Technology

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. ...

IoT sensors and edge computing are transforming supply chains by enabling real‑time insights, predictive maintenance and faster operational decisions. As these technologies mature and integrate with AI and standardized systems, companies can achieve greater visibility, efficiency and resilience across their operations. BY SARA PEARSON SPECTER   IN TODAY’S ULTRA‑COMPETITIVE logistics landscape, data visibility alone isn’t enough. Companies must act on ...

BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EVP OF INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI THERE IS NO doubt about it, the dawn of the artificial intelligence (AI) age is no longer approaching. It has arrived—in full force. As a result, end users must understand how predictive analytics and digital twins are influencing fundamental, traditional reliability practices. After all, they’re jointly strengthening reliability practices throughout the entire ...

How Physical Artificial Intelligence and Data‑Driven Robots Will Transform Warehouse Logistics   BY MARY LOU JAY   THE EVOLUTION OF robotic technology and artificial intelligence (AI) ‑driven warehouse management systems has paved the way for the next step in warehouse automation: physical AI. With physical AI, advanced technology can interact directly with the physical world through equipment such as robots, ...