MHI Blog—On the Tuesday of ProMat, April 4, MHI is presenting a seminar on the future of the material handling industry. Gary Forger will give a talk "Get Ready for the Next 10 Years In Material Handling and Logistics." This session will discuss the latest update on the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics. The discussion will feature the latest developments in and future impact on the supply chain of workforce, technology, consumers and logistics infrastructure.

Material Handling & Logistics—While most retailers understand the importance of providing a consistently positive customer experience, many struggle with legacy technology that fails to address customer experience needs, according to a study, Redefining Final Mile Delivery in the Age of the Customer, released this month.

Modern Materials Handling—The global IoT in warehouse management market is anticipated to reach $19.06 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing adoption of goods-to-person (GTP) technology in warehouses is expected to drive the growth.

The Green Supply Chain—The latest annual supply chain report from the UK's Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) repeats the same theme as most recent years, finding some progress in the reduction of carbon emissions in the supply chain, but that the progress toward that goal is too slow and that not nearly enough companies are taking the sort of actions needed to accelerate declines in CO2.

MHI Blog—Student Days is a two-day event at ProMat for academia and industry professionals to engage in real-world discussions about the technologies and the skill sets required for future influencers within the supply chain, material handling and logistics industry. Students and faculty members from universities, high schools, community colleges and technical schools with programs related to material handling, logistics and supply chain are eligible to participate.

Food Business Network—Nestle has traditionally focused its e-commerce sales on ambient and chilled products because inadequate last-mile solutions existed for frozen foods, but the technology has developed to allow the company to move deeper into the category. "Now we're coming to frozen," said Jeff Hamilton, president of Nestle USA Foods Division.

Sustainable Brands—The use of post-consumer recycled materials as feedstock for new bottles and cans has become common practice for the beverage industry, but there is still more to be done to reduce waste and increase recycling. Industry giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are working toward overcoming these challenges by supporting eco-innovation and government initiatives.

Supermarket News—SpartanNash will test a click-and-collect program at a Family Fare store, with the goal of expanding the program to 25 stores by the end of the year, the company said. The test will not be the retailer's first foray into online ordering and pickup, but the latest test will include an element of personalization.

As part of MHI view's ongoing video program, this new episode focuses on: Supply Chain Strategy: How You Deliver Value to Customers

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

CNBC—A report from JDA Software and PwC shows only 10% of the 350 global retailers surveyed are profiting by fulfilling e-commerce orders. Though retailers invest billions of dollars to be competitive, high delivery costs, rising return rates and labor costs limit profitability.

Wall Street Journal—More truck fleets are focusing on dedicated services where they provide freight-hauling to specific manufacturers or retailers. This provides predictability as trucking companies brace for continued weak demand from shippers.

AutomationWorld—Robotics can help reduce workplace injuries and improve quality and output, though it's tougher to replace human dexterity and problem-solving. Smaller manufacturers can especially benefit from collaborative robots, which work side-by-side with human employees during the day and continue working through the night.

Material Handling & Logistics—Managing inventory effectively and maximizing warehouse productivity rank on top of the priority list of almost all warehouse managers, according to Procurious.com. Kevin Hill of Quality Scales Unlimited offers some tips on how to improve warehouse management.

MHI Blog—So there’s this stereotype that supply chain, material handling, and manufacturing is just a field for the old boy’s club. That it’s just running heavy machinery and moving boxes around. While there still is that, it is so much more now. Supply chain adapts to the customers’ needs and they need it better, faster, stronger all around the world. Supply chain does some great stuff with some cool stuff.

The Green Supply Chain—Despite much progress in recent years, many supply chains, including the global food and apparel supply chains, remain notoriously difficult to control and ensure sourcing across multiple tiers and complex relationships that are hard to shed light on. However, the somewhat mysterious technology called blockchain - which most know as the foundation of the bitcoin currency - is increasingly seen as a new and exciting approach to increasing supply chain visibility and transparency in sourcing, and helping companies to meet standards they have set for supply management and to avoid embarrassing troubles in their extended supply chains.

Food Business News—Mondelez International saw net revenues from its e-commerce channel grow by over 35% last year, and the company intends to expand its online presence to capitalize on that momentum. "We are building an industry leading e-commerce snacks business targeting at least $1 billion in revenue by 2020," said Chief Growth Officer Timothy Cofer.

ATRI—The lack of available truck parking continues to be a hot research topic for the America Transportation Research Institute and these latest studies, completed for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, examine new approaches for identifying available truck parking capacity.

FoodNavigator—About 62% of millennials grocery shop online on a weekly basis, according to a report from Clavis Insight, and the group prefers using mobile devices and seeks out retailers that offer convenience, product reviews and a good product assortment. Meanwhile, members of Generation X consider price a priority when buying their groceries online, and 84% of 35-54-year-olds grocery shop online at least monthly, the report found.

Maryville Daily Forum—Schools in Missouri's Nodaway County have created a four-course manufacturing offering that gives participants college-level courses in skills such as maintenance, safety and quality control. The first 25 students are already employed at manufacturing plants, but future courses could include a wider group of participants.

TriplePundit.com—Companies can save millions by switching to a zero-waste-to-landfill practice, such as incinerating waste to create energy. In another example, Tom’s of Maine reduced its waste by working with vendors to redesign a steam sterilization unit.

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