David Burton

Uncertainty Is the New Baseline At Manifest 2026, Scott Luton spoke with Romain Moulin, CEO and co-founder of Exotec, to discuss how warehouse automation is evolving in an era defined by volatility. “The big trend of last year was uncertainty,” Romain said, reflecting on 2025’s tariffs, economic tensions, and shifting trade dynamics. “Anything that would be done needed to deal with uncertainty.” Rather than waiting for stability, companies are designing operations that assume change is constant. “Anything that is going on now must be projects that are able to reorganize themselves,” he explained. Warehouses must be robust, agile and flexible as to whatever the next disruption brings.   From Conveyors to Configurable Robotics Exotec is known for inventing 3D warehouse robots (Skypods) that move across the floor and climb racks up to 14 meters (46 feet) to retrieve totes and deliver them to operators. But beyond the visual wow factor, the real transformation is simplification. “The time of bespoke complex warehouses tailored to a very specific need is over,” Romain said. Customers are moving toward more generic, adaptable warehouses. Exotec replaces hardware complexity with intelligent software. “We don’t program the solution,” he noted. “We let the software find the best…

Special Guest Blog Post from e2open From demand sensing to dynamic allocation, here’s how leaders turn peak season logistics into profit   Call it Q4, The Golden Quarter, or Peak Season—it’s the 100-day sprint through fall and winter holidays where profits soar, plans tighten, and one slip leaves you scrambling through January. Across peak season logistics, most companies obsess over outbound speed. Yet the real winners are brands that master inbound logistics flow months earlier. Getting the right inventory to the right locations isn’t glamorous, but it’s where the margins live. Every peak season playbook demands strategic evolution. Rerun last year’s strategy this quarter and you’ll sink—unless you’ve built sophisticated inbound logistics capabilities, airtight supplier partnerships, and precise forecasting to anticipate market shifts. With the right strategy, you can stride into the Golden Quarter. That means: Smarter forecasting that detects demand shifts before they hit Sharper allocation that puts inventory exactly where it’s needed Replenishment planning that maintains flow under pressure On Time in Full (OTIF) execution that keeps products moving and shoppers happy In peak season, accuracy wins. Miss inbound positioning, and your bottom line misses too.   Inbound planning: The difference between stockouts and sales Golden Quarter demand…