In 10 years’ time, there will be more than 100 billion people, devices and systems connected to the Internet of Things, and each connected device will be equipped with dozens of sensors, says Boris Felgendreher, director of marketing, EMEA, GT Nexus.

The use of automation and robotics in the supply chain is not new, but it is increasingly identified as both a disruptive force and a competitive advantage by supply chain leaders. In the 2016 MHI Annual Industry Report, 51 percent of survey respondents said the technology has the potential to disrupt the industry and offer an advantage to companies that leverage it appropriately.

Predictive analytics, as defined by the 2016 MHI Annual Industry Report, is "the modeling of data to identify patterns that help businesses predict behaviors and events, from inventory depletions, to machinery breakdowns, to consumer trends." In the supply chain arena, predictive modeling allows managers to manage inventory better, plan more reliable transportation networks, and reduce variability in lead times. This can enhance service levels, lower costs and improve the bottom line.

The MHI Annual Conference is holding an educational track focusing on the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling and Logistics. Held on Monday, October 17th, sessions for this topic will allow experts to lead participants how to best utilize the Roadmap, which guides companies through major 5-10 year trends for the industry, for individual organizations.

Connected. Intelligent. Scalable. Nimble. These are the words used to describe the anticipated outcome of the current transformation of traditionally linear supply chains in the third edition of MHI’s Annual Industry Report, "Accelerating change: How innovation is driving digital, always-on supply chains."

As the connected home becomes more and more a reality, the concept of consumer electronics is expanding. But the overall sector is in a bit of a change.

B2B, distributed inventory networks and "less than truckload" shipping: Could uberization of the supply process be next?

3D printing is a "game changer" for manufacturing, but its real impact on supply chains will take years to play out, experts say.

The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) announces a call for nominations for three awards for 2017, the Norman L. Cahners Industry Award, the Reed-Apple Education Award and the MHEFI Exceptional Contribution Award. All awards are made to an individual, corporation or organization that has contributed to the industry in an extraordinary way or to an extraordinary degree. 

MHI launched the #iWorkInTheSupplyChain awareness campaign late last year, aiming to dispel popular preconceptions about careers in manufacturing and supply chain. The initiative set out to tell the world about the broad and diverse range of people who have chosen a career in our field.

Each year, MHI member companies have the opportunity to submit their employees for the MHI Outstanding Young Professional of the Year Award. We were proud to announce Arsenio Evans and Isaiah Reynolds at MODEX 2016 as the winners of the MHI Outstanding Young Professional of the Year Award.  Recently we caught up with Arsenio and Isaiah and learned more about them.

For the fourth year, MHI honors the most innovative products and solutions in our industry. At MODEX 2016 exhibitors were invited to submit entries in three different categories: Best New Innovation, Best Innovation of an Existing Product and Best IT Innovation.

On the afternoon of Monday, October 17th, the MHI 2016 Annual Conference will hold two sessions that address the supply chain labor shortage and ongoing skills gap that have become a major crisis in the industry as we try to recruit and retain talent. Facilitators in the sessions will examine these issues and map some solutions for the problem

In this MHI view video, Jim Barnes, CEO of enVista, shares helpful tips and a simple rule of thumb mentality to ensure your company operates as efficiently as possible with zero waste. 

The Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM) has announced the newest version of its annual Case Study Competition. The 2016 competition will present a top prize to the case study that promotes the best use of Internet of Things technologies.

While there are many standard lifts being manufactured by the industry, there are also applications using lifts that the industry may not think about. Today, it is not just about palletizing and de-palletizing. Recently, MHI Solutions spoke with lift manufacturers and asked them how day-to-day use of lifts has changed.

When there are ergonomic issues in a plant, there are most likely production bottlenecks, waste or even lost time injuries. Since there is usually more than one way to solve a material handling (MH) problem, finding the best ergonomic solution and/or safety equipment is an investigative process. Here are some simple steps to start that process

Each year, MHI member companies have the opportunity to submit their employees for the MHI Mentor Award.  We were proud to announce Chris Glenn at MODEX 2016 as the winner of the 2016 Mentor Award. Recently we caught up with Chris and learned more about him through a Q&A Session.

The Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment (EASE) Product Group of MHI has produced a two-hour online course on ergonomics & lean in industrial environments.