Industry Trends

BY THE NUMBERS   According to Kearney’s annual Reshoring Index, U.S. gross manufacturing output rose at a faster pace than the U.S. manufacturing imports from 14 Asian low-cost countries and regions, resulting in a positive score. The U.S. manufacturing import ratio was as follows:     The Kearney Reshoring Index found that, among the CEOs surveyed: 96% report they are evaluating ...

Product Spotlight BY NICK FORTUNA Back in the day, most lift tables, scissor lifts and tilters came with just a single control: a button or switch allowing the user to move the equipment up or down. These days, however, manufacturers and distributors are demanding smarter lift equipment that integrates with other material-handling products to increase efficiency and reduce labor costs. ...

Industry Focus The retail supply chain has weathered a major transition jumpstarted by COVID. But what’s next? BY TOM GRESHAM Like many industries, retail experienced a major transition during the COVID-19 pandemic as its customers’ shopping preferences and behaviors underwent radical changes. Now, the industry is weighing what the lessons of the pandemic were—and what should come next. For retailers, ...

Feature The 10th edition of the MHI Annual Industry Report found that nearly 74% of companies are increasing their supply chain technology investments, many with an eye on expanding their use from enhancing resiliency to improving sustainability. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI The past three years have seen unprecedented changes in supply chains. As documented in the most ...

Feature BY MARY LOU JAY Over the last few years, the definition of last-mile delivery has been expanded to encompass many different methods of getting goods to customers. These include delivery services dropping off packages at front doors, the white glove unboxing of large items like furniture inside a home, consumer pickups from lockers, curbside or retail store locations and ...

Feature End-to-end supply chain visibility increasingly is seen as the means to achieving critical business goals, from boosting operational efficiency and the bottom line to meeting sustainability targets and building the resilience needed to weather future disruptions. Collaboration with supply chain partners and ‘data democracy’ are key prerequisites. BY DAVID COBURN When Bill Wappler thinks about the current state of ...

By The Numbers Accenture considers two forms of visibility. Structural visibility is achieved through supply chain mapping, classic risk management, network assessment and modeling. Dynamic visibility is gained through monitoring of the supply chain in real time, leveraging predictive and prescriptive capabilities to gauge and avert potential supply chain disruptions, and autonomous execution utilizing artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic ...

Feature BY SHERYL S. JACKSON As supply chains have become more complex and handle greater volumes of goods at a faster pace, sensor technology has emerged as one way to improve efficiency, optimize employee skills, address labor challenges and meet customer expectations. “Over the past 15 years, it has been startling to see how demand on warehouses and distribution centers ...

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 ...