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The digital transformation of supply chains promises to supercharge performance, improve efficiency and resilience, slash operating costs, increase customer satisfaction and boost sustainability efforts. However, a persistent shortage of workers with the right skillsets has become a major roadblock to realizing these much‑ballyhooed benefits. It’s time, experts say, to focus on the people side of the human‑tech equation.   BY ...

Automation doesn’t replace jobs. Instead, it allows companies to increase job satisfaction and productivity among their existing workforces. Here, experts share how to identify the optimal tasks for automation and the ideal solutions for the job. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI As supply chain workforce shortages persist, operations are relying less on recruitment and retention incentives to cope ...

BY MARY LOU JAY   ISTOCK.COM/2D ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTO The ongoing shortage of talent remains a top concern of supply chain companies throughout the world. In fact, the newly released 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report found that 52% of leaders surveyed described hiring and retaining talent as extremely or somewhat challenging. One way to prime the talent pipeline is by ...

Here are five strategies to help employees of different generations, races, ethnicities, genders and more work together successfully. BY SARA PEARSON SPECTER ISTOCK.COM/MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES No matter how you slice it, the supply chain workforce of the future will be vastly more diverse than ever before. Although supply chains have traditionally been white male‑dominated, the status quo is quickly changing due to ...

What tools are available to make supply chain hiring run more efficiently?   BY SANDY SMITH   Robots in the warehouse. Artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive analytics. There is no doubt that the supply chain industry is embracing today’s technology. But just how ready is the industry to use AI‑enabled tools in another area—that which deals with all aspects of ...

Digital scheduling tools give companies greater access to available workers.   BY NICK FORTUNA ISTOCK.COM/A STOCKPHOTO Amid low unemployment and stubbornly high turnover, many material‑handling companies have grudgingly concluded that there just isn’t enough talented labor available. Across industries, employers have stepped up recruiting efforts and increased wages but still lack sufficient manpower for their growing operations. It’s easy to ...

Industry Focus   BY TOM GRESHAM   The consumer electronics industry supply chain is highly complex, with a set of unique challenges that require particularly sophisticated solutions. Those companies that operate in the field have no choice but to prioritize innovation in order to keep up with a field that evolves at a blindingly rapid pace. “The consumer electronics supply ...

BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS,® CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® The transition to a new presidential administration has brought with it a recalibration of federal priorities, including sustainability policies. While this administration has already laid the groundwork to relax sustainability and emissions timelines, the broader momentum for sustainability—driven by institutional investors, large public companies, rating agencies, international stakeholders ...

  BY CHRISTY DULA, CHIEF EXPERIENCE & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, MHI About a year ago, when a survey from Descartes asked supply chain leaders which diversified talent pools they were dipping into to address ongoing labor shortages, 34% said disabled persons. While companies may tie these efforts into their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring initiatives, leaders may not realize that ...

With the theme “Leading with Vision,” WERC’s marquee event showcases guidance to help boost efficiency today and gain a clear vision for future success. BY KRISTI MONTGOMERY, VICE PRESIDENT OF INNOVATION AND RESEARCH, KENCO GROUP, AND WERC 2025 ANNUAL CONFERENCE CHAIR   Annually, the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC), a division of MHI, presents the only event dedicated to ...