From the very beginning of development of the 787 family, Boeing said it would design the Dreamliner with the plan of eventually offering it in freighter configuration. The key word, of course, was "eventually."

A combination of rebounding sales and an unprecedented number of new models in the works has stretched the auto parts supply chain so taut that the entire industry is holding its collective breath that it does not snap and jeopardize the recovery.

Across industries, manufacturers pride themselves on quality but put top emphasis on reducing overall costs. And while these may seem like conflicting priorities, they can be explained by the concurrent demands of the internal economic drivers of an organization and the external customer requirements for quality and efficiency. As such, these priorities are here to stay, especially as the consumer becomes increasingly empowered and publicly vocal. In recent years, product quality and safety have become tightly integrated with traceability and supplier scorecards. But for manufacturers with foresight to proactively implement a comprehensive traceability system before a contamination problem occurs, there is an opportunity to provide their organizations with the ability to dramatically improve response time, implement corrective measures, and minimize repercussions to the bottom line and the brand, should a problem arise.

DHL has inaugurated its expanded hub for the Americas at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG) Airport.

There is an ancient proverb that says it is better to light a single candle than curse the darkness. For the materials handling world, however, not only should we not curse the darkness. it may finally be time to embrace it.