The Material Handling Blog

We’ve all heard some variation of the saying “Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste” but how good are we at recognizing the crisis and the best way to capitalize on it? As we enter this new year, we must acknowledge 2020 was unlike any other year in many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything in our lives: personal, political, and professional. The world learned to work from home, educate from home, and to the point of this article – shop from home. What can be learned from this “Great Accelerator” event to ensure distribution centers are ready to adapt in the future and improve throughput efficiencies? Here are three lessons from this past year, and a few recommendations for each to ensure the 2020 distribution center (DC) “crisis” doesn’t go to waste:

The term “microfulfillment center” has quickly become one of the top buzzwords in material handling. But what is it and is investing in it the right decision for your supply chain?

During this global coronavirus pandemic, people are concerned with protecting themselves and their families from contracting and spreading the disease; many go to extraordinary measures to ensure everyone they care about stays healthy. For employers, this protective nature extends to the employees who are the foundation of their business too.

Without the world of supply chain – truck drivers, factory employees, maintenance crews and retail workers, just to name a few – our world might, figuratively, stop turning.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to force unprecedented shut downs, will the resulting changes to supply chains be temporary anomalies or permanent changes?

Despite fears of the COVID-19 pandemic amidst the biggest trade show of the year, the supply chain industry adapted and made the best of a difficult situation.

While impossible to predict, certain market trends can give us an idea on what to expect in the supply chain and logistics market for 2020 and how to prepare.

From prosthesis, to robotics, food, and even guns, 3D printing has been making headlines in recent years. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has been around longer than most think. Read: Can 3D Printing be Additive to the Supply Chain?

With a large population that possesses a more-than-comfortable purchasing power, Europe creates a space where goods must move a lot, which makes automated solutions in both production and distribution a necessity. Read: Bringing an Independent Systems Integrator to the European Market

Employee safety is important in any field of work, but for manufacturing, distribution, and warehouse workers, it's something that must be considered every day. From poor ergonomics to high-tech machinery, there are a lot of situations our workers encounter each day that could potentially lead to injury. Read: Improve Your Warehouse Workers' Safety During National Safety Month

With MODEX 2016 right around the corner, I took some time to speak with our Atlanta regional manager, Brian Ulanch, on the growing opportunities and benefits of doing business in Atlanta and the importance of hosting one of our industry's biggest shows. Read: The Southeast U.S. Provides Big Opportunity for Business

The Journal of Commerce reported that big-box distribution facilities of 500,000 to more than 1 million square feet are leading construction activity. These large-scale, modern warehouses give top retailers and distributors the economies of scale of operating under one roof, whether serving as national distribution centers or regional distribution facilities. Read: DC Growth Drives Need for Space Efficiency