March 1, 2024
MHI's 2022 annual industry report, Evolution to Revolution, is the ninth in a series of annual reports published in partnership with Deloitte. This year, it was revealed that 54% of supply chain companies believe talent shortages are the second biggest challenge they face today. The report also provides updates on the innovative technologies that have the most potential to transform supply chains, including projected adoption rates for the next five years for each of the 11 categories of technology covered in the report and an analysis of common barriers to adoption.
Evolution to Revolution is heavily focused on how the pandemic has changed the way we think about logistical innovation and supply chain readiness. "Thanks to a perfect storm of global supply-related issues, supply chain disruptions are now a topic of daily conversation. Meanwhile, news stories are throwing fuel on the fire by repeatedly calling attention to widespread supply shortages in everything from computer chips to groceries."
Phantom Auto was featured on page 20 of the 2022 industry report as an example of how a company can utilize remote operation in order to increase operational safety, efficiency, and productivity. By adopting a remote operation strategy, the company is projecting a 30% reduction in the total operating cost per forklift. From the report:
"A leading logistics company was struggling to hire and retain forklift operators in their facilities. Their labor pool was restricted to local labor markets within commuting distance to their facilities. The company found that even as they continually increased wages and added pressure to their bottom line, they still were not able to attract and retain enough labor. The logistics company implemented Phantom Auto remotely-operated forklifts, enabling employees to remotely operate forklifts from thousands of miles away. Remote operation helped to combat their labor shortage by expanding the potential labor pool to virtually anyone located anywhere with a solid internet connection. With Phantom's technology, these remote "digital drivers" can seamlessly teleport from one forklift to another with the click of a button, creating unprecedented opportunities for workforce allocation efficiencies across their nationwide facility network."
To learn more about how Phantom Auto's remotely operated forklifts are transforming supply chain labor, read the full report here.
About MHI
MHI is an international trade association that has represented the material handling, logistics, and supply chain industry since 1945. MHI members include material handling and logistics equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers, and third-party logistics providers. MHI offers education, standards development, networking, and solution sourcing for its members, its customers, and the industry through programming and events. The association sponsors the ProMat and MODEX exhibitions which showcase the products and services of its member companies and educate manufacturing and supply chain professionals.
About Phantom Auto
Phantom Auto specializes in remote operation of all logistics vehicles. Phantom’s human-centric interoperable solutions enable people to remotely supervise, assist, and drive vehicle fleets from up to thousands of miles away – including forklifts, robots, trucks, and more. By decoupling labor from location, the company increases labor access and retention, safety, productivity, and resilience across the supply chain. With Phantom, supply chain operators can tap into drivers from anywhere — connecting people who want to work with jobs that need to be filled. The company’s proprietary software delivers secure, low-latency communication over volatile wireless networks for reliable sensor streaming and safe vehicle control. For more information about Phantom, visit www.phantomauto.com.
