MHI will preview the 2017 Annual Industry Report-Next-Generation Supply Chains:  Digital, On-Demand and Always-On during the April 5 Keynote at ProMat. During the keynote, Deloitte's Scott Sopher will join MHI CEO George Prest and a panel of supply chain leaders from Walmart, U.S. Cellular, Albertsons, University of Tennessee and UPS to present the findings of the 2017 report. 

When asked what areas of supply chain would be critical to the future of healthcare, predictive analytics was the leading answer, followed by optimizing value-based reimbursement and integration following mergers and acquisitions.

UPS just announced plans to significantly escalate its investment in solar energy. The estimated $18 million investment will allow each building in the initiative to produce half of its daily energy requirement from the sun and provide a nearly five-fold increase in the amount of power generated from solar at UPS facilities. 

MHI just released the list of finalists for the 2017 MHI Innovation Award. After receiving a record 153 submissions for this years awards, four finalists were chosen as the most innovative products in each category – Best New Innovation; Best Innovation of an Existing Product; and Best IT Innovation based on concept, value and impact.

The Automation Solutions Group (ASG) of MHI has written a response to a recent New York Times (NYT) article titled "The Long-Term Jobs Killer is Not China. It’s Automation." The ASG response, titled "Automation Creates Jobs and Raises Wages" and written by Byron Reese and Bill Leber, strongly rebuts the premise of the NYT article.

What does your supply chain need? Is it automation? A new process? A breakthrough technology to enhance efficiency? Find your "X" at ProMat, the manufacturing and supply chain industry’s largest trade event.

MHI invites you to represent the 2017 Face of Supply Chain by sharing your #iWorkInTheSupplyChain story by the March 4 deadline. Let us know what you proudly do in your career and how you got into the industry. Explain how a career in supply chain has influenced your company, family or community. Demonstrate the opportunity you have to make a difference and inspire us with your unique story!

For today’s supply chain organizations, facing new and demanding digital, technical and business challenges, it is imperative to find, hire and cultivate more purple people - those with business acumen (blue) and information technology skill sets (red). 

Outsourced logistics services have shifted into overdrive. Also known as third-party logistics, or 3PL, market research firm Armstrong & Associates tags it as a $161.2 billion industry in the U.S. alone. It is a behemoth of an industry. A number of mergers and acquisitions—totaling more than $100 million—have also driven more of a focus on efficiency and profitability.

Implementing cloud computing technology can be a make-or-break factor in which businesses can compete in the future. This new video discusses how levels of investments in IT infrastructure can determine which companies become leaders in their industry. 

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced four finalists from its Smart City Challenge that will receive funding. Supply chains will need to utilize new and existing technologies to adapt their logistics to smart city plans by reducing congestion, improving safety, and protecting the environment, all to increase efficiencies.

The first draft of the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics: Version 2.0 has been released. The purpose of the Roadmap is to help the industry determine how logistics and supply chain trends and challenges can be turned into action plans to develop needed capabilities in the U.S. between now and 2030.

Most will agree that the shortage of talent is impacting supply chains. The field can’t find drivers, can’t find pickers, can’t find managers—just plain can’t find the talent needed to keep systems running. For some, the answer is simple: do what we do best, create a supply chain.

As e-commerce continues to grow, regulators and consumers are increasingly demanding that online retailers and fulfillment centers prove that their products are, indeed, authentic—and firms within the supply chain are employing emerging technologies to accomplish just that.

Do women have to act like men to be great leaders? Judy Hoberman, President of Selling In A Skirt argues differently. On April 4th at ProMat 2017, Judy will present at the Women in the Supply Chain Industry Forum as part of an afternoon of discussion, education and networking for women in our industry. She will speak on female leadership styles and what women can do to become better leaders.

An optimal supply chain strategy has several key elements. This video gives a quick overview of some of the most important factors to keep in mind.

MHI’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) announces a call for nominations for two awards to be presented at ProMat 2017, the Outstanding Young Professional Award and the Mentor Award. The deadline February 27.

The Second Annual MHI Solutions Conference, which will be held May 22-23, 2017 in Charlotte, NC at the Marriott City Center.

Racks, mezzanines, staircases, walkways and storage shelves in material handling facilities have edges. Preventing people, boxes, pallets, tools, materials and packaging from falling off these edges onto the floor below is edge protection’s goal.

The Ergonomics Assist and Systems Equipment (EASE) Council of MHI is presenting a webinar on "The Bad Ergonomics of Order Fulfillment and Stocking... and What to Do About It!" on February 16.