Disruptive innovation and rising consumer expectations for anytime, anywhere service are stressing traditional supply chains to near-breaking points.

Companies who continue to utilize traditional supply chain models will struggle to remain competitive and deliver orders that are complete, accurate and on-time.

Since 2010, the global economy has been experiencing modest growth, and we expect the same in 2015. In fact, we encourage firms to consider that 2015 could look remarkably similar to 2014. 

Along those lines, a number of critical market dynamics are likely to seem extremely familiar, including modest U.S. growth and the gradual removal of accommodative Fed monetary policy, choppy growth in Europe and China, modestly higher commodity prices, and volatile foreign exchange markets.

The rush to Asia in the past decade promised major cost reduction for supply chains, but financial gains for many corporations have been short-lived according to a new study by The University of Tennessee’s Global Supply Chain Institute (GSCI).  The study uncovers the downsides of outsourcing by putting the complexity and risk of the global environment into context.

Professor Benoit Montreuil looks at today’s logistics systems and sees inefficiencies and unsustainable practices.

–Trucks and shipping containers frequently travel empty or only half full.

–Products sit in warehouses that are poorly utilized, far from the end customers, resulting in unsold or unused merchandise.

–There is no fast and reliable multi-modal transportation.

–System-wide automation is not economically feasible because of the wide variety of items shipped and the number of players operating independently.

–Breakthrough innovations are difficult to achieve because there are no generic standards and protocols that apply throughout the distribution chain.

But Montreuil has a solution. He envisions a Physical Internet (PI) that will transform the way physical objects are moved, stored, realized, supplied and used. The goal is greater efficiency and sustainability.

When ProMat 2015 opens on March 23 it will include 800 exhibits from the industry’s top solution providers and a comprehensive Educational Conference of over 100 sessions that focus on what’s next in best-in-class solutions for manufacturing and supply chain operations.

The ProMat Conference will include four keynotes, 100 show floor seminars and a Workforce Summit. 

Self-driving vehicles are set to change logistics, according to a new report by DHL titled "Self-Driving Vehicles in Logistics." The report highlights key elements and potential of autonomous technologies.

MHI will celebrate its 70th anniversary at ProMat 2015 on March 25. Join us for live music, food, drinks and entertainment by comedian and impressionist Frank Caliendo.

Steve Wozniak, or "Woz" as he is affectionately known by his fans, is famous for being the co-founder of Apple along with Steve Jobs. While Wozniak isn’t currently actively involved in the company’s operations, this outspoken Silicon Valley icon is always happy to share his thoughts on Apple’s latest products or offer his suggestions about what he believes the company should be doing. 

With all the hype about the Internet of Things, it wouldn’t take much to feel, well, left out of things.

Before panic sets in, a word from the experts: Even though the idea of an interconnected—and perhaps automated—world of sensor-led devices that can freely transfer data over a shared network keeps making headlines, it’s still not reality.

The MIT Forum for Supply Chain Innovation announced today that it has released survey results from its 2014 global manufacturing study led by MIT professor David Simchi-Levi and conducted with Supply Chain Digest, and will issue a full report on the results, titled, "Global Forces: The Transformation of U.S. Manufacturing."

Ergonomic Solutions for Retailers is now available from the Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment (EASE) Council of MHI. Designed for retailers and safety experts, this NIOSH booklet has a goal to prevent MMH (manual material handling) injuries in grocery stores.

Among the core competencies that companies must develop in order to successfully navigate the mega-trends identified by the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics is better deployment and implementation of supply chain planning and optimization tools.

The U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics is sponsoring "How To Deal with Disruptors Affecting Your Career," an on-show floor educational session at ProMat 2015 on Monday, March 23.

ProMat has been named to the Trade Show Executive Gold 100 Trade Shows of 2013 list. The list represents the top 100 trade shows held in 2013 in the U.S. ranked by verified exhibit space.

"It is once again an honor to be part of this prestigious list We’re thrilled to be included are looking forward to an even more successful ProMat event in 2015," said Tom Carbott, MHI Senior Vice President of Exhibitions.

The MODEX 2016 exhibit spacedraw, held December 12 in Atlanta, attracted 349 exhibitors who reserved a first-day record of 155,000 net square feet of show floor space at the Industry’s premier U.S. event. This record amount of space reserved is a clear message that the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry is healthy and growing. 

A.T. Kearney recently released its 2014 Reshoring Index®, the first in a series of studies looking objectively at the rate and pace of the return of manufacturing operations to the U.S. In this inaugural Index, manufactured goods flows are tracked over a 10-year period to show the change in ratio between U.S. manufacturing imports and gross output during that time period.