Brandon Page

From Grocery Innovator to Global Tech Enabler At Manifest 2026, Scott Luton spent time with David Scheffrahn, Vice President of Sales with Ocado Intelligent Automation, to explore how fulfillment technology is evolving in an era defined by volatility. While Ocado is widely known in the UK and Europe for its e-commerce grocery leadership, Scheffrahn explained that the company’s North American focus is different. Over 25 years of building its own advanced grocery e-commerce and fulfillment operations, Ocado developed a powerful technology stack to drive efficiency. “What we’ve done in the last five years,” he shared, “has taken the tech stack that we built for our own use, and now we’re offering it to other companies to buy and use for their operations.” Today, Ocado supports 3PLs and global brands with end-to-end automation solutions that enable companies to maintain greater control over their omnichannel fulfillment, especially those looking for alternatives to marketplace giants.   Volatility Hasn’t Gone Away When asked about dominant supply chain themes heading into 2026, Scheffrahn was direct: “Volatility has not gone away.” He described 2025 as “a massive shock in the system,” with tariffs and shifting trade policies forcing customers to pause projects and reassess strategy. “Almost…

In today’s complex supply chain landscape, effective transportation management is less an ambition than a necessity. As the logistics industry attempts to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, a dynamic regulatory environment, and ever-shifting market dynamics, the field of transportation management is working to keep pace with the constantly changing demands of a complex transportation sector. In hopes of better understanding what transportation management means in 2024, Supply Chain Now is partnering with innovative TMS provider RateLinx on an interesting research project: the TM Tech Survey 2024, which focuses on transportation management technology. But before we get there, let’s talk about why shippers in record numbers are demanding effective transportation management solutions. Three Reasons Shippers Require Effective Transportation Management According to an analysis from Gartner, the global TMS industry is expected to reach $2.11B by the end of 2024, a 60% increase from the industry’s value in 2019. It’s clear that today’s shippers, operating in a world plagued by volatility and disruption, understand the value of transportation management. This section looks at three key reasons why today’s shippers require effective transportation management. 1: Enhanced Operational Efficiency In 2024, transportation technology is indispensable for optimizing logistics operations. Today’s leading transportation management…