Technology

The Road to Digitization

Transforming Last Mile Delivery with Real-Time Visibility, Technology and Data Integration BY SARA PEARSON SPECTER In supply chain, perhaps no question is asked more often than “where’s my stuff?” From ocean freight aboard transport ships, ports and inbound logistics via rail or tractor trailer, to receiving at the warehouse or distribution center for crossdocking or put away into stored inventory, ...

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Digitizing the Supply Chain Industry

  IS DIGITIZATION A PRIORITY? 73%of warehouse decision makers have or will be accelerating timelines of modernization projects 86%of associates agree that implementing warehouse technologies, robotics and devices would help attract and retain workers 69%of warehouse decisionmakers already have or are planning to automate workflows by 2024 to support warehouse associates and shift them toward more customer-centric, high-value tasks 58%of ...

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Driverless Supply Chains

After years in development, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles continue to tantalize with their potential to keep supply chains moving in the distribution yard and on the highway. That alluring promise appears closer than ever to being fulfilled, but how humans will figure into the equation remains to be seen. BY DAVID H. COBURN When MHI member Phantom Auto began developing ...

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Fast Track Fulfillment

Automating your DC to Speed Up Delivery BY LINDSEY ROONEY, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, MHI For retailers struggling to speed up the last mile of delivery, it could be productive to look backward. The so-called “middle mile of logistics,” where products travel from a factory or port to a distribution or fulfillment center, is ripe for the type of performance enhancements that ...

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Rail System Electrification to Reach Net Zero?

Sustainability Solution for Freight Rail Includes a Range of Technologies BY SHERYL S. JACKSON Electrification of rail transportation is one way to reduce greenhouse gases and meet the sustainability goals of regulators, rail industry members, manufacturers and customers. The call for rail electrification is spurred by growing interest in the reduction of emissions and mandates such as regulations passed in ...

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Electrifying Rail Freight

Of about 807,000 MILES of track worldwide, about 233,000 MILES are electrified. The U.S. freight industry is an $80 BILLION INDUSTRY, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Source: Association of American Railroads. 1% Percentage of U.S. railroad tracks that are currently used for electrified rail. 140,000 Miles of railroad track that are privately owned by railroads in the U.S., the ...

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Full Spectrum Supply Chain Visibility Starts with Software

BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI If you’re managing a warehouse or distribution center, then you’ve got many questions on your mind. Do I have the products and manpower I need to get all these orders out the door? Are this week’s deliveries still on schedule? Am I meeting my customers’ expectations? Where are my ...

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Redefining Innovation in Material Handling

The Role of OpenAI and ChatGPT in Fostering Creative Solutions BY MOHAMMAD MAYYAS, PH.D., STUDENT DAY ORGANIZER, MEMBER OF CICHME, PROFESSOR OF ROBOTICS ENGINEERING AT BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY OpenAI, established in December 2015 by a group including Elon Musk and Sam Altman, has become a key player in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Through a blend of sophisticated machine ...

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Bots, Automation and the COVID Effect

Executive Viewpoint BY JASON MINGHINI, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS, KENCO GROUP Back before COVID, our company, Kenco Group, was making investments in robotics and automation. We had an AutoStore Robotics Shuttle system. We had LocusBots. But we were just slowly adopting the technology. With COVID, we learned what many others did: We had to accelerate its use. We had to ...

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Ergonomic Products Help Ensure Worker Safety

BY SANDY SMITH The twisting, the bending, the lifting—it’s all part of a typical material handling job. But that job doesn’t have to be done without help. Ergonomic products, particularly those that help an associate lift or position items at the right height to prevent bending, are widely available. Improving the use and understanding of these products is at the ...

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