The world's largest designer and retailer of maternity apparel saw the need to revamp its warehouse and fulfillment systems to reflect the modern-day needs of omnichannel customers. A brand new, automated facility was the result.

Emerson Healthcare teams with logistics service provider Geodis to level the playing field for its roster of small to medium-sized manufacturers. The program makes it possible for them to compete with big suppliers for space on retail shelves.

Meeting mandates to protect the pharmaceutical supply chain from counterfeit drugs is no easy task, but Johnson & Johnson Supply Chain has found a way to do so well before U.S. legislation kicks in and while reining in costs.

With 2016 coming to a close, it's time for another helping of supply-chain predictions for the year ahead, courtesy of the San Francisco Roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.

When Skechers started building a colossal distribution center in Moreno Valley six years ago, backers promised a wave of new jobs. Instead, by the time the company moved to the Moreno Valley, it had closed five facilities in Ontario that employed 1,200 people and cut its workforce by more than half. Today, spotting a human on the premises can feel like an accomplishment.When Skechers started building a colossal distribution center in Moreno Valley six years ago, backers promised a wave of new jobs. Instead, by the time the company moved to the Moreno Valley, it had closed five facilities in Ontario that employed 1,200 people and cut its workforce by more than half. Today, spotting a human on the premises can feel like an accomplishment.

Online retail continues to grow at a rapid rate, with a 14.6-percent increase in the category in 2015, totaling $341.7bn. That has major implications for warehouse optimization.

Ocado, an online-only grocer and retail solution provider, has developed a 4G-based protocol to communicate with the thousands of robots powering its new automated warehouses. These highly-automated warehouses will be offered as part of a managed service called the Ocado Smart Platform which enables international partners to build scalable, sustainable and profitable online retail businesses, the company says.

For retailers and distribution centers, the traditional method for coping with the chaos of the Christmas buying season has been to throw more bodies at the problem. But what if robots could do a better job of handling the surge of activity?