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Warehouse Location Automation
If a robot told you where to go, would you listen? Choosing a domestic distribution site is a well-honed science with several schools of thought. Some supply chain practitioners favor the mega-DC approach, while others use retail locations to do double-duty as efulfillment centers. Other practices include a blended approach to match evolving customer demand.
Read More4 Reasons for the Warehouse Investment Boom
Right behind the frenzied investment in ChatGPT and related AI is an investment boomlet in distribution center and warehouse automation and robotics. Four convergent trends are at work here. 1. Driven by current economic challenges is the necessity to extract every ounce of ROI from each sale’s dependency on inventory and the infrastructure that supports […]
Read MoreRobots, Robots, Robots
Robots generated much of the excitement and glory at MHI’s recent ProMat exhibition in Chicago, especially the ones that walked on two feet. Bipedal humanoid robots are sexy and you can’t blame logistics pros for being intrigued by the possibilities. But robots with no legs are still doing most, if not all, of the real […]
Read MoreGettin’ Giggy With It
The gig economy’s impact on last-mile delivery and fulfillment expectations has not gone unnoticed by the retail and e-commerce behemoths. Acknowledging that impact, investment activity is spinning up this year. It seems odd but, despite finely tuned distribution systems, e-commerce leaders now feel they have to add to their “legacy” fulfillment infrastructure, technology, and expertise […]
Read MoreEducation: A Call to Action
A lot of transportation, logistics, and supply chain expertise is cycling out of day-to-day operations in the United States and it is worrisome.
Read More2023 Inventory… Too Much? Too Little?
Inventory. That was the theme unifying both attendees and exhibitors at the 2023 National Retail Federation (NRF) convention in New York City. More precisely, everyone I spoke to was interested in load balancing inventory to serve new retail fulfillment approaches striving to catch up with the blindingly fast evolution in consumer buying habits. For retail […]
Read MoreAttacks on Energy Attack You
Can you walk and chew gum at the same time? Leaders in the United States and globally cannot when it comes to balancing green energy initiatives with common sense energy requirements.
Read MoreRobots: Walmart Advances, Amazon Retreats
When faced with anticipated fall-off in consumer purchases, Walmart leans into new robotic solutions. The retailer also re-tasks existing store infrastructure by attaching market fulfillment centers (MFCs)—compact warehouses inside, or tacked onto, retail stores to help fulfill pickup or delivery orders. It gets inventory closer to the customer and amps delivery velocity to serve consumers […]
Read MoreShipping Containers: What Do the Cans Tell Us?
What can we learn from the movements of shipping containers, or cans? Plenty. Here’s how they provide clues about future global trading patterns.
Read MoreInflation Innovation Stagnation
Achieving demand-driven enterprise status would have been impossible without the innovative technology-driven processes brought to bear on how we source, ship, and fulfill product, all while meeting evolving customer needs and demands.
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