Material Handling

A service technician came by the other day, his truck loaded with supplies and the latest technology for tracking inventory and reporting back to HQ. His work went well, but when it came time to use the computer to fill out reports, that's when the cursing began. Computers are supposed to make our jobs easier, but it doesn't always work that way. Are we too dependent on information technologies? Is there an optimum mix of manual and automated processing that we need to find?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Material Handling, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Material Handling today.

Wireles communications and even more compact computing capabilities mean we can access and manipulate data wherever we are. In fact, we just read about a demo of a system that lets users employ a Blackberry to access live shipping information to determine the best and most cost-effective transportation routes. That's great, but it makes it hard to get away from the office. Do you find all this technology makes it hard to leave work behind you? Do you have strategies for "getting away from it all?"

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Material Handling, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Material Handling today.

A recent study by the Interagency Aerospace Revitalization Task Force predicts serious consequences if measures are not taken to attract more skilled workers to the aerospace industry. A graying workforce and students without sufficient math and science skills could create a shortage workers qualified for the necessary jobs. What is happening in your industry—is there a sufficient number of applicants for job openings? Do the applicants have the requisite skills? How much remedial training is necessary?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Material Handling, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Material Handling today.

Everyone agrees that safety in the workplace is important, but not everyone promotes safety in an effective manner. Some companies think they improve safety with periodic inspections that identify and correct problems on the shop floor. But just correcting the problem is not enough — if the individuals who caused the problem don't learn something in the process, they or their colleagues are likely to do something similar again such as remove a safety guard or leave obstacles lying around. Does your company have a safety committee? Do they keep employees motivated? Do they focus on safety or get distracted by quality or productivity issues?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Material Handling, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Material Handling today.

Energy efficiency has become one of the top ten considerations in order fulfillment operations. This industry white paper presents distributors and warehouse managers with a series of questions to consider when streamlining their operations. Why run conveyors at full speed if there's no need? Why run them at all during slow periods? Slower operation can also prolong equipment life. Have you taken steps to save energy in your conveyor systems? Do you have the controls in place that would enable you to do so?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Material Handling, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Material Handling today.