The Material Handling Blog

In my last blog article, What's the True Cost of Your Corporate Safety Program , I discussed the importance of corporate safety training and some of the most popular OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) citations in 2010. Now I'd like to review some of the costs that occur when workplace safety standards are not followed, which often results in violations with costly penalties that can reach upwards of $500,000, and in some cases, even jail time.

It's always puzzled me as to why so many companies spend months and years planning and designing a project and only give the material handling integrators two weeks to bid. It's also been suggested that tight timelines provide the end user with the best price possible. In my opinion and past experience, this statement couldn't be further from the truth. Read More >>

Despite the economic downturn, engineering has been one of the least affected professions. In fact, hiring in the engineering services sector has increased 104% since December of 2009. So what does this mean for you?

As consultants and material handling system integrators, we are often asked to evaluate the economics of capital projects. There are several metrics that can be used to evaluate a project, each with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. However, we are almost always pressed to say what the "payback period" is of a given project. Every time it happens, my stomach hurts just a little.

As surprising as it might seem, the material handling industry was the founder of today's current marketing craze--the quick response (QR) code. That little black and white square now seen everywhere from your Starbucks cup to movie posters was originally used by vehicle manufacturers to track parts.

The magic ingredient to a winning team is their commitment, motivation, and engagement to each other and the goals of the team. Creating an environment that motivates employees is one of the toughest challenges our managers and leaders face today. It takes tremendous energy and time to build a motivated team, but the incremental benefits are critical to the long-term success of the organization. Read More >>

So you're planning to invest, or have already invested, thousands or millions of dollars in your industrial automation system to ensure the long-term growth and success of your company. That's great!  Now it's time to make a relatively small investment that will help you maximize the return on investment (ROI) from your new system, and here's how...

If your business is in manufacturing or distribution, you are likely faced with a common dilemma in today's business environment -- lack of resources. Nowadays, businesses stay very lean in terms of personnel, and this often leads to some troubling questions for management. One answer might lie in the availability of a good field sales engineer. A field sales engineer (FSE) is an individual with both the sales and engineering experience needed to address technical solutions for your business.

The following is list of just some of the safety solutions Southern Wine and Spirits uses to protect their workers and products.

Planning, implementing, and managing change is undoubtedly a difficult task if left to circumstance; nevertheless, these responsibilities are something many of us face.

Athletes train tirelessly to master their chosen skill. Countless hours are dedicated to perfect each movement, lower reaction time, and increase strength. The same can be said for professionals and laborers alike. Each group either does or can benefit from dedicated, focused instruction. Whether it is a coach, a professor, or a mentor, these individuals provide guidance to ensure correct implementation of vital tasks.

Whether you believe the peak oil theory or not, the cost of crude oil continues to rise causing a major affect on a variety of supply chain costs. Last year, I listened to an economist talk about the influence of rising oil prices, and how it will change the logistics industry as we've known it in recent years. At the time I was skeptical of his predictions . Today with gasoline prices at $4.15 per gallon and rising, I'm starting to believe what he had to say. Here's why.......