At the Modex exhibition and conference in Atlanta, attendees can get up close and personal with sizzling new technology, equipment, and services for the supply chain.
Thinking of distribution centers as cavernous facilities full of boxes, pallets, and racks is so 20th century. Nowadays, they are hot spots of technological innovation. Think about it: Conveyors that turn themselves off when there's nothing to convey. Customized packaging material made on the spot. Driverless lift trucks. Glasses that can tell you what and how much to pick.
Need to keep pace with the latest and greatest technological innovations? The Modex Show organized by MHI (formerly the Material Handling Industry of America) might be just the ticket. One of the largest expositions for supply chain solutions in the Americas, Modex will be showcasing products and services from more than 850 exhibitors at Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center from April 9-12.
For ease of navigation, the 250,000-square-foot show floor will be divided into function-specific solution centers: Manufacturing & Assembly, Fulfillment & Delivery, Information Technology (IT) Solutions, The Knowledge Center, Smart City Logistics and Connected Supply Chain, and Transportation & Logistics. Exhibitors from across North America will be on hand to showcase the following technologies and services:
Material handling equipment and systems, which includes a broad range of products, from the highly complex (like automated guided vehicles and automated storage and retrieval systems) to the elegantly simple (like casters, racks, and shelves).
Packaging, containers, and shipping equipment, which encompasses not just pallets, containers, and shrink wrap but also packaging machinery, equipment designed for the inspection of products by weight or scanning, and palletizers.
Inventory management and controlling technologies, which includes computers, controllers, and software programs as well as systems integrators.
Dock and warehouse equipment and supplies, such as dock levelers, pads, and doors; flooring; hoists; cranes; monorails; and below/hook lifting devices.
Consultants and distribution system planners, including simulators, modelers, and third-party logistics service providers.
Automatic identification equipment and systems, such as bar-code printers and scanners, radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems, vision systems, and voice recognition systems.
Supply chain management, which serves as a catch-all category for such products and services as alternative fuel systems, parcel management and distribution, reverse logistics, and inventory security services.
Smart city logistics and connected supply chain, connected technologies, including "smart city" technologies that can help urban areas address the increasing challenges of congestion, noise, and pollution associated with more frequent last-mile deliveries to their growing populations.
Transportation and logistics, such as road, rail, sea, and air freight services; parcel delivery; and autonomous vehicles.
A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE
In addition to the exhibition, an extensive educational conference will run concurrently with the show. The conference features five keynote addresses, a "Women in the Supply Chain" forum, and more than 100 supplier-led seminars on a broad array of manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain topics.
The Modex keynote presentations will offer a glimpse of the future and insights into how businesses can prepare themselves for what lies ahead. On Monday, April 9, Juan Perez, chief information and engineering officer at UPS, will deliver the opening keynote address, "Anticipating Tomorrow's Supply Chain Challenges - Today." In his presentation, Perez will discuss the importance of embracing innovation and describe how UPS is preparing for the "Fourth Industrial Revolution," which will be enabled by the Industrial Internet of Things, the ongoing evolution of mobility, and smart cities.
Following the opening keynote, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal will take the stage to welcome Modex attendees to Georgia. In his address, Deal will detail the state's significant investments in supply chain and transportation infrastructure for moving goods quickly and efficiently through the Southeastern region.
On Tuesday, April 10, Andrew McAfee, co-founder and co-director of the Initiative on the Digital Economy and a principal research scientist at the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Sloan School of Management, will deliver a talk on the digital revolution and its implications for employment and the economy. Arguing that technology is rewriting the business playbook and that a great deal of standard business practice is now dangerously out of date, McAfee will look at how digital technologies such as robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and autonomous vehicles will impact business moving forward.
Scott Sopher, principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP's supply chain practice, and George W. Prest, MHI's chief executive officer, will present the findings of a new report from MHI on Wednesday, April 11. The organization's "2018 Annual Industry Report" focuses on the supply chain trends and technologies that are transforming supply chains. After the presentation, the speakers will moderate a panel of manufacturing and supply chain leaders discussing the real-world significance of the report's findings.
Later that day, Mike Rowe, TV personality and founder of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, will present "Why Dirty Jobs Matter." In his presentation, Rowe will talk about skilled labor and why it's being devalued by the media, advertising, and even the government. Rowe will also share his insights into the benefits of hard honest work and how it affects everything from our national identity to our infrastructure to the economy.
EXPERT-LED SEMINARS
Following the keynotes each day, Modex visitors can choose from a wide array of supplier-led educational seminars. These 45-minute sessions will be presented in theaters located right on the show floor. This format allows attendees to learn about various manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain solutions in the educational sessions and then actually see the equipment, systems, and services that can implement those solutions. This year's seminars are divided into six tracks: automation and robotics; data capture, analytics, and information management; manufacturing, planning, and sourcing; sustainability and risk management; transportation, distribution, and warehousing; and workforce and labor.
New to the seminar schedule this year are special conference sessions that will be held in the two newest solution centers, the "Transportation & Logistics" and "Smart City Logistics and Connected Supply Chain" centers. Sessions scheduled for the "Transportation & Logistics" center include "How to Reduce Small Parcel and LTL Transportation Costs in a Challenging Economy," "Technology Disruptors," and "Challenges in the Logistics Workforce." Sessions to be held in the "Smart City" center include "Artificial Intelligence: Evolution of Shipping," "Smart City Logistics - Successfully Navigating the Last Mile," and "Creating the Connected Warehouse." Here's the complete seminar schedule.
Modex will also reach beyond the confines of the convention center to offer supply chain-focused tours of the following Atlanta-area facilities: Telaid Industries Inc., Kroger, Kia Motors' assembly plant, and the ATL aircargo facility. (Preregistration and separate fees are required.)
This year, Modex will be co-located with the Georgia Logistics Summit, an event that brings together nearly 2,000 logistics and supply chain professionals from Georgia and beyond to network, share best practices, and learn about the latest trends in the industry. The 2018 summit is expected to feature nearly 50 speakers, including prominent shippers and leaders in the state's infrastructure and economic development community. A separate fee and registration are required for the summit. Learn more at GeorgiaLogistics.com/Summit.
Pre-registration for Modex 2018 is free online. There is no charge to attend the exhibits, Modex keynotes, or show-floor educational sessions. The website also offers exhibitor search tools, floor plans, a complete list of educational sessions, and information about travel and accommodations.
Nearly one-third of American consumers have increased their secondhand purchases in the past year, revealing a jump in “recommerce” according to a buyer survey from ShipStation, a provider of web-based shipping and order fulfillment solutions.
The number comes from a survey of 500 U.S. consumers showing that nearly one in four (23%) Americans lack confidence in making purchases over $200 in the next six months. Due to economic uncertainty, savvy shoppers are looking for ways to save money without sacrificing quality or style, the research found.
Younger shoppers are leading the charge in that trend, with 59% of Gen Z and 48% of Millennials buying pre-owned items weekly or monthly. That rate makes Gen Z nearly twice as likely to buy second hand compared to older generations.
The primary reason that shoppers say they have increased their recommerce habits is lower prices (74%), followed by the thrill of finding unique or rare items (38%) and getting higher quality for a lower price (28%). Only 14% of Americans cite environmental concerns as a primary reason they shop second-hand.
Despite the challenge of adjusting to the new pattern, recommerce represents a strategic opportunity for businesses to capture today’s budget-minded shoppers and foster long-term loyalty, Austin, Texas-based ShipStation said.
For example, retailers don’t have to sell used goods to capitalize on the secondhand boom. Instead, they can offer trade-in programs swapping discounts or store credit for shoppers’ old items. And they can improve product discoverability to help customers—particularly older generations—find what they’re looking for.
Other ways for retailers to connect with recommerce shoppers are to improve shipping practices. According to ShipStation:
70% of shoppers won’t return to a brand if shipping is too expensive.
51% of consumers are turned off by late deliveries
40% of shoppers won’t return to a retailer again if the packaging is bad.
The “CMA CGM Startup Awards”—created in collaboration with BFM Business and La Tribune—will identify the best innovations to accelerate its transformation, the French company said.
Specifically, the company will select the best startup among the applicants, with clear industry transformation objectives focused on environmental performance, competitiveness, and quality of life at work in each of the three areas:
Shipping: Enabling safer, more efficient, and sustainable navigation through innovative technological solutions.
Logistics: Reinventing the global supply chain with smart and sustainable logistics solutions.
Media: Transform content creation, and customer engagement with innovative media technologies and strategies.
Three winners will be selected during a final event organized on November 15 at the Orange Vélodrome Stadium in Marseille, during the 2nd Artificial Intelligence Marseille (AIM) forum organized by La Tribune and BFM Business. The selection will be made by a jury chaired by Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the Group, and including members of the executive committee representing the various sectors of CMA CGM.
The global air cargo market’s hot summer of double-digit demand growth continued in August with average spot rates showing their largest year-on-year jump with a 24% increase, according to the latest weekly analysis by Xeneta.
Xeneta cited two reasons to explain the increase. First, Global average air cargo spot rates reached $2.68 per kg in August due to continuing supply and demand imbalance. That came as August's global cargo supply grew at its slowest ratio in 2024 to-date at 2% year-on-year, while global cargo demand continued its double-digit growth, rising +11%.
The second reason for higher rates was an ocean-to-air shift in freight volumes due to Red Sea disruptions and e-commerce demand.
Those factors could soon be amplified as e-commerce shows continued strong growth approaching the hotly anticipated winter peak season. E-commerce and low-value goods exports from China in the first seven months of 2024 increased 30% year-on-year, including shipments to Europe and the US rising 38% and 30% growth respectively, Xeneta said.
“Typically, air cargo market performance in August tends to follow the July trend. But another month of double-digit demand growth and the strongest rate growths of the year means there was definitely no summer slack season in 2024,” Niall van de Wouw, Xeneta’s chief airfreight officer, said in a release.
“Rates we saw bottoming out in late July started picking up again in mid-August. This is too short a period to call a season. This has been a busy summer, and now we’re at the threshold of Q4, it will be interesting to see what will happen and if all the anticipation of a red-hot peak season materializes,” van de Wouw said.
The report cites data showing that there are approximately 1.7 million workers missing from the post-pandemic workforce and that 38% of small firms are unable to fill open positions. At the same time, the “skills gap” in the workforce is accelerating as automation and AI create significant shifts in how work is performed.
That information comes from the “2024 Labor Day Report” released by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), the firm’s government relations and public policy arm.
“We continue to see a labor shortage and an urgent need to upskill the current workforce to adapt to the new world of work,” said Michael Lotito, Littler shareholder and co-chair of WPI. “As corporate executives and business leaders look to the future, they are focused on realizing the many benefits of AI to streamline operations and guide strategic decision-making, while cultivating a talent pipeline that can support this growth.”
But while the need is clear, solutions may be complicated by public policy changes such as the upcoming U.S. general election and the proliferation of employment-related legislation at the state and local levels amid Congressional gridlock.
“We are heading into a contentious election that has already proven to be unpredictable and is poised to create even more uncertainty for employers, no matter the outcome,” Shannon Meade, WPI’s executive director, said in a release. “At the same time, the growing patchwork of state and local requirements across the U.S. is exacerbating compliance challenges for companies. That, coupled with looming changes following several Supreme Court decisions that have the potential to upend rulemaking, gives C-suite executives much to contend with in planning their workforce-related strategies.”
Stax Engineering, the venture-backed startup that provides smokestack emissions reduction services for maritime ships, will service all vessels from Toyota Motor North America Inc. visiting the Toyota Berth at the Port of Long Beach, according to a new five-year deal announced today.
Beginning in 2025 to coincide with new California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards, STAX will become the first and only emissions control provider to service roll-on/roll-off (ro-ros) vessels in the state of California, the company said.
Stax has rapidly grown since its launch in the first quarter of this year, supported in part by a $40 million funding round from investors, announced in July. It now holds exclusive service agreements at California ports including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hueneme, Benicia, Richmond, and Oakland. The firm has also partnered with individual companies like NYK Line, Hyundai GLOVIS, Equilon Enterprises LLC d/b/a Shell Oil Products US (Shell), and now Toyota.
Stax says it offers an alternative to shore power with land- and barge-based, mobile emissions capture and control technology for shipping terminal and fleet operators without the need for retrofits.
In the case of this latest deal, the Toyota Long Beach Vehicle Distribution Center imports about 200,000 vehicles each year on ro-ro vessels. Stax will keep those ships green with its flexible exhaust capture system, which attaches to all vessel classes without modification to remove 99% of emitted particulate matter (PM) and 95% of emitted oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Over the lifetime of this new agreement with Toyota, Stax estimated the service will account for approximately 3,700 hours and more than 47 tons of emissions controlled.
“We set out to provide an emissions capture and control solution that was reliable, easily accessible, and cost-effective. As we begin to service Toyota, we’re confident that we can meet the needs of the full breadth of the maritime industry, furthering our impact on the local air quality, public health, and environment,” Mike Walker, CEO of Stax, said in a release. “Continuing to establish strong partnerships will help build momentum for and trust in our technology as we expand beyond the state of California.”