If you missed ProMat, or attended but missed a specific educational session, you can view ProMat educational sessions at no cost online. These Quick Sessions are instructional webinars on a variety of supply chain and material handling topics. Most sessions run 45 minutes and are a great tool to learn best practices, new equipment and technology developments and leading trends from top solutions providers.

A web-based supply chain workshop will be held on May 16 in preparation for the Shaken Fury 2019 National Disaster Exercise coming in late May. The workshop will be hosted by the American Logistics Aid Network, MIT’s Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab and LIFT Nonprofit Logistics. The purpose of Shaken Fury 2019 is to evaluate and improve the whole community’s response to a “no-notice” earthquake, identify gaps in resources, and implement a coordinated recovery strategy that prioritizes resources required for the response.

The Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS) Industry Group of MHI has released two new white papers to help orient those new to AGVs. “Introduction to AGVs” goes over the basic categories of AGVs and important information that a new user to AGVs might need to know. “Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems: How They Work” outlines the components utilized in a complete AGV system, including on-board technologies, and illustrates how they maneuver loads safely throughout a facility from one location to another.

The Board of Directors of the Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) recently announced its 2019-2020 Scholarship Winners. Thirty-five scholarships totaling $107,400 were issued. These students are pursuing careers in the industry as engineers, project managers, management, researchers and professors. Many will be employed in manufacturing and the supply chain.

The vast majority of industrial steel storage rack systems—including pallet flow (or “gravity flow”) racks—are engineered specifically for a single storage purpose. Likewise, when designing a high-density pallet flow system, there are a number of variables that must be taken into account to ensure its safety, structural integrity and smooth operation. Two of the most critical variables are the load itself and the type of pallet it rests on.

Released at ProMat 2019, RMI’s newest infographic offers an overview of the different available types of industrial storage racking and decking. It also details the benefits of each type of equipment, and the breadth of resources available from the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI).

Because it provides a safe yet highly realistic environment in which to train employees—particularly those learning to safely execute potentially dangerous tasks—virtual reality (VR) training is increasingly being embraced within specific areas of supply chains. The technology, which encompasses a headset, controllers and tracking systems, immerses the wearer into a virtual world where experience can be gained without risk to personnel, product or facility.

In 2019, MHI will offer two regional opportunities for MHI members and career and technical educators across the country to learn the latest teaching techniques, instruction materials and partnership opportunities to advance their career and technical education (CTE) programs. These highly interactive events are targeted for instructors & program directors in the area of warehousing and distribution, logistics and supply chain. Educators, MHI members and industry partners will have the opportunity to interact and foster relationships that will drive our industry’s future workforce.

As retailers and manufacturers strive to meet fulfillment and distribution challenges in today’s Amazon-led competitive e-commerce market, companies must evaluate the pros and cons of handling these tasks in-house versus outsourcing to a third-party logistics (3PL) partner.

Today’s tight job market creates all sorts of challenges—including the issue of background checks. Include them, and possibly scare off otherwise suitable candidates? Avoid them, and risk a problematic hire? And what of the often murky waters of privacy, balanced with protection?

As Millennials and their successors (“GenZ,” born around 2000) flood the workplace, employers with strong sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) records stand to win in the recruitment arena. Members of the younger demographic value qualities like work-life balance and a sense of satisfaction or doing well in their work lives at least as much as monetary rewards.

Next generation workforce. What do those words mean to you? The first thought is usually young people about to graduate from college or technical school and entering the supply chain workforce. It is, but if you are brainstorming on ways to attract, train and retain the next generation workforce, your planning needs to include ideas pertinent to both management jobs as well as front-line needs.