Analyst Insight: The need for speed, along with margin pressures, is causing food and beverage distributors to look for ways to achieve greater efficiencies in the warehouse. The continued growth of the "long tail" that are slow movers combined with a scarcity of available labor and the complexity of route-stop sequencing makes automation a good option. But to justify investments you have to look beyond the labor savings alone. – Frank Jewell, Food and Beverage Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

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.