http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:17:58 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The first MODEX is history. If you were in Atlanta to walk this material handling and logistics show as I did, you probably feel like you completed a marathon. Your aches are a testament to how diverse the material handling industry is. There was a lot of ground to cover—floor-wise ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/02/09/global-forces-shaping-material-handling-and-logistics/ Over the last few years, when I heard the talking heads on TV blab about global warming, my eyes reflexively rolled upward. It’s just that this red meat has been chewed over by so many talking heads it has become mushy. Disgusting. But lately I’ve been reading reports about sustainability that ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/02/05/sustainability-getting-real-for-high-tech-firms/ There aren’t many things more tenacious than an Asian longhorned beetle—except for the little piece of boilerplate copy newspaper writers have latched onto to explain how these beetles got into southern Ohio and are now feasting on suburban trees. This little line of type has taken on a life of ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/02/02/dont-allow-a-beetles-reunion-in-your-supply-chain/ The spinning of campaign propaganda is the ugliest part of politics. Unfortunately, this being a presidential election year, the webs of deception being spun are unavoidable. The candidates are busy trying to trap each other in lies and half-truths. They often succeed. But politicians don’t have a monopoly on such ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/01/30/avoid-political-pollution-in-your-supply-stream/ The interconnected nature of global supply chains makes companies vulnerable to thousands of weak links—also known as suppliers. A new report released by World Economic Forum in collaboration with Accenture, called “New Models for Addressing Supply Chain and Transport Risk,” notes that businesses “both affect and are affected by risks ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/01/26/your-supply-chains-worst-enemy-may-be-you/ Last week the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship managed to crash both the vessel and his career on the rocks off the coast of Italy. How could this happen? This vacation-on-water had all the latest electronic gizmos to keep itself and its passengers out of harm’s way. ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/01/23/feeling-so-safe-its-downright-dangerous/ When prosecutors look for ways to build a solid case against a criminal, drugs and guns found at a crime scene usually grab their attention. But there’s another piece of evidence that often goes unnoticed at the outset of a case: pallets. I’m talking about plastic pallets. As the value of ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/01/19/decriminalize-the-pallets-in-your-supply-chain/ High-tech giant Apple has long had a love/hate relationship with its customers and suppliers. The company loves to publicize how popular its products are with its customers, who are nothing if not rabidly passionate about everything-Apple. However, the company also hates to publicize exactly who makes it products, since that ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/01/17/apples-supply-chain-is-in-need-of-better-management/ If there were a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange called “Your Supply Chain,” your broker would probably urge you to stay away from it. Too risky. And many corporate executives across the country agree—their supply chains are risky. According to a survey by McKinsey & Co. of ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/01/17/too-many-losing-sleep-over-their-supply-chains/ When I was a kid I believed that only Superman could fly faster than a speeding bullet. Now that I’m halfway into my 50s and any remaining innocence and idealism is quickly oozing out of me, I’ve come to realize that the only thing that can fly faster than a ... http://blog.mhmonline.com/material_flows/2012/01/12/why-made-in-america-isnt-enough/