Jeff Gillmer

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…

Stay up to date on all the latest conversations, interviews, and episodes we released this week here at Supply Chain Now! We kicked this week off with a special episode of Supply Chain Now featuring Mike Griswold. Scott, Kelly, and Mike discuss the key takeaways from the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo 2021. For Monday’s This Week In Business History, Kelly gives insight on two notable figures who have made some amazing strides in theoretical economic science research. On Tuesday, we released an episode of Supply Chain Now with host Scott Luton. Scott had the opportunity to chat with Theodora Lau the Founder of Unconventional Ventures and Bradley Leimer the Co-Founder of Unconventional Ventures. They discuss some of the amazing points in their book titled “Beyond Good: How Technology Is Leading a Purpose-Driven Business Revolution.” We also released an episode of Logistics With Purpose this week. Host Enrique and Monica talk with Dave Schweidenback the Founder and CEO of Pedals for Progress. Dave shares the story behind the logistics of shipping 4,800 bikes across 45 different countries. For Thursday’s Supply Chain Now episode Scott interviews communications expert Monique Russell from Clear Communications, LLC. This conversation is all about effective communication and…