Modex 2016: Discovery begins here

Welcome to Modern’s “Modex Show Issue,” by far the most comprehensive, pre-show listings available of the latest, most cutting edge equipment, systems and solutions that will be presented in Atlanta (April 4-7) by more than 800 exhibitors.

In fact, there’s a good chance that you’re paging through this issue while you’re walking the floor. If so, this is just scratching the surface of our coverage. Keep your eyes open for print copies of the “Modex Show Daily,” the official publication that’s created on site by Modern’s team of seven editors. Attendees will have access to both print and online versions, so look for additional coverage popping up in your inbox.

However, if your duties find you back in your facility, consider this issue as your personal tour of the floor. In fact, the editorial staff of Modern has collected 30 pages of new products that will be in the spotlight in Atlanta. While you may not be able to touch the equipment or see the demos first hand, you can certainly take a quick detour to the supplier’s Websites to see the latest.

While we understand how tough it is to take a break from the day-to-day, I often use this space in our show issue to emphasize the importance of walking away from our screens and operations to “be there”—especially in this new age of transformation.

Walking a floor like Modex is similar to spreading out a print copy of your favorite newspaper on the kitchen table. You scan the top headlines, but inevitably you bump into a story that sparks your interest—something that you weren’t searching for, but catches your eye and opens new possibilities.

Considering the amount of operational change that needs to take place inside our facilities to keep pace with customer demand, these moments of discovery are more important today then ever before. In fact, key solution decisions that were made for the L’Oreal facility and are the subject of this month’s System Report just happened to be the result of show floor discoveries.

In short, L’Oreal operates a number of different types of distribution centers, ranging from facilities that primarily handle full pallets to case and piece picking operations, each with its own set of demands. With the change in order profile due to e-commerce and shifting peak surge times, the team knew it needed to embrace an automated picking solution to accommodate a layered pallet approach rather than building mixed SKU pallets—but wasn’t sure which way to go.

“I love hearing these types of discovery elements in interviews,” says executive editor Bob Trebilcock, the author of this month’s System Report. “At first, the team was expecting to implement a goods-to-person solution, but saw a demonstration of a robotic layer picking solution at booth at ProMat 2013. That time on the floor, the conversations and discovery that took place altered their plans in a significant and positive way.”

No matter where you find yourself at this moment, chances are high that you’re either considering or are in the midst of an operational change to meet today’s demands. It’s up to you on how you’d like to execute your discovery process, but it’s a journey we all now need to make.