Technology

MHI IS PROUD to announce the recipients of the 2026 MHI Innovation and StartUp Awards, recognizing outstanding advancements shaping the future of the material handling and supply chain industry. This year’s MHI Innovation Awards drew in a strong response, with more than 220 submissions reviewed by a panel of industry experts. Following a comprehensive evaluation process, the judges selected four ...

The 14th Annual MHI Innovation Awards recognized transformational technologies across four categories at MODEX 2026. BY GREG BAER, MHI, VP OF SALES OUT OF THE thousands of supply chain and material handling solutions on display at the Georgia World Congress Center during MODEX 2026, just four earned top honors through the MHI Innovation Awards. Selected from a competitive field of ...

BY SANDY SMITH WITHIN MHI, THE Storage Manufacturers Association (SMA) serves as a steadying force in an industry undergoing rapid technological change. Its members design and manufacture the platforms, shelving and elevated work structures that form the literal foundation of modern warehouses and distribution centers. What distinguishes SMA is its commitment to shared standards, engineering rigor and a long‑term approach ...

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,” ...

Fulfillment networks are steadily evolving in three noticeable ways. BY CHRIS LEWIS ISTOCK.COM/ARTEMISDIANA MAKE NO MISTAKE about it. When it comes to micro‑fulfillment and omnichannel strategies, a variety of shifts are occurring. In fact, many—if not most—of these shifts will continue well beyond 2026. Why? Simply put, companies are striving to meet their customers’ ever‑rising expectations. Yet, at the same ...

BY SANDY SMITH IN AN INDUSTRY crowded with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)—and even more crowded with unmet promises—Nick Saur, CEO co‑founder of MHI member USAMR, is blunt about what’s broken in the AMR market, and equally clear about what he intends to fix. “The idea of shelf‑to‑goods and shelf‑to‑person is not new,” he said. “The technology was proven by Amazon. ...

WHILE SOME COMPANIES embrace innovation, others still rely on aging infrastructure, manual processes or fragmented data systems that are no longer slow‑burning liabilities but direct threats to resilience, competitiveness and, ultimately, continuity. Companies that fail to adopt AI, automation, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and other technologies face blind spots, slower response times, rising costs and increased exposure to ...

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 ...

Building high‑performing supply chains and achieving other key business objectives starts with a clear strategic vision, but even the most brilliant strategies often fail due to poor execution, stranding organizations short of their goals and leaving billions in unrealized value on the table. Experts see potential in leveraging artificial intelligence to overcome barriers to implementing strategy and close the strategy‑execution ...

  BY SANDY SMITH   AUTOMATION IS POWERFUL in theory, but when a material handler confronts irregular shapes or sizes, that theory can become difficult to execute. MHI member Freespace Robotics—winner of the ProMat 2025 StartUp Pitch Competition—aims to solve that problem with an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) designed to handle an unusually wide range of product dimensions. ...