MHI Solutions -- Distribution centers are growing massively in size due to the explosion of SKUs and increasing demands to supply goods to customers as soon as possible. There are many reasons for this change.

New online portals into supply chain visibility allow consumers to see inventory availability, order status, as well as product evaluation prior to the final purchase, says Brian Keiger, chief sales officer, intralogistics at MHI member Grenzebach Corp. As such, there is a "mad rush" within distribution centers to try to get all the orders out accurately and within the right timeframe.

The Wall Street Journal -- As soon as the Trans-Pacific Partnership accord was announced on Monday, Brenda Barnes braced herself for phone calls from clients. The account manager with international trade services company Geo. S. Bush & Co. Inc., said her agriculture-exporter clients already are getting to work on deals with buyers in the 11 countries that struck the deal with the U.S. 

"This will open up discussions almost immediately for new contracts," Ms. Barnes said.

EBN -- Recently, severe tropical storms have hit coastlines and headlines with dismaying regularity. From severe tropical Storm Etau in Japan to Hurricane Joaquin in South Carolina, businesses are reminded of the importance of good supply chain planning, from resiliency to risk management, in the face of global weather-related disasters.

Caption Factory site clusters mapped to regions of Japan based on Resilinc global supplier repository intelligence.

Supply Chain Management Review -- Despite their best efforts last year to address the over-capacity conundrum, vessel operators have yet to manage their space excess adequately and are still struggling to capture revenue and restore shareholder value.

When we examined this issue last year it appeared that carrier consortiums had put into place innovative pricing strategies to bring some order to the situation, with shippers making some concessions in exchange for sustainable service cycles and schedule integrity.

As part of MHI view’s ongoing video program, this new episode focuses on:

In this episode, we'll provide an outline of the opportunities that 3D printing technology bring to the material handling industry.

 

 

 

Fortune -- Flexe leverages excess storage to smooth out surges—and could help small companies challenge Google and Amazon on speed.

AV Web -- The FAA, behind schedule in finalizing regulations for commercial use of unmanned aerial systems, will be ready by June 17, 2016, according to congressional testimony Wednesday by the agency’s deputy administrator. Michael Whitaker told a House aviation subcommittee, when pressed for specifics, that June of next year would be a realistic time frame for the FAA to complete its review of the proposed rules and the 4,500 public comments submitted since February. "We should be able to beat that," he said. The agency’s rulemaking deadline for drones under 55 pounds flying in the nation’s airspace was Sept. 30, prompting UAS organizations and other GA groups to send a letter to the FAA, urging the agency to move ahead.

Supply & Demand Chain Executive -- Although cloud technology has been around for almost 20 years, supply chain professionals are relatively hesitant to migrate their systems. Paul Smith, a major British fashion retailer, is a comparatively early adopter and it nearly finished its migration to a cloud-based solution from Manhattan Associates. Lee Bingham, head of information technology (IT) at Paul Smith, said he expects the cloud-based solution to increase the brand’s flexibility in delivery options and give customers across buying platforms better visibility into its current inventory.

The Maritime Executive -- The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has set a new historical tonnage record, welcoming 340.8 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS) through the canal in the 2015 fiscal year. The spike represents a year-on-year increase of 4.3 percent and highlights the canal’s value and significance to global maritime trade, says the ACP.

The previous record was set in FY2012 when the canal experienced 333.7 million PC/UMS tons. This year’s record surpasses that amount by more than seven million tons.

Manufacturing.net -- America’s manufacturers are seeking skilled talent across the country as the industry embraces reshoring and experiences a resurgence. In August 2014, a Boston Consulting Group survey noted that 54 percent of the senior manufacturing executives expressed an interest in reshoring. Additionally, The Reshoring Initiative, a Chicago-based NGO, said earlier this year that reshoring has brought 170,000 manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. since 2010.

MHI Solutions -- Many of us, from early on, are captivated by the feats cranes can accomplish— from the monstrous machines towering over construction sites like modern-day sauropods to those swingy, jerky (and more than occasionally confounding) arcade claws.

The earliest cranes date back to ancient Greece. Imagine what those industrious minds would make of today’s machinery, which has now evolved to the point of being able to speak to its masters and even predict—and prevent—maintenance issues before they happen.

Transport Topics -- U.S. rail intermodal traffic increased 1.6% in September compared with the same month the prior year, the Association of American Railroads reported. Railroads moved 1.37 million intermodal trailers and containers, 16,272 more units than the same month last year, AAR said Oct. 7 in its weekly report.