ProMat 2017 is a Trade Show Executives Fastest 50 honoree. Winners are selected based on percentage of growth in each of the following categories: net square feet, number of exhibiting companies, and number of attendees. ProMat 2017 was named to the net square feet and exhibiting companies lists and also won a Grand Award for attendance growth.

The Conveyor and Sortation Systems (CSS) industry group of MHI recently released "Introduction to Conveyors and Sortation Systems." This handbook provides an overview of the different types of conveyors and sortation systems to give an introduction into different applications, advantages, and disadvantages of conveyor and sortation systems.

To ensure the safe design, manufacture and installation of cantilevered rack systems RMI released a standard, ANSI MH16.3-2016, Specification for the Design, Testing and Utilization of Industrial Steel Cantilevered Storage Racks, in 2016. As with every rack system, to ensure the safe design, manufacture and installation of cantilevered rack, it is critical to engage a professional engineer with experience in racking to evaluate a variety of factors, including: installation site, soils, anchoring, load type to be stored, handling equipment, and more.

The 2018 MHI Executive Summit and Annual Conference will focus on the NextGen technology, leading trends and enterprise-level best practices explored in the 2018 MHI Annual Industry Report. The Summit and Conference, being held October 14-17 in Orlando, will feature presentations geared to helping businesses take proactive steps geared toward continued competitive growth.

Sustainability is a term we often hear in business. We hear many times how a certain practice or implementation is sustainable. Yet sustainability can be so much more. If we take a holistic approach, many break down sustainability into three equal parts: People, Planet, Profit. This is often called the Triple Bottom Line (TBL).

With new environmental guidelines on the horizon, many firms are trying to find new ways to streamline their supply chain processes and reduce waste. This new MHI view video discusses this topic and the new corporate social responsibility that business owners are facing.

Restaurants often have leftover food, but don’t have the resources to figure out how to donate it, so it just goes to waste. Goodr does the work for them by redirecting surplus food from businesses to nonprofits that can share it with those who need it the most. Every transaction step is logged in the Goodr app through blockchain, making it secure and transparent.

The "e" in e-commerce could stand for "explosion" these days, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. And as online orders continue to pour in, fulfillment centers are facing a workforce shortage. As Baby Boomers age out, attracting top talent these days is about positivity when it comes to management and perks.

For material handling and logistics operations with high turn over and seasonal fluctuations in business, training employees can be a significant time investment. Technologies such as virtual reality and smart glasses can be used to reduce that training time.

To keep workers safe when picking items stored at levels above the facility floor—such as in pick modules or on shelving within rack supported platforms—guidelines are offered in RMI’s "ANSI MH16.1-2012: Specification for the Design, Testing and Utilization of Industrial Steel Storage Racks," section 8.4, "Pick Modules and Rack Supported Platforms." The documentation focuses on common-sense safety features and best practices, including ongoing training, to minimize the risk of worker injury as they go about their assigned tasks.

Supply chain professionals should take immediate action, if you haven’t already, to secure new suppliers and to do strategic planning using multiple "what-if" supply and cost scenarios. Your focus should be on developing alternative and flexible supply chains that can be adjusted with speed.