Guest: Dr. Thomas Evans of Honeywell on meeting automation goals; Skills gaps in finding new workers; How do we tell when we are at the bottom of the transportation trough?

Aug 11 2023 • 18 mins

Our guest on this week's episode is Dr. Thomas Evans, robotics chief technology officer for Honeywell. Supply chains have been roughed up quite a bit this year, with transportation in a recession and many warehouse projects on hold throughout the industry. Yet, even with the current economic climate, buyers are still making investments in warehouse robotics, but possibly smaller investments than they would like. In this environment, what can logistics companies do to hit their long-term goals for automation? Our guest shares some insights.

It’s getting harder to find the right talent in the supply chain, especially when it comes to filling leadership roles and developing the next generation of corporate supply chain managers. That’s according to a recent survey by Alcott Global, a Singapore-based supply chain and logistics recruitment and talent management firm. Half of those surveyed listed the lack of talent as a key problem. On top of that, the survey showed that the talent that is available lacks the right skill set needed to succeed in supply chain management.

Freight markets have been down quite a bit this summer and it makes managers wonder if we have seen the bottom of the cyclical trough. A new report from U.S. Bank offers some data points that may shed some light on how long the freight recession will last.

DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane. It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. The current series features Transportation Tech. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes.

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