring varied expectations to the table. When aligned, that diversity fuels innovation, agility and creative problem‑solving. When misaligned, it can ...

THE PEOPLE WHO work at MHI and its Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) division are the gears that keep the association moving. They ensure MHI remains a valuable association and resource for people involved in the industry, doing so with wit, competence and smiles on their faces. The goal of this column is to give readers a glimpse into ...

Executive Viewpoint BY JAMES CABOT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, SOUTHWORTH INTERNATIONAL GROUP, INC. WE ALL KNOW that we have reached a critical moment in the material handling space. Our industry is growing and evolving at a remarkable speed, creating tremendous opportunities and fresh challenges. The pandemic and the shift in consumer behavior that led to the dramatic rise of e‑commerce have ...

Augmenting Supply Chain Talent with Intelligent Tools   BY MARY LOU JAY   COMPANIES ADOPT AI to boost efficiency, but many fall short because they overlook a critical factor: people. “People put too much focus on the technology and forget to focus on the people training, the people upskilling, on changing the process as well as the organization and the ...