Free seminars at Modex 2016 to share materials handling, supply chain knowledge

Think you know everything there is to know about how materials handling makes supply chains work? Not so, according to the folks conducting the 103 free on-floor educational sessions at Modex 2016. The sessions are housed in 10 separate theaters located on the far right wall of the exhibit hall. The seminars run from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and on Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“The on-floor seminars are presented by industry experts in supply chain solutions,” said Gary Forger, MHI’s managing director of professional development. “It’s a unique opportunity for attendees to learn more from exhibitors and Industry Groups about the latest supply chain technologies and trends.”

Topics range from best practices reviews to maintenance to metrics. Detailed abstracts of each session, with key takeaways for attendees, are included on modexshow.com and the Modex app. Each theater holds 100 participants, and it’s first-come/first-served with no standing room allowed, added Forger.

Additionally, several MHI Industry Groups will be presenting the latest insights into their technologies. These sessions typically feature two or three panelists from different companies discussing new developments, applications and uses for the equipment represented by their group. “We always see a lot of interest and high attendance levels generated by the Industry Group sessions in particular,” Stanton said.

Of particular note this year are debut educational sessions presented by two of MHI’s new Solutions Groups, which transitioned to new names and formats a few months ago. Officially launched last fall are the Automation Solutions Group (ASG), formerly the Integrated Systems and Controls Industry Group, and the Information Systems Solutions Group (ISSG), formerly the Supply Chain Execution Systems & Technologies Group.

The new Solutions Groups represent a step beyond the traditional activities of the Industry Groups. While the product-focused groups focus more on developing and authoring standards for the construction, operation and safety practices surrounding materials handling equipment, the new Solutions Groups focus on the supply chain marketplace, its challenges and its solutions as a whole. Further, the Solutions Groups seek to engage the marketplace to figure out what the opportunities are.

For that reason, membership and participation in each of these two new Solutions Groups is open to anyone—including MHI members who may not currently belong to (or fit into) an existing Industry Group—and to non-members, including users. The transition of these two groups to Solutions Groups was a natural extension of the collaborations many suppliers were already engaged in as they partnered to engineer and provide complete, integrated supply chain solutions to their customers.

Those collaborations will be highlighted in the educational sessions presented by ASG and ISSG during Modex. ASG will offer the “Latest and Greatest Advances in Automated Handling” Tuesday from 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Theater B, and again on Thursday from noon to 12:45 p.m. in Theater A. Likewise, ISSG will share examples of “Harnessing the Power of Supply Chain Technology and Systems” today, from 2:15 to 3 p.m. in Theater B, and again on Thursday from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. in Theater B.

The full schedule of Industry Group sessions includes:

MONDAY, April 4

• “‘No Brainer’ AGV/AGC Applications,” presented by Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS), 10:30 - 11:15 a.m., Theater C
• “21st Century Latest Advancements and Total Cost/Cost Benefit of Ownership,” presented by Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems Fixed Aisle (ASRS-FA), 11:15 a.m. - 12 p.m., Theater F
• “‘Why Did They Die?’—Autopsies of Caster and Wheel Failures,” presented by the Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers (ICWM), 12:45 - 1:30 p.m., Theater H
• “Order Fulfillment Solutions: Latest Developments @ Modex,” presented by Order Fulfillment Solutions (OFS), 1:30 - 2:15 p.m., Theater C
• “Harnessing the Power of Supply Chain Technology and Systems,” presented by the Information Systems Solutions Group (ISSG), 2:15 - 3 p.m., Theater B
• “Considerations for the Planning and Use of Industrial Steel Storage Racks,” presented by the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI), 3 - 3:45 p.m., Theater A
• “Protect Your People… and Your Wallet: Safety and Guarding Solutions for the Industrial Facility,” presented by the Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA), 3 - 3:45 p.m., Theater G

TUESDAY, April 5
• “Latest and Greatest Advances in Automated Handling,” presented by the Automation Solutions Group (ASG), 11:15 a.m. - 12 p.m., Theater B
• “Current Trends and Technologies in Automated Storage and Inventory Management,” presented by Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems Carousel/Vertical Lift Modules (ASRS-C/VLM), 12 - 12:45 p.m., Theater G
• “Payback is a Dirty Word, but it Doesn’t Have to Be. How to Accurately and Properly Justify AGVs and AGCs,” presented by Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS), 1:30 - 2:15 p.m., Theater G
• “Vertical Conveying 101,” presented by Conveyor & Sortation Systems (CSS), 2:15 - 3 p.m., Theater D
• “Out of Shape and Getting Older—Your Workforce Needs Help,” presented by Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment (EASE), 3:45 - 4:30 p.m., Theater H

WEDNESDAY, April 6
• “The Equipment is the Easy Part,” presented by the Association of Professional Material Handling Consultants (APMHC), 2:15 - 3 p.m., Theater H
• “Omni-Channel Distribution—Leveraging Inventory to Gain Competitive Advantage,” presented by Order Fulfillment Solutions (OFS), 3 - 3:45 p.m., Theater C
• “Resources and Frequently Asked Questions,” presented by the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI), 3:45 - 4:30 p.m., Theater B

THURSDAY, April 7
• “Out of Shape and Getting Older—Your Workforce Needs Help,” presented by Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment (EASE), 10:30 - 11:45 a.m., Theater A
• “Latest and Greatest Advances in Automated Handling,” presented by the Automation Solutions Group (ASG), 12 - 12:45 p.m., Theater A
• “Harnessing the Power of Supply Chain Technology and Systems,” presented by the Information Systems Solutions Group (ISSG), 12:45 - 1:30 p.m., Theater B
• “‘Why Did They Die?’—Autopsies of Caster and Wheel Failures,” presented by the Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers (ICWM), 12:45 -1:30 p.m., Theater H

If you miss a session—or can’t decide between two being held at the same time—you can still view and hear its content later. All of the PowerPoint Presentations will be captured in PDF format and synchronized in a Flash file with audio recordings of each session. These files will be posted to [url=http://www.modexshow.com]http://www.modexshow.com[/url] after the conclusion of the show.

Modex 2016 is scheduled to be held April 4-7, 2016 in Atlanta’s Georgia World Conference Center. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the material handling and logistics industry. Modern’s complete Modex coverage.