inbound
If you want to know where the economy is headed, ask a logistics manager. At least that’s the theory behind a new economic index launched in
September by five universities and backed by the Council of Supply Chain
Management Professionals (CSCMP).
The Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI), which is similar in approach to
the long-running Purchasing Managers Index produced by the Institute for
Supply Management (ISM), is based on a brief monthly poll that asks North
American logistics managers whether factors like warehousing capacity, utilization, and prices; inventory levels and costs; and transportation capacity,
utilization, and prices are increasing, decreasing, or staying the same. This
information can serve as a leading indicator of the health of the overall
economy, according to Dale S. Rogers, professor of logistics and supply
chain management at Arizona State University, one of the five schools collaborating on the index.
In addition to Arizona State, researchers from Colorado State University,
Portland State University, Rutgers University, and University of Nevada,
Reno are working on the index. If you’d like to be part of the standing
panel that takes the brief survey each month, please contact Rogers at dale.
rogers@asu.edu.
“Logistics Manager’s Index” launched Job hunters looking to enter the manufacturing and logistics labor force
this year will find high demand for
their services, but they should expect
plenty of competition for the most
desirable spots, a new jobs report says.
HR services and staffing company Randstad US recently released its
predictions for the hottest jobs—jobs
that are most in-demand right now
as well as those it has identified as
emerging jobs—for 2017. To compile
its list, the team looked at a variety of
current workforce trends, including
number of qualified candidates and
available positions, market growth,
salary range, and employer need for
specific skill sets. This year’s “Hot
Jobs” report covered eight employment sectors, including manufacturing and logistics.
So where should job hunters be
concentrating their efforts? For those
seeking full-time work, the hottest
jobs right now are production supervisor, driver, and warehouse supervisor, the firm said. The top emerging
jobs are maintenance mechanic and
machine operator. For those seeking
temp work, the best prospects right
now are jobs as loaders/unloaders,
assemblers, and general production
workers. At the top of the list of
emerging temp jobs are forklift operator and picker/packer, the report
found.
The predictions reflect the company’s relatively rosy assessment
of manufacturing’s future. “New
technology, innovative production systems, agrowing preference
for American-made goods, and
a decline in offshoring are transforming U.S. manufacturing,” Greg Dyer,
president of Randstad Commercial
Staffing, said in a release. “There is
an increased demand fortechnolo-gy-savvy workers to not only capitalize on the next industrial revolution,
but to fill a critical void left behind by
retiring workers.”
Gotta find a job?
Awards programs for material handing equipment
are not beauty contests; the most important criteria,
of course, are innovation and practical application.
But many of the 11 finalists for the 2017 International
Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) awards are nearly
works of art, with sleek lines, colorful finishes, and
eye-catching designs.
The awards, to be presented by Europe’s VDMA
Materials Handling and Logistics Systems Sector
Association in May, are based on products’ innovative quality, technology,
design, ergonomics, handling, safety, cost effectiveness, and sustainability.
The winners in four categories will be chosen by an international jury of
logistics and material handling journalists.
Here’s a quick look at the finalists:
b Warehouse truck category—the IGo neo CX 20 “intelligent” autonomous pallet truck from Still; the EMD 115i compact walkie stacker from
Jungheinrich; and the EPH 125 DTFV guided high-lift order picker
b Automated guided vehicle (AGV) category—the TORsten low-profile,
customizable AGV from Torwegge; and SSI Schaefer’s 2Stack + automated
driverless delivery (ADD) automated replenishment system
b Special vehicle category—an electric-powered cargo transport scooter
from kickTrike; the Wave work-assist vehicle from Crown; and a tugger
“train” with automated loading and unloading capabilities from Still
b Special of the year category—Still’s Power Plus Life self-cooling battery;
the “Indoor Positioning” vehicle location system from Jungheinrich; and
UniCarriers’ ergonomic dead-man alternative driver-presence sensor
To see a slideshow of these futuristic machines, go to www.ifoy.org/en/.
And the winner is …
