A recent study from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) on home buyer preferences found that a single-family detached home remains the first purchase option for two of every three buyers. Far smaller shares are looking to buy a townhome (16%), a multifamily home (10%), or a manufactured home (5%).
The manufacturing industry is undergoing a significant transformation thanks to the advancements in robotics and automation. While traditional industrial robots have played a crucial role in automating repetitive tasks, their large size, complex programming, and safety requirements have often restricted their practical application. Collaborative robots, also known as cobots, are revolutionizing the industry, bringing in a new age of human-robot collaboration in the factory setting.
Read AZO Robotics
In this article, two VPs from fasteners distributor and manufacturer Optimas Solutions discuss personally vetted supply chain management strategies for OEMs.
Read MDM
Everyone knows AI is the future of business, but how can distributors get the most out of it? The key, according to Digital Commerce 360’s Mark Brohan, is not thinking of AI as the “holy grail,” but rather a tool that can be applied to a company’s most pressing problems. In this Q&A, he talks about the disconnect between what companies say they are prioritizing with AI and what they are actually dedicating time, money and staff to.
This article discusses how a company’s Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) team could play a significant role in assessing, monitoring, and achieving the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.
Read Reuters Commentary
Major manufacturers may have taken a big early lead but their smaller competitors have been able to close the digital gap in recent years. As the vendor market for Industry 4.0 tools proliferated, price points came down, leading to a lower cost of entry for smaller manufacturers and distributors to get in the game for advanced technology. And given the agility and speed to enact change management that small and medium-sized business (SMBs) tend to have compared to larger firms, they’ve been able to close the digital gap.
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This post from Brian Hopkins explores why embracing AI, even cautiously, is a strategic move that will likely pay dividends down the line.
Annual expenditures for improvements and repairs to owner-occupied homes are projected to decrease this year and into the first quarter of 2025, but at a moderating rate, according to our latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA). The LIRA projects that annual owner spending for home renovations and maintenance will decline by over 7 percent in the third quarter of this year before easing to just -2.6 percent through the first quarter of 2025.
Read JCHS Blog
A new survey of 1,000 supply chain and logistics leaders from SaaS provider Descartes, titled What Are Companies Doing to Survive the Supply Chain and Logistics Workforce Challenge? found that 54% are focused on automating “non-value-added” and “repetitive tasks” with technology to improve worker productivity.
Read Chain Store Age
Pursuing further progress in workplace safety has led to integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) innovations. This amalgamation, despite potential risks as well, promises not only to drive injury rates even lower, but also enhance overall efficiency in manufacturing processes.
Read EHS Today
World Millwork Alliance (WMA) 54 TH Annual Convention & Tradeshow will hold its’ premier event at the Memphis Cook Convention Center from September 11-15, 2018. WMA will offer Veterans and Students complimentary access to the exhibit hall during Millwork Career Day on Friday, September 14, 2018 during the show hours of 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
WMA welcomes Veterans and Students to explore a career in the millwork industry. Learn from worldwide millwork professionals while viewing the finest millwork products. Meet with industry distributors and manufacturers about the opportunities in a millwork career.
Pre-registration for a name badge is available by completing a WMA Registration Form. Any local Student or Veteran who has pre-registered will pick up their complimentary “Expo – One Day Pass” with a valid student ID or Veteran ID at the WMA registration desk in the Memphis Cook Convention Center.
Veterans must show a Veteran’s Administration (VA) identification card to receive an “Expo-One Day Pass” and to gain entrance into the exhibit hall on Friday, September 14, 2018.
Students must show a valid Student photo I.D. card to receive an “Expo-One Day Pass” and to gain entrance into the exhibit hall on Friday, September 14, 2018.
Pre-registration is open until August 13, 2018; thereafter, registration is onsite at the WMA registration desk in the Memphis Cook Convention Center.
