Technology & Innovation Issue: Transformation inspiration

I’m going to propose that Modern readers refer to July as “Technology & Innovation Month.” It starts with the issue you’re currently reading and then jumps online for our “2023 Virtual Summit: Orchestration takes center stage,” our annual virtual conference that goes live on Thursday, July 27. Keep your eyes open for your e-mail invitation or register right now at supplychain247.com/summit-2023.

Executive editor Bob Trebilcock shows how materials handling automation is empowering a new business model at thredUP; editor at large Gary Forger puts context behind the findings of Modern’s “2023 Materials Handling Technology Study” that defines how far we’ve come in adoption; senior editor Roberto Michel tracks the progress being made by cloud WMS; and editor at large Bridget McCrea explores how put walls are keeping pace with the rapid advancements in automation and robotics.

Once that inspiration sets in, our Virtual Summit offers you a couple hours of practical advice for assessing your technology needs and offers a direct channel to ask questions to some the market’s leading thought-leaders.

And I can think of no one better to get us rolling than Sally Miller, North American CIO and global digital transformation officer for DHL Supply Chain. Sally will join Roberto in conversation on how robotics is transforming DHL Supply Chain’s operations in terms of productivity, meeting service levels, and protecting workers from repetitive or non-value-added tasks.

Keeping the focus on the potential benefits of automation, Norm Saenz, partner, managing director at supply chain consultancy St. Onge Co., offers us his unique, no-nonsense look at what’s working and what’s being overlooked in terms of automation solutions he’s seeing inside client operations. Howard Turner, director, supply chain execution systems at St. Onge, then takes a closer look at how businesses large and small can leverage supply chain management software to tie upstream and downstream systems together and drive efficiency and flexibility.

David Krebs, executive vice president, enterprise mobility at VDC Research, will update attendees on the current state of key mobility technologies, track the evolution of wearables, and then share how data capture integrates into systems to inform on work in process.

And this year we’re offering two sessions focused on robotics. First, Rueben Scriven, research manager at market intelligence firm Interact Analysis, will explain the underlying dynamics behind piece-picking robotics, what’s involved in terms of hardware and software, and give an overview of the market outlook for piece-picking robotics solutions.

And to wrap things up, Dwight Klappich, vice president, fellow, at Gartner explains how the trend toward robotics from multiple providers has given rise to a software niche that’s being called “multi-agent orchestration”—platforms that coordinate processes between heterogeneous fleets of robots, other forms of automation, and can tie into business systems like warehouse management software.

So, if you’re looking for transformation inspiration, then July is your month.