Tag Archives: supply chain innovation

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 ...

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, ...

BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS® AND CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE®     THE U.S. ECONOMY is facing two conflicting dynamics with a rare coexistence of momentum and uncertainty. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth has been much better than many expected, and the U.S. labor market remains relatively tight. Meanwhile, U.S. inflationary pressures have eased meaningfully, although year-on‑year ...

BY DEBJIT ROY, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT; PUNEET TIWARI, ARAPL RAAS INTERNATIONAL LLC, USA; AND MILIND PADOLE, ARAPL RAAS INTERNATIONAL LLC, USA   THE NEED FOR ORCHESTRATED FORKLIFT FLEETS IN A WAREHOUSE With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor fusion technologies, such as 3D vision and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems, the global autonomous ...

THE PROMAT 2027 exhibit space draw attracted 930 exhibitors who reserved a record of 977 booths for a total of 653,600 net square feet of show floor space at the industry’s largest supply chain event. This record amount of space reserved represents 94% of the ProMat 2027 show floor and is the largest exhibit space draw in MHI history. “The ...

BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI FOR DECADES, SUPPLY chains have relied on spreadsheets, siloed systems and gut instinct to balance cost, service and risk. But as global networks have become more complex and data volumes have exploded, traditional tools are no longer enough. Today, structured data pours in from enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, warehouse management systems (WMS) ...

BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EVP OF INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI When did you first notice the shift toward artificial intelligence (AI)? Perhaps during the COVID‑19 pandemic? Or maybe even earlier than that—as far back as 10 years ago or more? The answers to these questions will likely vary according to your distribution center or warehouse. But regardless of where your distribution center ...

How AI Helps Supply Chains Predict and Mitigate Disruptions   BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI THE WORLD OF supply chains looks radically different from what it was a few years ago, according to Aadil Kazmi, head of artificial intelligence (AI) at MHI member Infios. He noted that while software systems built over the past three decades remain resilient, data‑driven optimizers capable of ...