Top 10 Supply Chain Innovations of 2017

Dec. 12, 2017
Our salute to the best advancements in supply chain technology, processes and labor management from 2017.

With all the natural disasters, political posturings and sexual harassment revelations dominating the news cycle of the past year, we sure could use some good news, and that’s exactly what we’ve got for you—the 2017 MH&L Innovation Awards. This is our annual salute to the best in people, processes and technology within the supply chain arena.

In the pages that follow, you’ll find our personal choice for the most interesting, impactful, game-changing, subversive, or mind-bending technologies and developments that were announced over the past 12 months in one or more of the various MH&L channels—our website, newsletters or social media channels.

We think you’ll enjoy this year-end recap of supply chain innovations and best practices. And here’s to hoping that 2018 results in even more significant advancements in the state of warehousing and transportation technology.

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

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.

About the Author

Dave Blanchard | Senior Director of Content

During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. He also serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.