The first draft of a proposed roadmap for the future of material handling and logistics was released today by the industry organization MHI, formerly known as the Material Handling Industry of America.

The Roadmap, according to MHI, is to help the industry develop action plans to address needed capabilities in material handling and logistics through 2025. The Roadmap is published at MHLroadmap.org.

Kevin Gue, associate professor of industrial engineering at Auburn University, is coordinating the review and comment process. MHI will accept public comment until Oct. 15.

"Industry members should be interested because there are some contentious issues in the document, and we want every point of view represented," Gue said in a statement.

The initial draft was built upon suggestions from more than 100 participants in four roundtable events conducted by MHI earlier this year. Joining Gue in preparing the first draft were Elif Akcali, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Florida; Alan Erera, associate professor in the school of industrial systems engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology; and William Ferrell, professor and associate dean of the department of industrial engineering at Clemson University.

DC Velocity and its sister publication, CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly, are publication partners in the Roadmap project.