As retailers continue to compete with e-commerce, they remain challenged in optimizing the use of in-store inventory as available to fulfill. The emergence of safe, mobile robots will help retailers to make better use of in-store inventory, while also enhancing the customer experience. Robots in the store will soon be used to not only handle product but to engage with the customer to improve customer service. -John Santagate, Research Director, IDC

Amazon is the great disruptor, in part because innovation is built into their culture. It’s in their DNA to try new things knowing some of them will fail, and they are experimenting and learning all the time. This cycle of innovation has enabled them to disrupt retail by raising customer expectations – anticipating what customers want and responding with new products and services before anyone else. Amazon is resetting customer expectations around convenience, speed, price and selection. -Robert Dold, Retail Industry Leader, Fortna

The Warehousing Education and Research Council's annual benchmarking study, DC Measures, shows a majority of respondents believe they are performing better than their competitors. This perception gap is common for warehouse managers, especially when using metrics to improve performance. To bridge the difference between perception and reality, we have to understand the basics and go back to school on metrics. Joe Tillman, Founder TSquared Logistics

Reality, as we know, can be virtual. It can also be augmented.

The ability to work and manage your supply chain in real time is all about having access to the right data. Customer expectations have changed and, delivery commitments are now next day, or next hour – customers expect full visibility into the status of their shipment through all phases of the supply chain.