Industry Trends

Feature Boosting E‑Commerce Operations’ Sustainability and Efficiency BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI PHOTO PROVIDED BY STAPLES Driven by continued growth in e‑commerce, U.S. parcel shipping volumes grew to 21.7 billion in 2023, according to Pitney Bowes’ most recent annual Parcel Shipping Index. The report, issued in April 2024, predicted continued growth reaching 28.3 billion by 2028. Its authors ...

Feature Humanoid robots are poised to gain traction in warehousing and manufacturing. BY NICK FORTUNA The first humanoid robots for manufacturing plants and warehouses were “expensive,” “cumbersome,” “clunky” and “slow,” but newer versions promise to be much more versatile and effective, driving stronger adoption in the coming years, according to Dwight Klappich, vice president of research at Gartner. Klappich, a ...

Feature Utilizing AI to optimize inventory management, demand forecasting and route planning BY SHERYL S. JACKSON ISTOCK.COM/CHAYADA JEERATHEEPATANONT While most are generally aware of the potential benefits of AI for their organizations, the value of specific applications of AI for supply chains is less clear. Recent research by Accenture found that companies using generative AI, advanced machine learning and other ...

Industry Focus BY TOM GRESHAM ISTOCK.COM/GUVENDEMIR As an industry, aerospace plays a starring role in commercial travel, shipping and national defense. That makes the effectiveness of its supply chain integral to stability and everyday life in the United States and across the globe. “The aerospace supply chain is vital not only to our economy but also to U.S. national security,” ...

It’s Time to Assemble for the Biggest Supply Chain Experience of 2025 Come spend four inspiring and eye‑catching days with the people, technologies and ideas that are shaping this industry’s future. With over 1,100 exhibits, 200 educational seminars and four keynote talks, ProMat has all the equipment, systems and software you need to make your operations more resilient, transparent and ...

Lurking behind the real-time benefits of interconnected technologies and trading partners are the disruptive dangers posed by threat agents armed with ransomware as a service. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI Behold, the wonders of the digital, integrated supply chain! Real-time visibility through automated, connected access to information shared between suppliers, customers and third-party service providers and to data ...

Low Earth Orbit Satellites Offer Global Asset Tracking BY MARY LOU JAY Companies desiring greater visibility into their supply chains now have another option for tracking their goods. By using IoT sensors that communicate with low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, they can gain new insights into where their products are and the conditions under which they are traveling. IoT sensors ...

Is the lack of a clear business case preventing your operation from implementing automation? Use this guide to build a compelling justification. BY SARA PEARSON SPECTER Every year, MHI’s Annual Industry Report queries supply chain leaders on a multitude of topics surrounding their adoption and deployment of innovative technologies—including automation. Survey questions ascertain budgets, operational challenges, investment plans, obstacles to ...

BY SHERYL S. JACKSON AI technologies ranked highest of innovations that respondents to the 2024 MHI Annual Industry Report survey expected to adopt within the next five years. In addition to the 58% who expect to adopt AI technology, 27% of respondents report already using AI and only 15% say that they are unlikely to adopt AI tools. Leveraging the ...

Decision Intelligence Data Platforms Help Companies Optimize Operations BY NICK FORTUNA Supply chain executives are bullish on the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and improve decision-making, but to fully unlock the power of AI, companies need to put a laser focus on their data. It has been said that data is the lifeblood of AI, as it ...