Bart Verbruggen

Last month, we launched Between the Lines, our Supply Chain Now book club, with a simple idea: the best leaders don’t just consume headlines, they read deeply, think critically, and stay curious. The response to our first edition reminded us how powerful shared learning can be! This month, we’re building on that momentum with fresh selections designed to challenge perspectives, spark new ideas, and strengthen the way we think, innovate, and navigate an ever-evolving global landscape.   Check out a few of the selections the Supply Chain Now team recommends from February 2026:   Scott Luton: The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis from Citrini Research Imagine a short-term future where the very technology we hail as humanity’s next great productivity engine becomes essentially the source of a global economic crisis. “The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis” from Citrini Research is a thought experiment that projects just such a scenario: by 2028, rapid and widespread AI adoption has supercharged productivity yet hollowed out the consumer economy, driving unemployment above 10% and triggering a deep market downturn as traditional spending collapses despite booming output. In this speculative, but unsettling, framework, AI doesn’t fail, it succeeds so overwhelmingly that the economy it was meant to…

At MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, Scott Luton caught up with Mike Harris, VP of OMRS at Ocado Intelligent Automation, to explore how robotics, software, and evolving customer expectations are reshaping modern warehouse operations. While robots may grab the spotlight, Harris makes it clear: the real value lies beneath the surface, as in the intelligence that powers them.   Rising Expectations and the Cost-to-Serve Challenge Warehouse operators are under increasing pressure from both ends of the supply chain. Costs continue to climb, while customer expectations are rising just as quickly. “Cost to serve is continuing to increase and customers expect things faster and completely accurate” Harris explains. This dynamic creates a constant balancing act. Organizations must improve speed and accuracy while controlling costs, a challenge that requires more than incremental improvements. It demands smarter, more adaptive systems.   Flexibility and Long-Term Thinking Take Center Stage In today’s volatile environment, Harris sees a clear shift in how companies approach automation investments. “We’re finding that customers are looking to invest in technologies and partners that they want to stay with for a while,” he notes. Rather than chasing one-off solutions, organizations are prioritizing long-term partnerships and scalable platforms that can evolve with their…