Top 10 Supply Chain Innovations of 2018

Dec. 3, 2018
We salute the year’s top advancements in supply chain technology and processes.

After a year full of more scandals, indictments, political contentiousness, workplace violence, school shootings and natural disasters, maybe it’s time we all took a collective breath and focused on some of the positives that came out of 2018. The low unemployment rate, for instance, has stimulated the economy to the point that the distinction between shippers and consumers has blurred significantly. Thanks to omni-channel distribution, 3-D printing, self-service logistics and other avenues of disintermediation, traditional supply chain roles are rapidly being transformed into all-new opportunities.

In that spirit, we’ve combed the MH&L archives for the most innovative supply chain developments of the past year, as reported in our print magazine, on our website, in our e-newsletters, or our various social media channels. We hope you enjoy this salute to the best of 2018, and we look forward to even more innovations in 2019.

Click the links below to compare this year's innovations to those from previous years:

Top 10 Supply Chain Innovations of 2017: exoskeletons, autonomous forklifts, flying warehouses, last-mile delivery, and more.

Top 10 Supply Chain Innovations of 2016: robot pickers, bridge-inspecting drones, autonomous freight shuttles, and more.

Top 10 Supply Chain Innovations of 2015: solar-powered vessel, robot dispatcher, 3-D printed flight parts, and more.

Top 10 Supply Chain Innovations of 2014: hybrid DCs, 3-D prototypes, location-based inventory system, and more.

Supply Chain Innovators of 2013: paperless food chain, VLMs, cold chain fleet management, and more.