Warehouse managers can plan for a lot of things. They can forecast seasonal demand, optimize inventory levels and redesign workflows to improve efficiency. But what they can't plan for is every unexpected disruption that occurs throughout a normal workday.

A robotic picking system can post an impressive pick rate and still leave your team handling too many exceptions. For fulfillment leaders, the real test is how much of your operation’s picking volume it can handle reliably. And whether that performance holds as products, packaging, and demand change.

RFID and machine vision are gaining momentum because they offer a practical, cost-effective path to automation. Unlike large-scale robotics projects that often require major facility redesigns and significant capital investment, RFID readers and AI-powered camera systems can typically be layered onto existing warehouse and manufacturing operations.

Great operational gains come through integrating RFID, machine vision and robotics into a coordinated operating model.

Scentsy is a global leader in fragrance products. As order volumes increased, SKUs expanded, and warehouse space became limited, manual operations could no longer keep pace. Scentsy partnered with Dematic to implement a future-ready solution combining AutoStore™ empowered by Dematic, intelligent software, and a pick-to-cart system to maximize storage capacity, optimize inventory flow, and accelerate e-commerce fulfillment.

Having both automated vehicles and human-operated forklifts within the same facility can cause problems if they're not properly managed, says Nicola Tomatis, CEO of Bluebotics.

Sean Stephens, business development exec with Lyngsoe Systems, and Steve Beck, senior sales manager with Zebra Technologies, break down five trends that are disrupting manufacturing and distribution.

Younger workers have little problem adopting the smart glasses, and their easy acceptance is motivating older colleagues to do the same, albeit a little more slowly.

Activewear retailer Fabletics turns to radio frequency identification to boost inventory accuracy, efficiency and store performance.