The New Warehouse

I sat down with Kyle Bertin from Two Boxes and the data we discussed on product returns absolutely blew my mind. 🤯 We all know online shopping is huge, but the sheer volume of returns is growing faster than anyone predicted. The most fascinating part is how differently the generations handle it. 🤔 Millennials will spend an hour squinting at size guides and reading customer reviews just to avoid the hassle of mailing something back. 🤨 Gen Z is completely different. They've normalized treating their bedroom like a personal fitting room. Over half of them actively practice "bracketing," which means ordering the same item in three sizes fully planning to return two of them. Kyle pointed out that this isn't just a passing trend, it is a permanent shift in consumer behavior. Brands can't just fight the return rate anymore. They have to build a system that handles it seamlessly or they will lose those younger customers forever. Watch the clip to learn more about the growth in returns; the numbers may shock you! 😦

🚛 The system says your trailer is in spot B4. You walk outside, and the spot is completely empty. A. Ilhan Kolko from Aviro360 calls this "yard blindness," and it is still a massive issue for supply chain operations today. ��� I recently interviewed Ilhan to talk about the frustrating gap between what a yard management system records and what is physically happening outside the facility. When teams have to rely on radio calls and physical searches to find missing equipment, the entire operation slows down. I loved hearing his perspective on how businesses can finally close this gap and stop wasting time tracking down assets. Watch the clip below to hear more about yard blindness, and let me know in the comments how your team handles yard tracking.

There’s been an enormous investment in visibility inside the warehouse. But what about everything happening right outside it? On this episode of the podcast Kevin Lawton, CLTD talks with A. Ilhan Kolko, President and Managing Director at Aviro360, about what the company calls “yard blindness.” Their research found that while about 93% of logistics professionals have some type of system of record, almost 60% still lack complete yard visibility. That gap shows up in asset searches, gate congestion, stale inventory information, manual data entry, and ultimately slower decisions. Aviro360 is using computer vision and AI to change that. Ilhan shares how one site completed an inventory of 6,000 containers in just 59 minutes and why he believes the yard is becoming the next major frontier for automation. “I think we can really unlock this dormant capacity and add it back to our supply chain.” Listen to the full conversation to hear how better yard visibility can improve throughput, reduce manual work, and uncover capacity that operations may already have. https://lnkd.in/dC8GxcwJ

🛑 Tired of warehouse bottlenecks slowing your team down? You need operations that just work, so you can focus on actually growing your business. 📦 At Toyota Automated Logistics, they know that installing new tech is only half the battle. Your biggest priority is keeping things moving without a hitch, and that is their exact focus. They don't just hand over a system and walk away; they build solutions tailored completely around your daily challenges. From day-one design to 24/7 support, preventive maintenance, and team training, their success is measured entirely by your uptime and peace of mind. Let’s eliminate the stress in your supply chain together. 🤝

What if one AI foundation could power any robot on your floor? 🤖🧠 I recently sat down with Mason C. from Sereact to talk about their game-changing philosophy: “One Brain. Any Robot.” 🤖 We got into the fascinating story of how Sereact was built to tackle real-world warehouse chaos, and why their AI vision system, Lens, was the critical missing piece. 🔍 🔎 Lens acts as the "eyes," allowing their universal brain to actually see, reason, and adapt to reality. If you’re curious about the future of physical AI, Mason C.'s breakdown is a must-watch. Catch the clip from our interview below! 👇

Warehouse automation has always liked predictability. Unfortunately, warehouses rarely cooperate. On the latest episode of the podcast, Mason C. of Sereact explains why physical AI could change what we can automate. One comment really stood out: “Start with your biggest operational problems, not the desire to implement a technology, right?” We get into zero-shot picking, AI-powered vision, returns automation, and robotic systems that can adapt when the product or environment changes. Sereact says its technology has already completed more than one billion production picks, with pick-and-place systems capable of 650+ units per hour from a single station. But the bigger conversation is about how warehouse leaders should evaluate all this new technology. 🤖 Don’t start with the flashy robot. 🤖 Start with the operation. 🤖 Test with your actual products. 🤖 Measure sustained performance, not demo performance. 🤖 Then build for scale. Tune in to hear Mason’s perspective on where physical AI is headed and where it can create real value inside the warehouse. https://lnkd.in/gw4rzfYW

Everyone talks about how AI and robots are taking over the supply chain. That might be true for retail, but the chemical sector is living in a totally different reality. Handling hazardous materials requires strict safety protocols, making automation incredibly difficult to implement. Because of this, chemical logistics is still trailing far behind other industries when it comes to modern tech. Richard Heath, President and CEO of TALKE, recently unpacked exactly why this gap exists and how the industry can finally start catching up. Watch the clip below to hear his take on the urgent need for automation in chemical warehousing. His insights completely change the way you look at industrial logistics.

Toyota Material Handling North America completely redesigned their latest forklift model from the ground up, placing operator comfort right at the center. Since the forklift cab is effectively an operator’s daily office, prioritizing ergonomics, clear visibility, and safety keeps teams comfortable and productive throughout long shifts. Even better, this next-gen electric model embraces a hybrid operational model—run it manually with a driver during peak day shifts, and switch to autonomous mode at night to overcome labor shortages. Watch the full episode to find out more: https://lnkd.in/giiMDG4v

Ever wonder what it actually takes to build the warehouse of the future? 🤖📦 It turns out, the industry might be overcomplicating it. Brightpick CEO Jan Zizka explains why the secret to scaling automation isn't building more complex physical robots, but making them infinitely smarter with AI. If you're in supply chain, e-commerce, or just love practical tech innovation, you need to hear this perspective. Watch the full clip below to see how AI is quietly changing the game. 👇