The Internet of Things (IoT) may sound a bit like just another industry buzz word, but it’s not. It sets the stage for data collection on a grand scale, hand-in-hand with smart machines that take the most tedious aspects of material handling and supply chain work and hand it off to a benevolent robotic army.

If you’re in manufacturing, supply chain, material handling or logistics, you’ve probably heard the terms "Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)" and "Industry 4.0" bandied about with increasing frequency over the last year. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they aren’t the same, but both will have a major impact on the security of your future supply chain.

The skilled labor shortage phenomenon has been gaining traction in the news lately. A perfect storm of demographics and changes in educational initiatives are creating conditions where employers are having a difficult time finding job candidates with the skills or credentials needed to fill their job openings. Material handling and supply chain are not immune to this predicament. 

From illuminating education to next-generation technology and equipment in action, MODEX is the one expo that combines world-class exhibits and cutting-edge education to let you see what’s here and what’s coming for supply chains. If you are a manufacturing or supply chain professional, here are 8 reasons why MODEX 2018 is your must-attend event this year. 

Today’s companies are learning the importance of working with others not just to increase scale and efficiency, but also to discover new processes, explore different expertise and maximize offerings in our increasingly fast-paced world. And nowhere is that more evident than in last mile delivery.

Along with digitalization and blockchain, chatbots are poised to have a significant impact on supply chains in the near future. Chatbots are useful on the customer-service side of things and are becoming more and more popular, especially as supply chains become more customer-centric.

Target is making a move to keep up with Amazon in the grocery space. The discount store retailer is acquiring Shipt, a grocery delivery service, for $550 million. 

Most people think of 3D printing as a way to build plastic desk toys. But with new advances in material science and printing processes, manufacturers and service providers are developing techniques to expand 3D printing’s applications in industrial settings. 

The MHI Solutions Community has planned a fast-paced, information-packed presentation for executives and operations managers at order fulfillment warehouses for Tuesday, April 10, the second day of MODEX 2018 in Atlanta. 

The complexity of business—as retailers and manufacturers in all industries compete in an e-commerce, global world—has led to the emergence of new member of the C-suite: the chief supply chain officer, or CSCO. This move is more than re-titling and rewarding a valuable employee—it is a reflection of the importance of the supply chain to all aspects of a business.

There is no doubt that today’s retail industry has, and is, undergoing a fundamental shift. Trying to get one’s arms around these changes may feel a little like traveling through a mall, laden down with packages. Then again, that idea is so 1990s.

The key to having fast and efficient direct home delivery is to have the DC located close to the home in order to effectively provide urban fulfillment.

The ProMat 2019 exhibit space draw, held December 7 in Chicago, attracted 630 exhibitors who reserved a first-day record of 363,410 net square feet of show floor space at the Industry's premier U.S. event. This record amount of exhibit space reserved represents nearly 89 percent of the ProMat show floor and is a clear message that the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry is healthy and growing. 

Although still very much in its infancy, developments within Smart City Logistics continue to occur as municipalities, businesses and academia explore the ways connected technologies can address the increasing challenges of last mile deliveries to urban populations.

Sometimes it seems like we’re living in the world of The Jetsons, the 1960s television cartoon series that predicted robotic maids, flying cars, drones and 3D printed food. But as change sweeps across the supply chain, many innovations are actually a replay of successful strategies of the past—only much, much faster. This is especially true of last mile delivery, that final leg of the journey from manufacturer to end user.

MachNation has released its IoT Edge ScoreCard for 2018, an in-depth rating and evaluation of 16 Internet of Things (IoT) edge platform vendors. According to survey data, IoT edge platform revenue will grow at a sharp 81% in 2018 with 35% of revenue generated from enterprises in Western Europe, 31% in North America and 34% in other regions.

The Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), an independent trade association affiliated with MHI, will host a one-day overhead crane safety-themed conference at MODEX 2018, which takes place April 9-12 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA.

Committing to regularly inspecting storage racks at routine intervals is key to ensuring the safety and performance of a racking system within a facility. But how often should those inspections be performed, and by whom?

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont of North Carolina—which has long offered its clients a forklift training certification program with an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety class—is exploring how to integrate elements of MHI’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) program content and resources into their course.