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.
Voice-based warehouse solutions continue to gain converts and to evolve, with the latest iterations bringing in smart phones, tablets and sensors. Jennifer Lachenman, vice president of product strategy at Lucas Systems, says these adaptations better serve a changing workforce.
Greg Cronin, executive vice president of Intelligrated, and Nyle Morris, vice president of sales at Knighted, discuss the paradigm shift in fulfillment strategies being driven by omnichannel retailing and the type of integrated solutions that these strategies require.
Seasonal events that cause spikes in demand no longer are limited to holidays. Handling these peaks without adding labor requires automation, but companies worry about the cost. Lance Anderson of automation systems manufacturer Beumer Corp. shows how better use of equipment can generate the ROI that companies need.
There is a serious and growing talent shortage in the supply chain profession. Art van Bodegraven of Discovery Executive Services discusses what's behind the talent gap and and how to address it.
Rapid changes in the health care industry are impacting supply chain planning and execution. Philip Profeta, vice president of supply chain operations at Baylor, Scott & White Health Care, discusses the implications.
Companies that view transportation management as a core competency with a strategic impact approach technology acquisitions as investments and not merely as costs, says Mike Joseph, director of business development at LeanLogistics. Joseph discusses how this mindset is reflected in other supply chain trends.
Customer value and safe operations always comes first at Sunny Delight, but the company also keeps a keen eye on costs. Kevin Singletary discusses steps to the perfect service/cost balance.
Moving a box from A to B is much the same in any country, but paperwork, processes, terminology and regulations vary greatly, presenting a barrier to global TMS rollouts. Elie Hiller of Transwide discusses ways to meet this challenge.
An integrated setting for managing demand, supply and inventory involves working with people as much as with technology and information, says Todd Gallant of VF Corp. He explains how the Timberland division of VF is improving collaboration and communication among its associates up and down the supply chain.
