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.

Fulfilled by Staples’ commitment to Chagrinovations’ ever-evolving needs was the difference between a supposedly undersized company not worth adding to a vendor list and a rapidly growing one in high demand.

Brands that forecast accurately and manufacture sufficient inventory can still underperform if they cannot convert finished goods into channel-ready inventory fast enough.

Aftermarket parts distributors face a unique set of fulfillment challenges. SKU counts continue to grow, demand can change without warning, and customers often need parts quickly to restore critical equipment. At the same time, distributors must maintain accuracy, control costs, and operate with limited labor.

Technology is enabling businesses to model different scenarios, respond faster to disruption and make more informed decisions.

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.

A case study with Dan Perella, CEO at Chagrinovations and co-founder and managing director of Brands to Retail, and Chris James, senior director of fulfillment operations at Fulfilled by Staples.

Supply chains are under increasing pressure to handle higher volumes, tighter delivery expectations, and more complex flows with fewer resources and less tolerance for error. This article explores five key trends shaping the shift from basic operational visibility to measurable business value.

For years, supply chain organizations approached demand forecasting by looking backward, with historical sales trends, seasonal cycles and prior purchasing behavior forming the foundation for most planning decisions. But in an environment shaped by geopolitical instability, tariffs and volatile consumer demand, many organizations are realizing that the forecasting models of the past simply can’t keep up with the disruptions of today.