Chetrice Mosely-Romero

Zebra Robotics Automation is revitalizing AMR-assisted picking to optimize fulfillment efficiency and productivity with up to 30% fewer robots need in comparison to legacy systems. Their innovative approach can help significantly lower your cost per unit by combining workers and robots into a streamlined partnership that increases throughput without sacrificing performance rates, accuracy or reliability. Maximize AMR-assisted picking efficiency with Zebra’s three-fold strategy: Balanced Utilization: Use low-cost carts for buffering instead of extra robots or labor, reducing costs. Increased Capacity: Carts boost pick density and eliminate AMR wait times, handling 150-300% more items while cutting robot needs by up to 30%. Optimized Workflows: Seamless coordination ensures every picker and robot stays productive—no idle time, no wasted effort.   Download the “Unlocking Fulfillment Potential” eBook here to learn more  

Special Guest Blog Post written by Bernadine Henderson Ms. Henderson, senior director of procurement at Protolabs, lifts the lid on buying in manufacturing and why relationships are central to it.   Simply put, the job of a buyer is really about buying the right thing at the right time for the right price. It sounds simple, but it really is very complicated because everything that’s going on in the world impacts the timing, the availability, and the price of the product. This means that buying has recently got a lot more complicated. World events have very real consequences on global supply chains. Just one example is the way in which buyers have responded to tariffs in the U.S. by re-routing sourcing locations. It takes a certain amount of agility to be a buyer in 2025, and this quick responsiveness is helped along by one key ingredient, and that is strong relationships with suppliers. Relationships Built on Trust A widely held misconception is that buyers are only interested in getting to the lowest price possible. In fact, the most important thing to a buyer is for suppliers to bring solutions that deliver overall value. In my experience, a really strong supplier…