MHI recently announced its speaker lineup for the 2018 MHI Executive Summit and Annual Conference, October 14-17, 2018, at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, FL. The event will explore the NextGen supply chain innovations, leading trends and best practices explored in the 2018 MHI Annual Industry Report.

Blockchain is a technology that is garnering a lot of attention in many industries, including logistics and material handling. It has the potential to revolutionize the way we do business and to impact the future of the industry. In this video, find out what thought leaders like Khwaja Shak from IBM Academy of Technology have to say about the power of blockchain for cybersecurity.

A new report forecasts double digit growth in the mobile robot market over the next five years from $1 billion in 2017 to $7 billion in 2022. Related software is predicted to add another $3 billion to this total.

A recent Boston Consulting  analysis revealed that "use of AI can reduce producers’ conversion costs by up to 20%, with up to 70% of the cost reduction resulting from higher workforce productivity." AI was particularly useful in generating more sales when used to produce products tailored to specific customers and with faster delivery times.

Speaking recently at CoinDesk’s Consensus 2018, FedEx CEO Fred Smith made clear his commitment to embracing blockchain technology in order to maintain supply chain competitiveness in a rapidly changing digital world.

Intermodal transport is being broadly impacted by some of the recent trends in the supply chain. Higher demands, faster shipments, tighter margins and disruptive technologies all are at play. 

For manufacturers, an ecosystem mindset that includes collaboration between industry and educational institutions is vital to solve three key challenges: the imperative of supply chain digitization, major demographic shifts in the workforce, and a widening skills gap in the labor pool.

The outlook for the U.S. economy, global economy and material handling is strong for 2018. Leading economic activity data, low interest rates, favorable tax policies in the United States, a falling greenback, and solid equity markets are all positive dynamics coming together. 

To ensure that a facility’s sprinkler system and racking are properly designed and will work together effectively, it is critical to work with a qualified, fire protection professional familiar with the pertinent warehouse fire sprinkler design and building codes.

The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI)  recently announced the recipients of the 2018-2019 scholarship awards. Scholarships range from $1,500 to $6,000 and are awarded to students pursuing careers in material handling and logistics.

Careful planning and design of a perimeter security system are vital for ensuring as much protection as possible and a multi-layered security system requires the proper systems to deter, detect and respond to security incidents.

Gartner, Inc. released the results of its annual Supply Chain Top 25, identifying supply chain leaders and highlighting their best practices. Unilever held on to the top spot for the third year in a row, followed by Inditex, Cisco, Colgate-Palmolive and Intel. 

From an efficiency and productivity perspective, advances in lead battery technology have improved efficiency and reduced costs for warehouse owners. It is important to remember that you are not buying a battery, you are buying an energy system, so you should consider chargers as well as batteries when making a purchase decision.

Amazon is driving e-commerce, and brick-and-mortar stores are trying to adjust. Omnichannel fulfillment is becoming an even bigger issue for retailers as they try to gain a clear visibility of where inventory is between distribution centers and stores.

Growth in retail e-commerce sales has led to a boom in new warehouse construction. Whether you’re planning a new warehouse/DC or expanding a current facility, there are several key preparation steps to keep in mind to ensure that your warehouse labels and signs meet your needs and your go-live date.

An autonomous guided vehicle or manually guided vehicle system is a good solution for any application looking to make the move from a manual line to an automated one.