No one company controls their entire value chain, so collaboration between firms and their suppliers is vital for end-to-end transparency and sustainability to work. Best-in-class supply chains are collaborating with their suppliers and making sustainable supply chains a top priority.

The new issue of MHI Solutions features a preview of MODEX 2016, the industry’s largest supply chain expo showcasing over 800 leading solution providers. MODEX is where manufacturing and supply chain professionals come to discover the latest solutions and establish partnerships with key suppliers. They also come to learn and network with their peers in over 150 conference and networking sessions. MODEX 2016 will be held April 4-7 in Atlanta.

 

Discussions about the Internet of Things (IoT)—the networked connection of physical objects that can share information— usually focus on the operational changes the IoT will bring to the supply chain. One aspect often overlooked is the IoT’s potential for creating a greener supply chain.

How to attract and retain the next generation of supply chain workers to our industry is a frequent topic of discussion. So perhaps it’s no surprise that MHI’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) is dedicating an entire educational track to the subject at MODEX 2016.

Many enterprises have limited or no visibility into their second-tier or third-tier suppliers, due to subcontracting activities that occur without their knowledge. Opaque supplier networks leaves supply networks exposed to environmental or labor practices that are non-compliant with enterprise sustainability objectives and codes of conduct.

Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary is the keynote speaker at MODEX 2016 on April 6 in Atlanta. From his basement, he launched SoftKey Software Products. As sales took off, he bought out almost every one of his software competitors. In 1999, Kevin sold his company to the Mattel Toy Company for a staggering 3.7 billion dollars, one of the largest deals ever done in the consumer software industry. As a preview to the MODEX keynote, learn his top 10 rules for success.

In the video, Mady Bricco, global logistics leader at Dow Chemical, discusses how her company has used cloud computing technology as a massive growth opportunity.

Sustainability is a buzzword that has come to play a critical role in the development of any company’s reputation. As more work is outsourced, bad behavior on the part of your suppliers can trickle down and damage your brand. Just one incident can leave a permanent mark on a company’s otherwise sterling reputation.

Almost a third of U.S. executives at large manufacturers plan to add U.S. production over the next five years for goods sold in the U.S. These shorter supply chains will also rely on automation to improve efficiency and control costs, according to a new study by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Companies looking to make their facilities— and the facilities of their supply chain partners—more energy efficient have a myriad of tools that can help them, via resources offered by the federal government and industry coalitions, not to mention vendor solutions.

Drones clearly won’t be the answer to every freight transport need, but they do exemplify the idea that when it comes to innovation in transportation systems, the sky’s quite literally the limit. Similarly, driverless vehicles, which seemed like a science fiction invention a decade or so ago, are now legal or actually being road-tested in several U.S. states and European countries. 

You represent your company everyday - even on your own time - no matter what stage you are in your career. In today's world understanding the importance of being a 24/7 Professional can make or break you! MHI Young Professionals Network is bringing you a one-hour webinar, "The 24/7 Professional" presented by Daniel Post Senning from The Emily Post Institute. 

MHI view just released a new video on urban logistics and distribution. In the video, David Johnston, senior vice president of manufacturing & distribution at JDA Software, shares how retailers can meet the new speed requirements through altering their storefront strategy and by using driverless technologies.

The ProMat 2017 exhibit space draw, held December 10 in Chicago, attracted 463 exhibitors who reserved a first-day record of 279,000 net square feet of show floor space at the Industry's premier U.S. event. This record amount of space reserved represents nearly 80 percent of the ProMat show floor and is a clear message that the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry is healthy and growing.