Refrigerated Frozen Food—MODEX 2016 brought together 850 of the leading manufacturing and supply chain providers to showcase the latest and greatest solutions. Complete with 150 supply chain sessions led by business and supply chain thought leaders coupled with the show’s first-ever supply chain education summit, MODEX 2016, presented by MHI, Charlotte, N.C., was where the industry's brightest minds gathered to network, learn and share their perspectives on the ever-evolving state of the supply chain—where it's headed, new ideas, innovation and more.

MHI Blog — Referred to as "the greatest Supply Chain show on earth," MODEX 2016 made its mark in Atlanta, Georgia April 4-7th and did not disappoint. With over 800 exhibitors, countless networking opportunities, and daily education sessions by industry experts, themes such as labor shortage, safety and ergonomics, and accuracy became common points of discussion.

Reuters — Toyota Motor Corp, the world's biggest-selling automaker, said on Sunday it would suspend much of its production at plants across Japan this week after earthquakes in the country's south led to a shortage of parts, while some other manufacturers extended stoppages due to damage to factories.

Bloomberg — U.S. manufacturing output unexpectedly declined in March by the most since February 2015, indicating factories remain scarred by global challenges that are slow to dissipate.



The 0.3 percent drop at factories, which make up 75 percent of production, followed a revised 0.1 percent decrease the prior month, a Federal Reserve report showed Friday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for a 0.1 percent advance. Total industrial production, including mines and utilities, slumped by a weaker-than-estimated 0.6 percent for a second month.

Industryweek — Every year, SCM World surveys hundreds of supply chain executives to find out which universities they consider the best at producing graduates with practical, as opposed to philosophical, approaches to supply chain management. The result is a list of the top schools for supply chain talent. This year's list includes opinions from 2,300 supply chain professionals.

Fast Casual — The supply chain is often the thorn in the side of franchisors, especially those that have brands spread nationwide or globally. It's just as frustrating for franchisees who are not adequately equipped with the information and resources to adhere to strict guidelines set by the corporate owner.

Industryweek — Rodney Brooks wasn’t willing in 2002 to hazard a guess about when the challenges of robotics would be overcome. "Not in two years or three years," Brooks asserted during an IndustryWeek interview that year. "But is it going to be here in 30 years or 40 years? I’m not quite prepared [to make a prediction]."

Ebnonline — As labeling emerges as becoming a mission-critical component in the global supply chain, it's important to take a closer look at what changes are driving today's trends in labeling. As labeling emerges as becoming a mission-critical component in the global supply chain, it's important to take a closer look at what changes are driving today's trends in labeling.

Industrial Distribution — While this past winter was fairly mild compared to the winter of 2015 - which began with New  York officials shutting down a 132-mile stretch of the New York Thruway due to freezing and snow falling as fast as six inches an hour - supply chain managers still need to be prepared to handle extreme weather. No matter what time of year, there is always the potential for weather to wreak havoc on shipment plans. In fact, this year's warmer winter weather meant heavier rainfalls and higher wind speeds, which caused power and internet outages, trees and branches falling and blocking roadways, and higher seas and turbulent waters.

MHL News — When it comes to shipping and logistics, many of the key opportunities and challenges we witnessed in 2015 are still in play today. The potential for new international trade agreements and the immense opportunities for growth in global markets are still prompting companies to reassess their logistics platforms.

Logistics Viewpoints — In ARC's recent Supply Chain Visibility & Collaboration Study, we found that the supply chain visibility & collaboration market is the fastest growing supply chain market. Over a year ago, ARC started to come across large corporations investing in supply chain control towers as a way of taking their supply chain program to the next level. We decided we needed to look into this, and kicked off a market research project on this market.



When it came to supply chain collaboration, we defined this as having a collaborative, multi-supplier, multi-tier, supply chain planning solution. For visibility, the definition was a solution providing visibility to the order process (order placed, order adjusted, order accepted), inventory at rest or inventory in motion events, or supply chain risks, or providing a stand-alone supply chain analytics/event management solution not embedded in other solutions.

Industryweek — As automation software and connected machinery continue to undergo technological advances, manufacturing suppliers find themselves in the advantageous position to help companies from nearly every major industry develop products faster and more cost-effectively than ever before, thereby enabling innovation and rapid commercialization.

Ebnonline — Big changes in China's stock markets aren't the end of the world. They may signal a new direction for electronics OEMs in terms of outsourcing choices, though. Big changes in China's stock markets aren't the end of the world. They may signal a new direction for electronics OEMs in terms of outsourcing choices, though.

Modern Materials Handling — Approximately 20,000 young people from around the world are projected to gather in St. Louis, Mo., 27-30 April, to participate in the 2016 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Championship.

The Wall Street Journal — Waves from last year's labor strife at West Coast ports are still rippling through cargo operations on both coasts.



Cargo volume dropped at California's Port of Long Beach in March to its lowest level in over a year, with the nation's second largest seaport handling 464,855 20-foot equivalent units, a standard measure for container cargo. That was down 35% from the same month last year, when volume spiked after dockworkers on the West Coast reached contract terms with port employers in late February and worked to clear a backlog of ships that had built up during the protracted negotiations.

Industryweek — Mastering this skill transformation will be an important survival tactic. Of the all the burning issues discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year, one that got top billing was the promise and peril of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution." What does this Fourth Industrial Revolution mean for enterprises and their various stakeholders?

MHI’s new Career Forum  enables manufacturing and supply chain professionals to view current job postings of MHI member companies. Go to http://www.mhi.org/careers to find the perfect opportunity for you.

Green Biz — Today, most major companies publicly report their emissions to CDP, an international corporate emissions platform. As sustainability managers know, corporate emissions come from a variety of sources, which are grouped into "scopes."