Industry Trends

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,” ...

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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 ...

Industry Focus BY TOM GRESHAM The pharmaceutical supply chain saw itself thrust into the spotlight during the pandemic. As a result, there is now a growing appreciation for its importance. “It’s something that people are getting a better grasp of,” said Perry Fri, executive vice president, industry relations and member services, Healthcare Distribution Alliance and COO, HDA Research Foundation. “People ...

CEO Update According to the 2024 MHI Annual Industry Report, the biggest supply chain trends include AI, robotics, automation, cybersecurity and sustainability. The common theme for all these trends is the growing need for transparent, data-driven supply chains. This is no easy task, and you can’t get there without a commitment to data integrity, an innovative workforce culture and supplier ...