The supply chain industry has been relatively cautious in adopting technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced analytics (AA) and artificial intelligence (AI). But that’s changing as companies realize the benefits of digital supply chain technology. IoT and predictive analytics, in particular, are providing payoffs for early adopters.

ProMat is a top trade show in supply chain and manufacturing and has been consistently named one of the best supply chain events in 2019. Over 45,000 attendees will come to ProMat April 8-11 in Chicago to find their supply chain WOW – that trend or technology that will take their supply chain to the next level of success. Of course, we think ProMat is the place to be, but don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what the industry has to say about ProMat 2019.

As companies learn from their first tentative steps piloting NextGen tech pilot projects, more are beginning to deploy these solutions within select portions of their supply chain operations. MHI Solutions shares four examples of NextGen technology deployments from a handful of top supply chains, with insights from corporate leaders about lessons learned and successes achieved.

With an exponential increase in people and vehicles carrying out deliveries in densely populated urban environments, cities and logistics providers need to collaborate to address the common challenges of the final 50 feet. One common challenge is the need to reduce the time a delivery truck stays parked in a loading zone. Learn what cities and logistics providers are doing to identify and optimize loading space usage.

Every summer, MHI’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) program presents the CTE Educators Summit. This event brings together educators from the universities, community colleges, technical schools, high schools and correctional facilities who teach students the skills necessary to succeed in jobs in warehousing, distribution, logistics and supply chain.

Merriam-Webster defines the term “Holy Grail” as “an object or goal that is sought after for its great significance.” And what could be more significant in supply chain than the achievement of end-to-end visibility—in real-time—for making decisions that increase efficiency, reduce cost and/or create an amazing customer experience?

Industry 4.0 is offering manufacturing, distribution and supply chain companies the capability to completely reinvent the way they run their operations. The primary protagonist behind this revolution is data. Deploying a robust data-capable network solution that links all devices within an enterprise is therefore crucial.

Women in supply chain and material handling aren’t quite the anomaly they once were. But we’re still nowhere near parity. In 2018, women made up 37 percent of the total supply chain workforce, and 14 percent of CSCOs, SVPs, EVPs or CPOs reporting to the CEO. Increasing the visibility of women leaders is one of the most important things companies can do to impact recruitment and retention, as well as advancement of women to senior levels.

The U.S. economy and most material handling equipment manufacturers enjoyed solid growth in 2018. But the outlook for 2019 and 2020 is not as strong. This does not mean a Great Recession is brewing. But after many years of positive U.S. economic expansion, slower growth appears likely in coming quarters.