MHI Blog — Typically, when we talk about supply chain, we talk about moving product - product that will eventually be purchased, consumed, and probably disposed of at some point. It leaves it fairly dry and detached. We're just moving stuff.



But with Hurricane Matthew leaving a swath of destruction in its wake, we got thinking about how supply chain can be more than that. When desperately needed goods and supplies are being rushed to disaster zones, it is often done so using already established supply chain networks. After all, if supply chain knows how to get it done best, why wouldn't it be used in critical moments?

Modern Materials Handling — It's a hot term these days: "Industry 4.0." But what exactly is it? First defined in 2011 by Dr. Siegfried Russwurm, German professor and Chief Technology Officer of Siemens AG, Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth phase of industrial evolution-the coming of "cyberphysical" systems. This era is characterized by interconnectivity between equipment and facilities throughout supply chains made possible by the Internet.

MHL News — Every year, the World Bank Group produces a Logistics Performance Index that ranks 160 countries on their proficiency at trade logistics. Each country is measured in terms of its supply chain performance in such areas as infrastructure, quality of service, shipment reliability, and border clearance efficiency. The index is based on a survey of more than 1,200 logistics professionals.

MHI Blog — ProMat - the biggest manufacturing and supply chain expo of 2017 - is coming to Chicago April 3-6 and MHI just released details on the conference session at this event.



The ProMat Conference will include four keynotes and new theaters on autonomous vehicles and drones and sustainable supply chain facility solutions. It also will feature over 100 show floor educational seminars covering leading trends, best practices and state-of-the-art equipment and technology solutions that can make manufacturing and the entire supply chain work more efficiently and profitably.

Industryweek — In 2010 I spoke about manufacturing effectiveness to an audience of several dozen small- to medium-sized manufacturers who were part of a Department of Defense-sponsored supply chain initiative I was managing. I began my talk by asking two questions. The first was, "How many of you have conducted Lean activities within your operation?"

Internet Retailer — Online shopping is requiring retailers to put their warehouses closer to population centers.



The internet, e-commerce, mobile communications and urbanization are driving a revolution in retail, and, as a result, changing the nature of the warehouse as we know it.

www.theferrarigroup.com — I am penning this Supply Chain Matters blog commentary on Friday morning as Hurricane Matthew continues to make its way up the Florida coast. This morning, the central eye of this powerful storm is located just off Daytona Beach Florida and continues on its northward path, with a potential threat of a U.S. landfall looming.

As part of MHI view's ongoing video program, this new episode focuses on: Millennials in Supply Chain.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

MHL News — Exponential data growth is a fundamental problem that is continuing to overwhelm most businesses. EY's report, "Digital supply chain: It's all about that data," explains that new digital business models are increasingly more complex, including an entire ecosystems of data. "The bloom is off the rose when it comes to the 'store everything' standpoint.

Ebnonline — Already retail outlets are festooned for Halloween. Already, the thoughts of many are turning to getting ready for the influx of holiday shoppers that starts about now and takes sales into the black through the end of the year. Even in the midst of the rush, though, it's important to think strategically about how to best support evolving customer expectations.

MHI Blog — More milk news! The reason it keeps coming up is because transporting milk and milk products is kind of a big deal. It's a delicate balance to transport these products and supply chain takes care of 90% of that responsibility. Recently, UC Davis researchers have been studying the microbes in milk, which actually vary from season to season. The study, "The Core and Seasonal Microbiota of Raw Bovine Milk in Tanker Trucks and the Impact of Transfer to a Milk Processing Facility" (what a mouthful) takes a close look at the diversity of these microbes and how they impact milk products. 

Modern Materials Handling — A supply chain will always be limited by finite resources. Labor is unpredictable and money comes and goes, but space and minutes in a day remain unchanged. For all the efforts to pack productivity into those minutes, much of the supply chain doesn't have a solid grasp of how much space it uses. The quantity and dimensions of storage locations can give a sense of capacity, but how full or empty they are-to the cubic inch-can be anybody's guess.

MHI Blog — The MHI Executive Summit and Annual Conference is almost here! That means it's time to start preparing for your trip to the beautiful Tucson, Arizona. Here is some good-to-know advice on transportation, attractions, weather and food to help make your experience at Tucson fantastic.

The Wall Street Journal — As Hanjin ShippingCo. vessels drop off containers after weeks stranded at sea following the company's bankruptcy, ports are dealing with a new problem: what to do with the empty boxes they leave behind. Since the South Korean ocean carrier filed for bankruptcy five weeks ago, roughly 15,000 Hanjin containers have trickled in through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, often weeks after they were due to arrive.

Ebnonline — Despite its potential to help organizations operate their supply chains more efficiently and effectively, labeling is often handled in the way it has always been done: with each node on the supply chain, each department, each plant, each geographic location having its own processes, many of which are manual.

Modern Materials Handling — The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), Feeding America, members and customers of the Warehouse Education and Research Council (WERC) are working to coordinate donations of warehousing and logistics resources in response to the projected impact of Hurricane Matthew on the East Coast.

MHI’s new Career Forum  enables manufacturing and supply chain professionals to view current job postings of MHI member companies. Go to http://www.mhi.org/careers to find the perfect opportunity for you.