One of the most pressing problems affecting supply chains is an ongoing talent shortage, according to MHI, the Charlotte, N.C.-based material handling, logistics and supply chain association. In its 2014 annual report, “Innovations that drive supply chains,” MHI notes that the industry is having a difficult time replenishing its workforce as baby boomers retire and the number of younger workers able to replace them is scarce. With the supply-chain field expected to add 1.4 million new jobs by 2018, the issue likely will only increase in intensity, it adds.
For entry-level jobs in warehouses, employees tend not to be highly experienced, and turnover rates tend to be high, points out John Barry, vice president of sales and marketing at ITW Warehouse Automation, Arden, N.C. To combat these situations, companies have turned to automation to maintain productivity and help employees skillfully perform their duties, he says.