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With the growth of e-commerce, organizations have been giving more attention to their reverse logistics process. In most cases, items can be refurbished, repaired, or resold once returned by the customer. One exception to this is pharmaceuticals.
Organizations are beginning to see reverse logistics as an untapped source of revenue, and a vehicle for driving increased sustainability goals.
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WIXOM, MI, August 2025 — ISD has launched OneTouchDistribution, a cutting-edge automation system designed to optimize order fulfillment for case, split-case, and pallet operations. By integrating state-of-the-art storage, retrieval, transportation and processing technologies, the system minimizes labor requirements, enhances accuracy, and maximizes facility space utilization.OneTouchDistribution provides a comprehensive approach to warehouse automation, offering a seamless process from inbound receipt to outbound fulfillment. The system significantly reduces labor requirements by automating receiving, storage and order processing.By leveraging advanced tracking and sequencing, OneTouchDistribution ensures 99.9% percent pick and inventory accuracy while maintaining high throughput, even during peak demand periods. The system’s high-density design allows for the storage of hundreds of thousands of cases or split-case products in a compact footprint, making it an ideal solution for facilities looking to maximize operational efficiency without expanding their physical space."OneTouchDistribution was designed with flexibility and agility at its core," said Ed Romaine, VP of Marketing at ISD. "Every operation has unique challenges, and our system adapts to those needs… whether handling cases, split-cases, or pallets. It allows businesses to scale seamlessly, adjust to shifting demand, and optimize order fulfillment without disruptions. This level of adaptability ensures our clients maintain efficiency, accuracy, and speed, even in the most dynamic distribution environments."The system automates inbound processing by receiving products through lift trucks, autonomous mobile robots, humanoids or Cobots. Once received, items are scanned, recorded, and directed into an automated storage and retrieval system that organizes and tracks each product in real time.Orders are processed based on specific sequencing and fulfillment requirements, ensuring that inventory is retrieved in the optimal sequence for downstream operations. Retrieved products are sent to fully automated or semi-automated picking stations, where they are either picked and sent to a cartonizing area for split-case processing, directly routed to a sorter for case picking or delivered to palletizing and/or an outbound staging area for final shipping.OneTouchDistribution is designed to support a wide range of industries, including food service, ecommerce, pharmaceuticals, industrial distribution, reverse logistics and third-party logistics. Its scalable architecture allows for phased implementation, enabling businesses to integrate automation at their own pace while maintaining ongoing operations.The system’s ability to handle full-case, split-case and pallet orders within a single platform adds to its versatility, making it a viable solution for distribution centers with diverse fulfillment requirements.The system also offers flexibility in order sequencing, allowing products to be picked and processed in a precise order based on weight, fragility, delivery requirements, order cut-off times, and customer preferences. Automated scanning and labeling ensure complete validation before orders leave the facility, reducing errors and increasing efficiency. Likewise, document printers and inserters can be easily integrated into the OneTouchDistribution system for increased revenue generation and reduced labor.With a focus on space optimization, the system minimizes wasted storage areas and maximizes available cubic space, creating a more efficient and cost-effective distribution process.About Integrated Systems Design - ISDIntegrated Systems Design is a comprehensive systems integrator of automated solutions for warehouses, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and wholesale applications, improving processes and productivity while reducing operational costs. Whether providing consulting services to meet current issues or developing future scalable plans to address industry challenges, ISD creates value for a broad range of industries by tailoring systems to clients' specific requirements.ISD expertise ranges from handling, storing, and picking pieces (eaches), cases, pallets, build lines, and special or custom handling solutions. Products and services include automatic storage and retrieval (ASRS), AMR, conveyor, robotics, batch stations, shuttles, pick-to-light, carousels, vertical lift modules (VLMs), controls, and software (including inventory management, WCS, WMS, and MES).ContactEd RomaineVP Marketing & Business Development215-512-2613
COLUMBUS, Ind. (October 11, 2022) - Toyota Material Handling (TMH), North America’s leading manufacturer of forklifts and warehousing solutions, has launched an updated version of Toyota 3-Wheel Electric Forklift. The update adds new features and technology to the top-selling forklift in the segment. The updates have raised the standard on innovation and versatility with more than 30 advances, including improved ergonomics, operator assist features, and onboard programming and diagnostics. “The current Toyota 3-Wheel forklift is already a fantastic truck, and with new features and options, we believe it can solve our customers’ evolving problems and continue to be the forklift of choice for a wide variety of warehousing applications,” said Tony Miller, Senior Vice President of Operations, Engineering & Strategic Planning. “The enhancements to the 3-Wheel Forklift will enable operators to be even more productive over the life of the vehicle with a lower cost of ownership.” Smooth, responsive controls are part of the improved ergonomics that make operating the forklift easier. The 4.3-inch high-resolution display gives the operator access to controls and information in a highly readable format. The premium full-suspension seat is wider with no hip restraints and is weight adjustable for greater operator comfort. The EZ Fingertip Control option allows each function to be operated with a single finger or thumb, minimizing unnecessary movement. Operators will appreciate the optional rear-assist grip with a horn that makes reverse travel more comfortable and provides easy access for frequent reverse moves. The 100 percent onboard programming and diagnostics allow application-specific fine-tuning and faster service for reliable, productivity-enhancing performance. Other reliability and operating improvements include wet disc brakes that seal out debris and keep brakes cool. The auto parking brake automatically applies anytime the truck is turned off or the operator leaves the seat. It enhances operator control by being turned off with the quick push of a button. Automatic Mast Control (AMC) responds automatically to enhance the stability of loads, and the mast cushioning feature reduces wear and tear on the mast. Base features include 3,000-4,000 lb. capacity, an AC drive motor and industry-leading travel times. Energy-efficient improvements offer 40 percent longer run time on a single charge. A slope-sensing auto power mode automatically switches power mode to maintain speed while traveling up a slope. An optional Toyota Lithium-Ion battery minimizes maintenance costs and downtime for improved productivity. The updated Toyota 3-Wheel Electric Forklift offers the optional SEnS+ pedestrian detection technology feature - part of the Toyota Assist portfolio of operator enhancements that passively or actively assists customers with operability, productivity, and situational awareness. Learn more about the power, productivity, and versatility of the new Toyota 3-Wheel Forklift and Toyota Material Handling’s growing lineup of electric forklifts at ToyotaForklift.com. About Toyota Material Handling Toyota Material Handling offers material handling products and solutions, including forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, pallet jacks, container handlers, automated guided vehicles, and tow tractors, along with aerial work platforms, fleet management services, and advanced automation engineering and design. Toyota’s commitment to quality, reliability and customer satisfaction, the hallmark of the Toyota Production System, extends throughout more than 230 locations across North America. With access to an industry-leading lineup of material handling products, Toyota dealers are uniquely positioned to help solve wide-ranging challenges in warehousing and distribution. Built for every application, Toyota can provide the most complete set of solutions for material handling, automation, energy, advanced logistics, and warehouse optimization. For more information or to learn more, visit ToyotaForklift.com. Contact Lisa Van Hook The Communications Group 501-425-8092 Lvanhook@comgroup.com Justin Albers Toyota Material Handling 812-350-9739 Justin.Albers@toyotatmh.com
MHI’s Board of Governors and Roundtable Advisory Committee recently released their top business trends impacting the supply chain industry. In an age marked by persistent disruptions, swift digitization, and escalating consumer expectations, traditional approaches to supply chain management may fall significantly short. From leveraging the potential of data and AI to constructing agile and resilient networks, these 11 trends will impact operational performance for years to come. Supply Chain Resiliency As disruption becomes the norm, supply chains must anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to risk, uncertainty, disruption, and changing customer demands. Supply chain resiliency will require simplification and near shoring, and a variety of new capabilities and digital technologies including software, automation, robotics, AI, IoT, and advanced analytics. Additionally, a skilled workforce is essential as human workers collaborate and work alongside automation and digital technologies. A diversified and collaborative supplier base is also essential to build the visibility and redundancies necessary to quickly adapt to disruption. Geopolitical Risks and Reshoring Ongoing geopolitical tensions such as the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine conflicts will persist in causing disruptions to supply chains. Consequently, an increasing number of organizations will adopt streamlined networks through practices like nearshoring and friend-shoring. Today’s political landscape can be complex and polarizing, and business leaders should carefully approach the topics when interacting with customers and employees in addition to monitoring impacts on product sourcing, delivery times, and shipping costs. Supply Chain Workforce Developing and maintaining a desirable workplace culture continues to be important to supply chain leaders while navigating remote work, workplace flexibility, and constant change in the workplace environment. The workforce shortage has made hiring, retaining, and managing supply chain talent a key priority. The shift in demographics, aging workforce, worker wealth creation, remote work opportunities, perception issues, near shoring, and other drivers of this shortage are driving the importance of succession planning at all levels of the organization to minimize negative impacts to customer relationships and financial results. Organizations must put their human workers at the center of their supply chain operations and any new technology implementation. Investments in people through new talent pools, training and development on the latest technologies will be essential and will create a culture of innovation for future success. Sustainability Sustainability is beyond the inflection point and large multi-nationals, Europe, and California are leading the demand for compliance from suppliers and could implement non-compliance fines and penalties in the future. Major organizations have set Net Zero goals and are asking their suppliers to help them in these efforts. This, along with mounting environmental expectations from consumers, employees, investors, governments, and regulators is prompting a growing emphasis on sustainability. This necessitates collaboration with suppliers and partners, the adoption of new technologies, employee education, Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG measurement and target setting, identifying areas for improvement, and reporting. As the focus is turning toward compliance, companies need to have sustainability plans in place. Transparency and Visibility The lack of transparency across the tiers of a supply chain is a significant challenge for organizations, especially in meeting visibility and regulatory standards, and in managing supply chain risks. Gaining visibility beyond Tier 1 empowers organizations to look across the entire ecosystem to build deeper insights into root causes of disruption and identify risks further down the chain. This also advances ESG goals and customer concerns regarding traceability and transparency. Pace of Automation & Robotics Adoption The convergence of workforce shortages, reshoring trends, efficiency improvements , and AI advancements have driven the adoption of automation and robotics and put it as a focus of the C-suite agendas. Robotics adoption is also creating opportunities for upskilling technical talent and fueling the advancement of collaborative robots (cobots) in the workplace. Supply chain leaders can no longer afford to overlook the potential of these solutions to enhance operational productivity, reduce costs, and foster innovation. Advanced Analytics An ongoing challenge for supply chains is managing data effectively. Every day, numerous data records are generated from various systems throughout a company’s supply chain, thanks to the widespread use of digital technologies, sensors, IoT devices, and advanced tracking systems. This abundance of data has contributed to the emergence of isolated data silos within organizations, resulting in disconnected datasets and unactionable data. Without actionable data, organizations lack the comprehensive view of their operations that is necessary to quickly respond to disruptions, mitigate risk, and improve performance. Artificial Intelligence and Simulation Generative AI (GenAI) is capable of fundamentally transforming supply chains. Applications driven by GenAI can handle significantly larger datasets compared to earlier machine learning models, enabling the analysis of intricately complex variables. Additionally, GenAI can autonomously learn and adapt to the specific nuances of a company's supply chain ecosystem, continuously refining and enhancing its analytical capabilities and performance. Organizations should learn how AI can be properly implemented to improve their operations. Paired with advancements in AI, Digital Twins produce evolving profiles of an asset or process and capture insights on performance across the facility lifecycle (process design, operations, and maintenance). The use of digital twins is becoming more prevalent and a necessary customer expectation to optimize processes mitigate costs, scenario planning, and increase throughput modeling. Protecting intellectual property is important with Digital Twin modeling and can result in better collaboration between customers and suppliers Cybersecurity The alarming increase in cybercrime is leading to more data breaches, delays and shortages, reputational damage, compliance issues, safety risks, and financial loss. Cybercrime is now being perpetrated by very sophisticated criminal organizations. Cybercriminals can target any entry or access point in the supply chain, driving the need for cybersecurity to be a concern for organizations and supply chains of all sizes. Organizations must safeguard their operations by staying current on best practices while investing in cybersecurity solutions and training. Impact of E-commerce on Transportation and Last Mile Logistics With the convenience and popularity of online ordering, consumers of all ages continue to fuel the growth of e-commerce, especially in the categories of grocery, healthcare, and pharmaceutical. The resulting impact on distribution centers, fulfillment facilities, and equipment, labor, technology, final mile, reverse logistics and the environment is driving the adoption of automation, robotics, and digital technologies to meet the need for speed and accuracy for e-commerce deliveries and reverse logistics. Optimizing new developments in last mile logistics solutions offer variable delivery and pickup options for e-commerce orders. Economy Economic and inflationary pressures on goods and services are impacting the supply chain, increasing pressure on margins, impacting product costs, timeline of PO to delivery, reimagining contracts, and negotiation practices. Leaders will need more macro data with deeper layers to see how the economy is impacting their businesses, by creating forecasting and outlook reports for strategic decisions. Expertise to provide forecasting tools and techniques will be in demand. To learn more about MHI Leadership, visit mhi.org/leadership. To learn more about the trends impacting supply chains, make plans to attend MODEX, March 11-14 in Atlanta, GA. Complimentary registration is available at modexshow.com. About MHI MHI is an international trade association that has represented the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry since 1945. MHI’s over 970 members include material handling and logistics equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers and third-party logistics providers. MHI offers education, networking and solution sourcing for their members, their members’ customers and the industry as a whole through programming and events. The association sponsors the ProMat and MODEX exhibitions to showcase the products and services of its member companies and to educate manufacturing and supply chain professionals. The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) is a division of MHI and provides education and research to the warehousing, distribution, and logistics community About MODEX MODEX 2024 will be held March 11-14 in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center. Over 1,200 exhibitors will showcase their solutions on MODEX’s show floor totaling over 579,000 square feet of manufacturing and supply chain solutions. MODEX exhibits will represent all segments of the material handling and supply chain logistics industry, from traditional, manual equipment to computerized, automated systems, e-comm fulfillment and last mile logistics. MODEX 2024 will also feature a comprehensive educational conference including keynotes and show floor educational seminars led by industry experts and leading authorities. For more information on exhibiting or attending MODEX, visit www.modexshow.com.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – March 13, 2023 – MobileDemand, provider of rugged tablets, cases and all-in-one mobile computing solutions for enterprise productivity, today announced it will be unveiling the new, modern Bluetooth xScale S200 and previewing xDIM™ Mobile pallet and irregular item dimensioning software at ProMat 2023 in Chicago, March 20-23. “We are excited to expand the capabilities of xDIM Mobile Dimensioning with new features including irregular and pallet dimensioning as well as introduce our new smart xScale S200,” said Matt Miller, MobileDemand President and CTO “There is an urgent need in the market for mobile capturing of dimensions and weights, indicated by the frequent customer requests we receive for pallet and irregular item mobile dimensioning, and we are pleased to offer this highly sought after solution.” xDIM Mobile Dimensioning xDIM Mobile Dimensioning (xDIM), powered by 4DMobile, is a software application used on rugged tablets with an Intel® RealSense™ 3D camera that quickly and accurately captures dimensions with a simple point-and-click. The mobile, easy-to-use, point-and-click solution helps companies: • Easily and quickly gather accurate dimensions and weight to avoid charges from inaccurate data enabling shipping departments to make intelligent decisions on boxes too large for parcel systems that should go as freight. • Increase efficiency by collecting product item information, including dimensions and dim weight, scale weight, photos, barcode and RFID data with a single software application. • Optimize space by improving storage utilization in distribution centers, warehouses, delivery vehicles and truck trailers. • Streamline the reverse logistics process by determining the dimensions of a box for a returned product that arrived in damaged or unusable packaging at the point of receiving. Currently on the market are the xDIM small and large box mobile dimensioning versions. • Corner Method for Small to Medium Boxes: The standard version of xDIM captures box dimensions from 3-inches to 4-feet (48-inches) by pointing the tablet at the corner of a box. The corner method is certified by NTEP (an independent third-party certification by the National Council of Weights and Measures) as Legal for Trade. The certification ensures dimensions are accurate and reliable, meaning xDIM can legally be used for selling, purchasing, exchange, custody transfer, or establishing the cost for services or hiring on the basis of a measurement. xDIM provides dimensions within a half inch (0.5-inch) accuracy of the box’s true dimensions. • 2-Step for Large Box: For those needing dimensions for large boxes such as televisions, appliances and furniture, xDIM offers an upgrade for large boxes up to 8-feet (96-inches). With the 2-Stepmethod, the tablet is pointed at the front of the box then the side of the box. The software then calculates the dimensions in just seconds. At ProMat, MobileDemand will provide a sneak peek of the newest xDIM features: mobile dimensioning of pallets and irregular items, also known as uglies. • Irregulars: MobileDemand will be giving a preview of the soon to launch xDIM for irregular items and other non-cuboidal objects. This version captures dimensions via an innovative bounding box outline of an item and can combine multiple objects into a single bounding box. Ideal for companies needing dimensions of padded envelopes and other non-box items or companies needing to determine accurate box size for objects such as furniture. • Pallets: xDIM for pallets will also be previewed at ProMat. The revolutionary software captures dimensions of standard, cuboid shaped and mixed pallets in seconds. The xDIM software interface includes options to include or exclude the pallet from payload measurements as well as preselection of pallet sizes. Each method offers the same core benefits: Mobility and convenience for frontline workers in warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities resulting in time savings, easier data management and improved data accuracy for smarter operations. xDIM irregular and pallet dimensioning expected availability is late Q2, 2023. Patents pending. xScale S200 The breakthrough xScale S200 is a completely portable, Bluetooth smart scale that can be used wherever items need to be weighed. Its lightweight, compact form, designed for personal portability, opens to an innovative Y-shape on which items are placed for weighing. The collapsible arms make it easy to carry and use, with a belt holster available to work hands free, ensuring the scale is conveniently available wherever it’s needed. The fully mobile, wireless solution enables workers to easily move with the scale throughout a facility and measure item weight without having to continually return to a stationary scale, saving substantial time. Collected weight data for shipping and warehouse management systems is quickly captured by the xScale S200 and available via Bluetooth connection to a tablet or smart phone. The rechargeable battery last for 72-hours, ensuring it will easily last through multiple shifts. The xScale S200 can be used as a stand-alone device, integrated into line-of-business applications, or as part of xDIM to collect all pertinent product data. All xDIM versions as well as the xScale S200 will be featured at ProMat in MobileDemand booth S4279, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, March 20 – 23, 2023. About MobileDemand MobileDemand is a technology leader in rugged tablets and mobile computing solutions, committed to bringing more functionality and capabilities to the mobile workforce. Specializing in the design of integrated productivity tools for barcode scanning, point-of-sale, magnetic stripe reading, PIN pad entry, 3D and thermal imaging, dimension measurement, and mounting hardware for myriad on-the-go applications, the company is driving the future of mobile productivity. MIL-STD-810G certified, rugged protection features of cases and accessories empower organizations to get more done in the field with rugged tablets that withstand drops, dust, water, humidity and adverse conditions where unprotected electronics fail. Since 2003, the Iowa, USA-based company has grown to serve more than 40 countries. To learn more and contact MobileDemand, visit ruggedtabletpc.com. About 4DMobile Founded in 2016 by Matt Miller, 4DMobile, a companion company of MobileDemand, develops software with a mission to elevate workforce productivity and optimize space with innovative and convenient computer vision and mobile applications. Learn more at 4dmobilesoft.com. Contact Kristy Stern Director of Marketing MobileDemand kstern@mobiledeman.com
By carefully analyzing the supply chain, businesses can identify areas of improvement & implement measures to streamline shipping.