What does a dysfunctional supply chain look like? How about one that’s perfectly coordinated and runs like clockwork? Ask any of the 700-plus attendees at software company RedPrairie’s 14th annual RedShift user conference, and they’ll probably tell you that there are a lot of rubber balls involved.

The opening session of the conference, held last month in Scottsdale, Ariz., began with a kinetic demonstration of different stages of supply chain management. “Remember when supply chains were simple and linear?” asked a narrator, while a line of dancers placidly passed red rubber balls across the stage. But as supply chains grew more complex, the narrator continued, managers found they had “a lot more balls in the air,” such as international sourcing, demands for data, and increased speed to market. More dancers appeared, and balls began to fly everywhere; the panicked performers attempted to catch, throw, and juggle them all—a situation, the narrator said, that made it “easy to drop the ball” in your supply chain.

But then technology entered the picture, in the form of red-suited acrobats outfitted with springs on their feet. These high flyers fostered “agility, velocity (our favorite), responsiveness, and collaboration.” Under their direction, the dancers on stage moved into a new formation, handing off the balls in a complex but perfectly synchronized web pattern. The scenario ended with everyone on stage lifting their balls to the sound of a triumphal Wagnerian climax.

So the next time your boss asks you why you need to buy supply chain software, go out and buy a bunch of rubber balls … ;

Supply chain performance art

It’s a rare month that goes by without our receiving an announcement about some type of industry initiative to introduce high school or college students to the business of material handling, warehousing, and logistics. But it’s not every day that we hear about someone in the industry reaching out to the very, very young.

In mid-May, Intelligrated, a supplier of automated material handling solutions, hosted second-grade students from 11 elementary schools at its new Alvey Robotics Lab in St. Louis, Mo. Through a relationship with Partners in Education, an organization that seeks to enrich K- 12 curricula for the academically gifted with “real world” experiences, Intelligrated conducted demonstrations and presentations on the role robotics are playing in the world today and the potential for the future.

Robots are fascinating to young children, and robotics demonstrations may inspire students’ enthusiasm for areas like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, said Chris Nobbe, gifted education specialist for the Rockwood, Mo., school district, in a statement. ; Reading, writing, ’rithmetic, and … robotics?

inbound
Chinese lift-truck maker
says it’s not like the others

Any doubts that Chinese manufacturers are taking aim at the U.S. material handling market were dispelled at the recent ProMat 2011 Show in Chicago. Chinese lift-truck makers were out in force at the event. Some had understated, sparsely furnished booths staffed by serious-look-ing salesmen in conservative suits. Others tried to generate more buzz; one booth, for example, featured a gigantic video screen with continuous showings of promo films, including one featuring skimpily dressed models prancing around forklifts.

Now, another Chinese lift truck maker is jumping into game. LiuGong Machinery Corp., whose primary business is construction equipment, has announced that it will soon begin selling forklifts—including diesel, electric, and LPG-fueled machines—in North America and Western Europe. The launch will feature 11 core models, and more are in development, say company executives.

LiuGong Forklift Americas, based in Katy, Texas, says it’s different from other Chinese manufacturers. First, it’s backed by a parent company with global reach in both sales and manufacturing. The parent company does business in nearly 80 countries worldwide and has nearly 15 percent of the world’s wheel-loader market. Currently, it sells forklifts in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.

Other features that distinguish the newcomer from the rest of the pack include a focus on quality (through a Six Sigma program and adherence to ISO 9000 standards) and a policy of entering new markets with a sales and dealer network already in place, company executives say.

Although LiuGong Forklift Americas is new to the North American market, its leadership is no stranger to these parts. President David O’Dell formerly was a top executive at NACCO Material Handling, which owns the Yale and Hyster brands of forklifts. ;