Years of globalization, growth, mergers, acquisitions and changing customer behavior have taken their toll on supply chains. New research by DHL Supply Chain found that, as a result, 32% of firms are currently operating more than 10 discrete supply chains. Operating within this complex supply chain web proves to be inefficient, costly and can slow speed to market. It also provides little to no agility to respond to real-time market dynamics and exposes firms to quality gaps and risk.

A white paper out, called "Digital Supply Chains: A Frontside Flip" outlines trends in supply chain that could help transform companies over the next five years. One of the main focuses and argument of the paper is that companies need to focus on the frontside – the customer side – of the supply chain in order to grow their business. 

The U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics is being updated in meetings held around the country where practitioners talk through a variety of issues that then gets synthesized and distilled into the Roadmap. The new edition will feature themes of workforce issues, technology, the consumer, and infrastructure. 

Not only is the holiday rush fast approaching, but distribution centers continue to face labor challenges, especially retaining quality labor capable of delivering on promises for fulfillment accuracy and speed. How can operations overcome a shrinking talent pool and rising labor costs while meeting the increased demands of the holiday season?

The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) announces its annual call for donations for 2017. MHEFI will use these donations to fund scholarships to students who are committed to studying material handling, supply chain and logistics in the 2017/2018 academic term. Tax-deductible donations can be in the form of a named scholarship, a gift of perpetuity or a contribution to the general fund and can be corporate or individual donations.

As much time and energy as it takes to avoid service interruptions, having a consistent flow of work that gets product to consumers on time is essential to your bottom line. See the full video on Preventing Service Interruptions for more tips on keeping your warehouse flowing smoothly.

Supply chain sustainability faces challenges due to the distance between suppliers and partners operating in countries around the world with different legal standards.

Starting in 2014, MHI has partnered with Deloitte Consulting LLP to put out an industry report that reflects current trends in the industry and how that affects us going forward. And now it’s time to update it and put out a fourth installment. Part of the report involves surveying practitioners. After all, we want to know what the people who work in manufacturing and supply chain every day have to say. 

The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is working with emergency management and nonprofit organizations responding to the devastating wildfires in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast. ALAN is seeking donations of forklifts and pallet jacks for use in distribution of relief supplies.

While at the 2016 MHI Annual Conference, Ben Ames of DC Velocity interviewed CEO George Prest of MHI as part of the Supply Chain Thought Leaders Video Series, presented by DC Velocity and MHI.

Supply chain and material handling are industries that live in a dichotomy. They will always be needed, but the accelerated pace of change in technology creates strange obsolescences that the industries have to quickly adapt to. Here are three news bites that we may need to be aware of as companies presses forward in production.

There are many security products available to help physically secure standard doors, shipping doors and storefronts (read our last post about securing your storefront). Unique situations may require custom solutions: Wide openings, high ceilings, seamless glass, stand alone kiosks to mention a few.

‘Tis the season of giving! iGive allows you to shop online through more than 1,700 stores such as Banana Republic, Apple, Nordstrom Rack and more. As you shop, a percentage of your purchase goes towards the cause of your choice including the Material Handling Education Foundation!

You’ve probably heard someone mention "content marketing" but you have a fuzzy idea of what that means. If you feel like you should probably know this but are too embarrassed to ask, then this is the post for you. Let’s take a look at what is content marketing and how to make use of it.

As a Millennial I’m on the entering side of the work force. We’re young and fresh faced and full of ideas (apparently). But we also have the Baby Boomers who are in the top dog positions of the companies we’re entering, and we’re like brand new, adorably enthusiastic puppies. We have very different lifestyles and outlooks on life simply because we grew up in two different worlds. So when working, sometimes we can clash.

Finding qualified employees for the supply chain industry may currently be difficult, but work is being done to ensure this changes in the future. As part of MHI’s ongoing video program, this new episode focuses on: Closing the Skills Gap

The paper brings up the issue of lifting so-called "small pallets" or half- and quarter-pallets using fork trucks.