MHI Blog — Transportation management systems (TMS) are how a shipper can manage scheduling, routing, carriers, load tendering, and consolidation all in one place, making the shipper more efficient and accurate. As the market changes to an omni-distribution model, TMS are becoming a more and more important tool.



TMS help automate the transportation component of the supply chain and are becoming the gold standard as customers expect shorter and shorter shipping times thanks to companies like Amazon. However, the TMS aren't widely adopted within the industry as of yet, but the cloud is making it much easier to do so.

Modern Materials Handling — MHI recently announced the speaker lineup for its 2016 Annual Conference, held in Tucson, AZ October 17-19. This year, the conference will feature six educational topics and two solutions group education sessions that focus on key themes identified by the US Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics.

CNBC — Amazon has been awarded a patent for "docking stations" for its delivery drones that will be built on tall structures such as lampposts or churches and allow the unmanned machines to recharge and pick up packages.



"The docking stations may incorporate a number of features to enable UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to fly longer routes, to fly routes more accurately, and to provide shelter during adverse conditions," Amazon's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filing said.

Ebnonline — There's been a lot of churn and some new technologies in the storage drive space. Overall, capacities per drive are increasing but drive shipments are falling. Demand is migrating to SSD, and while cheaper SSDs are becoming much more reliable, their higher densities drastically reduces the drive count in an appliance. In addition, compression is shrinking raw capacity demand, with resulting pressure on drive needs and box counts.



All of these transitions have major implications for the logistics of the storage industry. They will alter the balance of power in the drive vendor base, at one level, while altering buying and selling patterns for the storage appliance and software segments.

MHI Blog — Technologies are trending exponentially upward, and, as they converge and create, can disrupt entire industries and create new ones. As science fiction becomes science reality, our lives have the potential to get better, but – it means that there will be disruption in supply chains as we learn to use and adapt these technologies to serve our companies and our customers. Vivek Wadhwa, one of the keynotes at the 2016 MHI Annual Conference, will be speaking on these trends and how they impact supply chains, both now and in the future.

Geek — There's all kinds of delicious stuff you can buy at a 7-Eleven, but you still have to get off your butt to get it. Not for much longer, my lazy friend. They're bringing in the drones to put the "convenience" back in "convenience store."



No longer will your marathon Overwatch sessions be interrupted by bothersome dashes down to the corner to pick up emergency Doritos and an ice-cold Slurpee to wash them down. Yes, 7-Eleven is going to fly your goodies right to your door.

Supply Chain Management Review — The nation's supply chain managers U.S. businesses in many regions should start preparing now for the increased, extreme rainfall that a changing climate will almost certainly deliver.



That's the advice FM Global, one of the world's largest commercial property insurers, offered in its new white paper published today.

There is a demand today for companies to have more sustainable practices. In most cases, this shift is projected to actually cut costs. But before taking any steps towards sustainability, there needs to be a complete understanding of where improvements are feasible.

 

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MHI Blog — This year's MHI Annual Conference offers the opportunity to work hard and play hard as you network with your peers and make lasting business connections in supply chain and material handling. Located in Tucson Arizon at the El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort, MHI has arranged for four inspirational keynotes, six lab and class sessions, along with several beautiful attractions, wildlife explorations and activities. Enjoy these seven ways to have a blast a the MHI Annual Conference.

Modern Materials Handling — First and foremost, the change is driven by the market itself: Food and non-food consumers have completely new possibilities to cover their needs with E-Commerce and online trade. 10 Factors to Consider When Determining the Right Order Fulfillment Solution In recent years, there has been considerable debate about whether modern Goods-to-Person (GTP) item picking is superior to more traditional Person-to-Goods (PTG) item picking.

www.supplychainshaman.com — Five months of analysis. Lots of heated debates. It is now over. This morning, we announced the Supply Chains to Admire Winners and Finalists for 2016. The research starts in April and stretches over many weeks as we analyze the different elements and understand the patterns of each industry.

Industryweek — That's the warning from HSBC Holdings Plc's China economists, led by Qu Hongbin, in a report published Thursday. Given China's GDP per capita is only 14% that of the U.S., it's too early for Beijing to eschew manufacturing in favor of services, with the latter's growth risking a fall in the economy's productivity in the medium-term, the analysts caution.

MHI Blog — We're once again featuring one of the education tracks that will be held at our Annual Conference. This is part four of a six part series (read the first part here). The sessions have two available tracks for each topic - a "class track" and a "lab track". You can choose to attend only one session or grab both for added depth.

Supply Chain Management Review — Grade point average and leadership aren't the only benchmarks for successful undergraduate hires. The best companies spend years getting to know candidates.

Industryweek — At Woodward, Inc., a leader in control solutions in the aerospace and energy markets, the past of U.S. manufacturing and testing is giving way to the future. The company, like many others, faces a costly and complicated global arena for production. Factors such as logistics, inventory costs, ease of doing business and the risks of operating extended supply chains are the chief drivers for keeping manufacturing in the United States.

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.

The Wall Street Journal — In China, where many are angered by an unfavorable international ruling on Beijing's maritime claims, when does patriotism become unpatriotic? When the government says so.



Chinese officials, academics and journalists have unleashed a cacophony of criticism against an arbitration tribunal in The Hague since it ruled against Beijing's claims to historic and economic rights over much of the South China Sea on July 12. They denounced the tribunal as illegitimate and insinuated that the U.S. had orchestrated the proceedings by supporting the Philippines' arbitration case against China.

Industryweek — Trends, by definition, are hard to trace. By the time an idea has taken hold with the individuals who pursue it, the circumstantial evidence is everywhere and all the new adherents want some credit. Big-stage events like IMTS are a good opportunity to see trends in action - but how can a prospective visitor know now what trends to be watching for in September.

Consumer Goods Technology — In today's competitive and fast-moving consumer goods sector, market leaders recognize that success relies on their ability to deliver differentiated products that are carefully personalized to satisfy specific market segments, if not the tastes of individual consumers. At the same time, they need to get to grips with direct-to-consumer channels without alienating traditional big-box retailers, and they need to do so while giving consumers a seamless, anytime-anywhere shopping experience.