Hit the road for inspiration

When was the last time you packed a bag and made your way to a trade event? While Modex saw a terrific turnout in Atlanta last year, I’ll bet that for many, the last time you ventured away from your operation was to attend ProMat 2019 in Chicago. Remember?

Well, it’s time to brush the dust off the suitcase and hope the khakis and blazer aren’t too snug, because early reports suggest ProMat 2023 (March 20 to 23) is going to be a whopper. According to show organizer MHI, the event will host more than 1,000 exhibitors and take up more than 560,000 square feet of exhibit space in McCormick Place—about 35% larger than 2019.

So, there’s a good chance you’re preparing to hit the road for Chicago to recharge your face-to-face network and kick the tires on some new ideas. A great first step is to put together a strategic plan. This month, Modern offers the first of several articles designed to help you do that.

Our Show Planner looks at the keynotes and on-floor seminars. Next month, we will share an extensive round-up of the hottest equipment, automation and technology you’ll see at this year’s show—a list that may help you prioritize your booth visits.

The Modern editorial staff will be there in force and produce the official ProMat Show Daily. You can pick up a print version as you see the show; or if you’re stuck at the facility, our Show Daily e-newsletters will bring you up to speed—so you’ll feel as if you’re there.

While I don’t have to remind anyone what transpired since the last in-person ProMat, I can be fairly certain Modern readers are familiar with how that time helped accelerate the application of software and automation in our operations—a silver lining to this challenging time.

Modern has been playing a role in this “automation acceleration” by sharing System Report success stories of companies who have taken a more aggressive tact in applying new solutions—features that hopefully inspire action by illustrating what’s possible with the automation tools now available.

Executive editor Bob Trebilcock has been the facilitator of these stories, and starting on page 18, he takes us inside a 500,000-square-foot, single-client facility in Louisville, Ky., operated by third-party logistics (3PL) provider Radial.

As a 3PL operating in a highly competitive arena, Trebilcock reports that Radial was looking for tools to balance the reliance on labor every fulfillment center is facing and to adopt automation, including robotics, to position the company as a thought leader. It landed on a solution that combined conventional automation for picking with 12 AI-enabled robotic putwalls for order assembly—and hit both goals with flying colors.

“There a couple key takeaways from this story,” says Trebilcock. “One is that while piece-picking robotics has been slow to get traction, the solution is finding a home in putwalls and packing.” He reports that after about a year of working with the robots, Radial is able to handle 100% of that facility’s SKUs with robots.

“The other is that innovation at this level doesn’t happen overnight,” says Trebilcock. “That’s why the advice from Chris Epley, Radial’s site director, is that ‘patience is the key to success.’”