Dematic, a supplier of automated technology, software and services for logistics and material handling for e-commerce, apparel, retail and general-merchandise supply chains, has agreed to acquire Reddwerks Corp., a vendor of warehouse execution software.

The "lights-out warehouse" is a little like Bigfoot: a mythical idea everyone in the material handling industry has heard about but few have actually seen. It's been a buzzword for years, yet just a handful of companies have made the leap to a fully automated distribution center, despite abundant indications that it would increase efficiency and profit margins.