MHI Newswire

Material Handling Industry

MHI Blog —Data-driven and autonomous supply chains will provide an opportunity for "previously unimaginable levels of optimization" in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and last mile delivery, according to DHL's 2016 Logistics Trend Radar.



The new report asserts that worldwide supply chains are beginning to undergo a fundamental transformation as more "artificial intelligence" is deployed to handle both the domestic and international movement of goods. The report further states such developments could become a reality in less than five years, despite high set-up costs deterring early adoption within the logistics industry.

Visit http://s354933259.onlinehome.us/mhi-blog/artificial-intelligence-is-transforming-logistics/ to view the full article online.

 
Bloomberg — All major North American railroads pushed through rate increases earlier this year even as freight fell the most since 2009. Limited competition and favorable regulations provide pricing power -- the envy of truckers and maritime shippers -- that's helped them reverse a share slide despite tumbling oil, coal and intermodal shipments.

Visit http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-05/shippers-feeling-railroaded-with-prices-up-even-as-freight-falls to view the full article online.

 
Ebnonline — We used to dream about robots, write novels about robots, and make movies about robots. Now, robots are real-and showing up at home, in hospitals, in factories, and more.  The seeds of this trend can be seen in Kickstarter where campaigns bringing a variety of robotic technologies to market have invited a groundswell of support. 

Visit http://www.ebnonline.com/author.asp?section_id=3219&doc_id=280489&itc=ebnonline_sitedefault to view the full article online.

 
Logistics Management — When it comes to pricing changes, transportation and logistics bellwethers are usually on the same page. And that was again made clear with changes each company made for additional handling charges on ground packages. 

Visit http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/ups_fedex_announce_similar_additional_handling_charges_on_ground_packages to view the full article online.

 
Tauber Institute for Global Operations at University of Michigan
Vidir Inc.
MHI Blog —Technology plays a major role in collaboration, a role that will only grow larger in the future, according to new research from the University of Tennessee's Global Supply Chain Institute.



The survey of over 200 organizations from a wide range of industries asked respondents to weigh in on such issues as inventory visibility, supply chain costs, new ERP integration, responsiveness to customer demands, and more.

Visit http://s354933259.onlinehome.us/mhi-blog/new-study-touts-benefits-of-collaboration-technology-to-improve-supply-chain-efficiencies/ to view the full article online.

 
The Wall Street Journal — The nation's busiest ports are emerging as a key battleground in the legal fight over whether truck drivers should be counted as employees or independent contractors. Several trucking companies operating at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have filed for bankruptcy protection in recent months, citing mounting costs to settle hundreds of legal claims.

Visit http://www.wsj.com/articles/port-trucking-firms-run-into-labor-dispute-1462959003 to view the full article online.

 
Hartford Business —State lawmakers are currently considering a bill aimed at encouraging more middle and high school students to consider manufacturing careers.



House Bill 5423, which already received unanimous House approval and is now awaiting Senate action, requires state education overseers - including the education commissioner and Board of Regents for Higher Education - to establish a committee that will coordinate efforts to educate middle and high school students about manufacturing careers.

Visit http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20160502/PRINTEDITION/304289931/bill-aims-to-strengthen-student-interest-in-manufacturing to view the full article online.

 
Reuters —Global manufacturing growth almost stalled last month as rising price halted a pick-up in new orders, a survey showed on Tuesday.



JPMorgan's Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), produced with Markit, came in at 50.1 last month, only just above the 50 level that separates growth from contraction. It was 50.6 in March.

Visit http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-economy-pmi-idUSKCN0XU1NA to view the full article online.

 
Western Pacific Storage Solutions, Inc.
Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute
Supply Chain Management Review — New high-tech outliers are adding to the complexity of todays' freight forwarding industry by nurturing a workforce eager to embrace disruptive new concepts and strategies. "The expanding definition of a freight forwarder can be attributed to the changes our industry has witnessed in the past five to 10 years," says Eytan Buchman, marketing director for Freightos, a logistics technology company that's automating online freight

Visit http://www.scmr.com/article/high_tech_disruption_in_the_freight_forwarding_sector to view the full article online.

 
MHL News — The supply chain industry has seen a shift in transportation strategies as manufacturers and retailers look for ways to satisfy their customers, overcome driver shortages and reduce overall shipping costs and environmental impact. As fuel costs increased following the recession, the cost of shipping freight via truck trended up, forcing manufacturers to review all options for getting their products from their facilities to a retail shelf.

Visit http://mhlnews.com/transportation-distribution/path-damage-prevention-intermodal-transport to view the full article online.

 
Ebnonline — Admiral Dennis Blair shares insights into the impacts of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and rising cyber threats for American and Japanese companies and their supply chain partners. Admiral Dennis Blair shares insights into the impacts of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and rising cyber threats for American and Japanese companies and their supply chain partners.

Visit http://www.ebnonline.com/author.asp?section_id=3815&doc_id=280490&itc=ebnonline_sitedefault to view the full article online.

 
Industryweek — In terms of products liability law, its consequences for industry and consumers injured by 3D-printed products are potentially just as far-reaching. Consider a fact pattern under which an auto parts manufacturer makes CAD files available to auto parts stores so that they may 3D print replacement auto parts on demand and on-site in response to customer needs.

Visit http://www.industryweek.com/emerging-technologies/3d-printing-and-its-uncertain-products-liability-landscape to view the full article online.

 
Engineering Innovation
Infor Global Solution
Industryweek — After reading the "teaser" at the end of my last column ("A Better Way to Conduct Supplier Assessments") you may have expected a detailed description here of how to replace the format of supplier assessments. If so you may be a little disappointed, at least at first. I will elaborate on that subject, but what I want to do foremost is to use the example of ongoing supplier assessments to discuss a larger, more pervasive issue.

Visit http://www.industryweek.com/procurement/focus-getting-job-done-not-building-empires to view the full article online.

 
FEI — With supply chains offering a persistent source of fraud risk, a growing number of organizations are turning to analytics to understand and mitigate their exposures.

Visit http://daily.financialexecutives.org/fighting-supply-chain-fraud-risk-analytics/ to view the full article online.

 
SNL —Manufacturing companies, which depend on natural gas as a fuel and feedstock, plan to ramp up their advocacy efforts on behalf of pipeline projects, especially in the Northeast.



Having watched pipeline opponents cripple pipeline projects working through permitting, a group representing the manufacturing industry said it intends to argue for the economic and environmental benefits of the infrastructure.

Visit https://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-36365815-13095 to view the full article online.

 
MAPI — Will manufacturers embrace virtual reality to transform product development, testing, layout, and assembly? It was hard to imagine just a few years ago that the advancements in hardware and software would allow for far greater use of virtual reality in manufacturing. Allowing designers, engineers, and customers to see and evaluate a design in real time will shorten product design cycles. Being able to walk through assembly line layout will reduce setup time. And providing customers with a view of the product in use will decrease the time spent on redesign and marketing material development.

Visit https://www.mapi.net/blog/2016/04/virtual-reality-and-future-manufacturing to view the full article online.

 
Kinetic Technologies,Inc.
Material Handling Industry
8720 Red Oak Blvd., Suite 201 | Charlotte, NC 28217-3957