Modern's always bringing you stories of companies that had to change to meet the needs of their customers. Now it's our turn to change. I wanted to give you a heads up on what the new year of Modern will bring.

Let's start with our editorial advisory board. In 2008 we'll start making better use of that board's expertise. We're giving them a bully pulpit from which they'll tell you what's on their mind each month. Our board is populated by practitioners, academicians, consultants—even a Marine, so you're going to be exposed to some fresh ideas about materials handling from many angles. You'll meet all of them in January, and then in succeeding months they'll each get a chance to pick a topic and run it by you.

In the last year you've run some things by us, as well—like how important safety is, particularly with regard to lift trucks. That's why next year we're starting a monthly column on lift truck operator tips. Every issue will focus on a different class of lift truck and list operator essentials to help ensure the safest, most productive use of your equipment.

And let's not forget green. Where materials handling is concerned, green is not just about the environment; it's also about rewards from the efficient use of time and assets. Modern will focus on both shades of green in several reports throughout the year. It starts in January when everyone on our advisory board will talk about what green means to them and their business.

That's the beauty of materials handling; it cuts across organizational silos. Smart business leaders recognize the strategic importance of what you do and use it to their companies' advantage. Carly Fiorina, for example, learned a lot about building effective supply chains while CEO of Hewlett-Packard a few years ago. Keynoting the annual conference of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) in October, she shared important lessons learned from working with people like you during her tenure at HP.

“HP was once organized in hierarchies,” she explained, “with vertical chains of command. We had 87 supply chains. A well functioning supply chain leverages every capability a firm has and will cut across those chains of command.”

While at HP, she worked with her logistics organization to cut that bureaucracy down to five supply chains. These changes cut $1 billion in logistics costs and improved the company's purchasing power.

The future of materials handling—art and science—depends on leaders in every industry adopting a similar appreciation for logistics. With you as a reader, Modern Materials Handling will be the vehicle of choice for that journey.