MHI Solution and Product Groups—Moving Forward
By Matthew Smurr, MHI Senior Director of Groups
MHI has a strong history of bringing member companies together into groups focused on specific products (Product Groups). MHI is now dedicating additional resources to the development of Solution Groups.
MHI Solution Groups will be the industry standard for collaboration among end-users and material handling product manufacturers and service providers. The goal is to bring the industry together to collaborate and develop into a community that shares knowledge and addresses current and future manufacturing and supply chain issues.
This focus aligns with the conclusion from the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling and Logistics that the speed of market and technology changes combined with supply chain innovation requires material handling product end-users and manufacturers to adapt at a much faster pace.
History of MHI Product Groups
MHI is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, and a big part of our rich history is the inclusion of independent trade associations and groups within MHI that are organized around specific material handling products. These Product Groups help promote the industry and produce internationally recognized product design standards and, in some cases, provide product certification “marks.”
The added-value of MHI Solution Groups
Today, the goal is to leverage the skills and lessons of MHI Product Groups toward the formation of new Solution Groups that will become the “go to” resource for answers and insight on leading supply chain trends and challenges.
Collaboration between supply chain stakeholders can be daunting for a host of reasons. However the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling and Logistics describes the significant value that awaits for those parties that succeed. Recognizing the need for a laser focus on high interest supply chain challenges, MHI has added resources to facilitate the start up and ongoing management of new Solution Groups that will tackle these top issues head on.
