Bill Ferrell, professor of industrial engineering at Clemson and one of the authors of the newly published Material Handling and Logistics Roadmap, discusses the findings of this comprehensive study and what they mean for the industry's future.

The Roadmap was designed to identify trends likely to impact the industry’s future and to guide businesses as they plan ahead. "The material handling industry represents a lot of primary and secondary jobs. While we are really competitive right now, there are some trends that have the potential to dramatically change the landscape," says Ferrell, one of five authors of the study.

There is a new kid on the block, aspiring to become the No. 1 driving force behind onshoring: proximity to customers.

For all the rage about soaring industrial wages in China turning US companies back to the homeland, some observers believe moving closer to the customer base comes with advantages that have yet to be widely considered.

Supply chains are complex systems to manage, but the financial payoff can be huge. According to a new survey from Deloitte, organizations with superior supply chain capabilities achieve significantly higher levels of performance on both revenue growth and EBIT measures when compared to the industry average.

If you own a business, then you might be aware of the bullwhip effect, which is an important supply chain phenomenon first noted by MIT systems scientist Jay Forrester. Even if you have never heard of this effect, perhaps you are familiar with the beer distribution game, which is an experiment designed to show the dynamics of managing a supply chain.

 

As you probably know, supply-chain management is a crucial aspect of running a product-oriented business, but projections can be difficult at best. And thus at some level dealing with supply chains can become an art form as much as a science.

Of the 31 largest U.S. metro areas Atlanta has the lowest transportation and factory lease costs, and the lowest effective corporate income tax rate of any large U.S. city.

 

The Southeast region of the U.S. got more good news in March when the Georgia Ports Authority achieved its highest month on record in March, moving 2.61 million tons of cargo, a 15.5% increase year-over-year. The Port of Savannah moved 260,539 TEUs in March 2014, a 12% increase over the same month last year.

Today’s consumer is more informed than ever about the products they are buying. This includes product attributes and information, advantages, limitations, and competitive pricing, among others. The notion of the informed consumer has also taken on a new meaning lately. Namely, consumers care where the products come from, and how it is made.

This is making retailers re-think some of their sourcing requirements, as consumers want more visibility into what makes up the food they buy, the toys they buy their kids, and pretty much anything else that could have a negative impact on them.

Businesses in all industries must collaborate to avoid duplicating efforts to increase supply chain sustainability.

That’s the advice from Sir Mark Moody-Smith, chairman of the Foundation for the Global Compact, who was the keynote speaker at the Sedex Global Responsible Sourcing Conference in London.

"There’s a growing realisation that [sustainability] is good for business and society, never before has international business been prepared to make an impact on the environment," Sir Mark told the conference.

Tipped to be a ‘seismic’ opportunity for a range of manufacturers and businesses alike, 3D printing is making waves in supply chains. Is the phenomenon a threat or an opportunity for the future of supply chains as it changes the needs of companies?

Procurement professionals should challenge themselves and develop their skills by moving sectors, according to the new head of indirect procurement at Aryzta.

In an exclusive interview with SM, Nick Jenkinson said switching sectors helps to push people out of their comfort zone. "You can get quite comfortable and that’s not necessarily how you develop," he said. "You develop yourself by constantly trying to push out of your comfort zone, and evolve your own range of skills.

For today’s retailers, it’s all about who is the most "omni." Omni-channel retailing is the new mantra at the biggest retail chains, and executives are pursuing it as if the future of their stores depends on it. 

Omni-channel — a name inspired by the Latin prefix for "all" or "every" — means a retailer will connect with consumers any way and anywhere they want. You can order online and have it shipped to your home. You can order online and pick up the merchandise at a store. You can visit a store and place an online order while you’re there. And with every way you shop — every channel — you get the same prices, promotions and products. 

For retailers who want to remain competitive in this shop anytime, anywhere world, omnichannel fulfillment strategies must be done right, and done quickly. Significant new demands have been placed on retailers' supply chains. In omnichannel fulfillment, all the resources of the supply chain are focused on transparently serving a single shopper who has placed a single order.

Customer expectations have soared when it comes to product availability (I want it now!), the variety of options, and the price they are willing to pay to have goods shipped directly to their home (I want it free!).

If only environmental sustainability had a proven return on investment (ROI), it would be easy being green. Corporate executives would be singing that song all day. The problem is, executives haven't always connected the dots between the green of profit and the green of environmentalism. 

But according to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers, they do make the connection between the green of profit and the red of high and volatile energy costs. In fact those costs topped the list of concerns of both the industrial manufacturing executives and the transportation & logistics CEOs PwC surveyed recently.

Agile companies that can use their data to fine-tune their operations can stay ahead of the competition. For distributors, agility means being able and ready to make timely decisions in response to factors such as changes in material pricing, material availability, product mix demand patterns or competitor actions. But a surprising number of distributors are unable to take prompt action based on their data, which puts them at a disadvantage.

 

As Grant Thornton’s 2014 Supply Chain Ingenuity survey demonstrates, only 19 percent of the distributors we surveyed say their data is "very actionable." This leaves 81 percent with room for improvement.

Supply chain management is a vital component of minimizing a company’s risk of fraud, bribery, and corruption, and new tools can help organizations looking to limit their exposure to these risks as modern technology worms its way into even the oldest of businesses.

Big data is still a point of intrigue for many businesses looking to take advantage of digital analysis to create more efficient and foolproof operations in their supply chains, but data analytics tools should be far from enigmatic for supply chain managers. 

Manufacturers have high hopes for the 2014 U.S economy but is much more cautious about the global economy, according to the Q1 2014 Manufacturing Barometer, released by by PwC US.  In fact these feelings have reached the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2005.  Where the world economy is concerned, however, caution is the predominant feeling.

 

Optimism about the U.S. economy rose to 71% in the first quarter of 2014, from 68% in the previous quarter and 55% in the first quarter of 2013, the report states.