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3 reasons your company should be using IoT
Delany Martinez Distribution & WarehousingThe internet of things (IoT) is still a relatively new concept for some businesses — especially companies long used to doing things the "old fashioned" way, via paper and face-to-face communication. Their products may be unrelated to technology, and therefore unlikely to demand the level of digital understanding that makes IoT onboarding easier for their tech-infused counterparts.
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Conquering the last mile: Walmart, Amazon embrace the unusual
Delany Martinez Distribution & WarehousingOne of the largest problems stumping efficiency and profitability experts is arguably the most difficult: getting goods through the gauntlet of the "last mile" — the final leg of a product's transportation journey before it lands with the customer.
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Faster nylon parts: A new age for 3-D printing
Renee Eaton ManufacturingGetting parts on demand has been a manufacturer's dream for many years. Since 2005, there have been cries from the 3-D printing industry that additive technology would replace the need for injection mold tooling, that it would eliminate the need for machining, that casting would become obsolete. Finally, that dream is becoming a reality.
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Sky’s the limit: Just who controls drones?
Ryan Clark Transportation Technology & AutomotiveOn May 25, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Drone Federalism Act of 2017. The bill would, if passed, protect states' rights to control the movement of drones over state airspace at certain heights. This is just one of many recent rounds in the war for control of the skies being waged between governments and drone users.
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Lucrative innovation: How tamper-proof design is defining packaging
Delany Martinez ManufacturingWhen even a single damaged or compromised package could put an entire brand's perception at risk, keeping packages safe and sealed has become an important facet of manufacturing in certain sectors. While, say, a flashlight can't carry much liability if its packaging is tampered with, a food or drink item could carry harmful mold or bacteria, and an exposed pharmaceutical item could prove to be life-threatening. That important distinction has led to a number of impressive tamper-evident breakthroughs recently in the packaging sphere.
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Dear Amazon, please stay out of pharmacy
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalI'm a big fan of Amazon. Their huge selection of new and used books, convenient shopping platform and unbeatable prices make me a regular customer. But when I read news that the online superstore founded by Jeff Bezos in Seattle in 1994 was looking to get into the mail-order pharmacy market, it made my stomach turn a bit.
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Is AI the secret to manufacturing efficiency?
Delany Martinez ManufacturingRobots are taking our jobs. It sounds terrifying, doesn't it? The specter of automation has reared up with a vengeance as overworked production facilities struggle to keep up with demand on several fronts: overall volume, specialty orders and particularly customer-facing customization options.
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An inside job: Security safeguards to prevent employee theft
Bianca Gibson Distribution & WarehousingNo warehouse manager wants to believe employees can steal from the company that provides their paycheck. It's an unfortunate reality that costs millions in losses each year and happens every day. With access to product, trust from managers and influence over peers, employees are generally the No. 1 culprit in company thefts.
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Amazon breaks records by breaking rules
Danielle Manley RetailAmazon must have channeled the famous inventor because the company threw the rules out the window years ago. They ventured into uncharted territories without looking back and challenged the standard way of doing business in the retail industry. Has it been successful? Amazon released their 2017 first-quarter report Friday, beating goals and expectations. While analysts predicted earnings of $1.08 per share on $35.3 billion in revenue, true Amazon earnings were $1.48 per share on $35.7 billion in revenue.
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Where are the women? Male-dominated workplaces need to diversify
Danielle Manley Distribution & WarehousingOver the past century, women have made significant strides in achieving equality in workplaces, everything from narrowing the pay gap to increasing women in leadership and senior management roles. However, when taking a closer look at individual industries, it's apparent that the push for gender equality is just beginning to affect traditionally male-dominated industries like construction and mining.
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