Best-in-class supply chains are collaborating to use sustainability as a strategic weapon for gaining competitive advantage by reducing costs and risk while increasing brand reputation.

The LIVING Supply Chain: The Evolving Imperative of Operating in Real Time is a guide to keeping up with the accelerating realities of supply chain. LIVING, an acronym for Live, Intelligent, Velocity, Interactive, Networked, and Good, provides supply chain managers a guide to staying ahead of the curve with rapid digitization and technology changes, competing in the global economy, becoming more sustainable, and remaining responsive to customer needs.

Despite the spread of automation and digital supply chain solutions, a new report by the World Bank says the global logistics industry is facing a critical shortage of skilled material handling and logistics workers able to help meet today’s complex supply chain challenges and sustain predicted industry growth.

Increased traffic congestion makes it difficult to meet the high consumer delivery expectations in urban areas. Added to that, cities are demanding that logistics carriers do their part by finding more sustainable, less intrusive ways to make urban deliveries.

MHI member Gorbel adapted its G-Force® overhead load material handling technology and software for successful physical therapy use. They accomplished this by bringing together more than 100 therapists, administrators and patients into its in-house product development lab.

Conceived through a charrette process by numerous expert collaborators versed in areas from architecture to material handling and sustainability, REI's LEED-platinum net-zero energy distribution center is almost a textbook in sustainable supply chain design.

Compared to new and flashy technologies, solar has enjoyed a fairly lengthy day in the sun. Photovoltaic solar energy has been around for roughly 50 years now. But it has continued to gain efficiencies – and acceptance – in terms of ROI.

With the rise of e-commerce, businesses across multiple industries are faced with the challenge of adapting their supply chain operations to a digital model. In this video, see how some companies are leveraging a combination of automation and software to stay ahead in the digital supply chain. 

The Conveyor and Sortation Systems (CSS) group of MHI is launching a campaign to increase awareness about the group and their products. The campaign launch includes an infographic discussing some of the basics of conveyor and sortation systems.

Virtual reality has joined trucking simulators and augmented reality systems for the ultimate driver training. This new technology is interactive and appeals to a younger generation that grew up playing video games. With hands-on training, drivers are able to develop muscle memory and experience a 360-degree street view inside the virtual reality headset.

MHI recently announced the launch of a Transportation & Logistics Solution Center at MODEX 2018. This Solution Center is part of the MODEX 2018 Georgia World Congress Center C hall exhibition that also includes the MODEX Smart City Logistics and Connected Supply Chain Solution Center and the 2018 Georgia Logistics Summit.

As urban populations increase and e-commerce continues to gain popularity, supply chains are contending with the challenge of making deliveries in dense urban areas. In this video, learn how taking advantage of smart cities’ data collection capabilities is just the first step on the long road to developing comprehensive smart city logistics.

As many of you may know, MHI is a big supporter of supply chain education. After all, that’s how you support the future of supply chain. This is your opportunity to help a doctoral student at the University of Dallas who is investigating sustainable supply chains and various factors that contribute to firm performance.

Four MHI-member companies that represent one or more generations of the same family—Flexcon Container, Hamilton Caster & Manufacturing Co., Southworth International Group and UNEX Manufacturing—graciously agreed to take a few minutes during this year's ProMat event to share their insights into what makes their generation-spanning business operations continually successful.