Analyst Insight: With the rise of e-commerce, higher customer expectations and skyrocketing transportation costs, the business case for automation has changed. It's not just about accuracy and labor savings anymore. It's also about the incremental revenue and competitive advantage that comes from improving customer service and better managing inventory. – Frank Jewell, Food & Beverage Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Analyst Insight: Next-day delivery is the new normal. And fulfillment windows are compressing even further as companies like Amazon continue to raise customer expectations. But companies wrestle with what level of service makes sense, and how to justify investments. It's not about making every process in the DC faster. It's a delicate balance of revenue gains and improved customer service against investment and operating costs. - Helgi Thor Leja, Industrial & Electrical Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Analyst Insight: Customers want orders faster and without additional shipping cost. And that's impacting how companies deploy inventory across their networks. In addition to defining the parts (SKU) mix and inventory levels needed to support service goals, you must consider how many distribution nodes you'll need and where to locate them. You must balance cost and service across several variables. And the decisions have ripple effects throughout your operations. - John Giangrande, Automotive Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Analyst Insight: Retailers are starting to use brick-and-mortar stores as distribution nodes, to connect demand with inventory in the most flexible and cost-effective way. Ship-from-store enables them to leverage their entire inventory for higher sales, better margins and improved service. It allows them to offer omnichannel customers access to a broader array of products, and helps to offset the impact of an imperfect forecast. - Adam Mullen, Apparel Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.