Open Communication Critical to Successful Partnerships
Article from MHI Solutions Magazine
As the rate of change in the logistics industry continues to grow exponentially, companies across the supply chain are increasingly partnering to find solutions that allow every aspect of the market to perform more effectively and efficiently. Industrywide collaboration is necessary, but ensuring a successful partnership can prove difficult, especially if the partners fail to adequately identify the problems and solutions and communicate openly when the market changes or problems arise.
The need for more partnerships is clear. “The market is moving so much faster than it was a decade ago,” said Andy Lockhart, director of strategic engagement and warehouse solutions for MHI member Vanderlande’s North America operations. “We are seeing huge strides in robotics in recent years. As [artificial intelligence] continues to get better and better, integrators are going to have to partner with specialist companies. You can’t do all aspects yourself, and that’s why partnerships are becoming even more imperative.”
Moreover, the advancement of computing power and vision systems have fueled innovation in robotics, while at the same time “reduced participation in the labor market has created an urgency to automate,” added Les Makant, product sales manager in the smart automation solutions division of MHI member Fives Intralogistics Corp. New partnerships are also spurred by new practitioner specifications, largely related to safety and energy efficiency…
