Alun Rafique

Warehousing historically hasn’t been a particularly exciting topic. But times have changed. Thanks to technological innovations, warehouse automation has made the receiving, housing, and distributing of goods truly fascinating stuff. At Supply Chain Now, we spotlight companies doing exciting things throughout the industry. In modern warehousing, the innovations garnering attention include systems integrations involving robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI); the use of optical character recognition (OCR) technology in yard management; an “elegant” automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS); and a solution called Chuck. Warehousing at a Crossroads: Innovation for Efficiency “The warehousing industry is experiencing a technological revolution, with advancements in automation, robotics, IoT, AI, and data analytics transforming operations and driving efficiency. These innovations are not just enhancing operational capabilities but are also paving the way for smarter, more connected, and efficient warehouse environments,” an October report by Taiwan-based logistics property developer ALP said. ALP said AS/RSs, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and robotics “are at the forefront of the smart warehousing revolution. These systems enhance efficiency, reduce labor costs, and improve accuracy.” AI and Robotics: A New Frontier for Modern Warehousing A Forbes Council post in November said that “one of the most visible impacts of AI and…

It’s safe to say supply chain podcasters won’t run out of things to talk about this year. With ever-evolving policies like the United States’ changing trade levies, experienced supply chain podcasts aren’t outlining podcasts, booking guests, or recording programs too far in advance. These days, material can be stale before it even airs! Trust Supply Chain Now to keep abreast of the very latest developments on the compliance and trade fronts to keep podcast listeners up to date. Tariffs: Keeping Up With Policy Shifts The United States’ trade relationships with many countries around the world have become rocky under the new Trump administration. At the time of writing, President Trump had imposed 25% tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico. Canada immediately responded March 4 with 25% tariffs on nearly $21 billion of U.S. goods, with levies on another $86 billion of American products promised by March 25. Two days later, Trump suspended the tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico and moved the implementation date to April 2. The president also increased the tariff on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%. China retaliated with 15% tariffs on U.S. chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton and 10% tariffs on…