MHI is embarking on a series of video updates on topics covered in the 2017 MHI Annual Industry Report. View Episode One, Next-Generation Supply Chains.

A new update to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Internet of Things Spending Guide forecasts worldwide spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) to grow 16.7% year over year in 2017, reaching just over $800 billion. 

Analytic solutions can manage large amounts of supply chain data and utilize derived insights in a predictive way to enhance supply chain performance. These solutions offer a holistic view of the supply chain that helps in enhancing sustainability, improving profitability, reducing inventory cost, and accelerating the time-to-market for products.

The 2017 MHI Annual Conference will feature four keynotes and 12 educational sessions over two days, October 2 – 4 in Boca Raton, Florida. Here, you’ll learn how disruptive technologies are defining new opportunities for supply chains, how to lead an organization that drives growth and what economic challenges and opportunities lie ahead.

Supply chains are changing as they adapt to the new realities of consumer demands and e-commerce. As companies rethink their supply chain strategies they are making different choices on where and how they design and operate their distribution facilities. 

Retailers seeking to find balance between omnichannel costs and revenue growth see supply chain capabilities as key to profitably serving customers, according to a recent report titled "2017 – The State of the Retail Supply Chain." 

On July 28, the Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers (ICWM) is hosting a webinar, titled "Not All Casters Are Created Equal: Ensure Safety, Productivity, and Performance," about their ANSI standard. The webinar will discuss how selecting the right caster can reduce lower back injury and save your company money as injury claims drop.

At ProMat, people were saying: ‘That’s the future!’ I was saying: ‘That’s the present,’" says Rafael Granato, marketing director for MHI member PINC Solutions. He’s referring to the company’s drone systems, which can fly through a manufacturing or distribution center facility under their own direction to take inventory. 

The Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA), a product group within trade association MHI, has launched the first in a series of educational videos about the importance of protective guarding products in the material handling industry. The short but informative video is titled, "Essential Safety Barriers for Automated / Robotic Workcells."

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 are concepts that are key to gaining the efficiency, agility and flexibility promised in these new supply chain models.

Knott points out that the AGV industry is changing pretty rapidly due to both innovations in reliability and efficiency.

It wasn’t that long ago that the concept of predictive analytics was the stuff of thought leadership pieces and futuristic white papers. The recently released 2017 MHI Annual Industry Report, "Next-Generation Supply Chains—Digital, On-Demand and Always-On," however, places predictive analytics squarely in the category of here and now.

If seeing is believing, then manufacturing, warehousing and distribution facilities throughout the supply chain can expect to be taking a closer look at the latest wearable technology emerging as a viable competitive advantage in operations: smart glasses leveraging augmented reality.

The number of distribution center jobs in California has increased by 48% in the past three years. High schools and community colleges are using technology to train students for these jobs.

The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2017/2018 scholarship awards. A total of $146,100 was issued for this academic term.

In our 2017 MHI Annual Industry Report, one of the key problems in material handling and supply chain that our survey respondents identified was a lack of new or qualified workers, or the talent/skills gap. In response to this growing trend, APICS, an association for supply chain management, has announced that they are launching an expanded Supply Chain STEM Educational Outreach Program.