Laura Madajewski, CPA, MBA

We continued this week on Supply Chain Now with more great interviews, conversations, livestreams, and episodes! Did you miss any episodes? On Monday, Scott and Karin Bursa introduced our newest Supply Chain Now program, TEKTOK, to our audience!   On Tuesday, Scott and Greg welcomed Dan Reeve with Esker back to Supply Chain Now for a conversation about increasing supply chain visibility and cash flow.   We published our Supply Chain Buzz on Wednesday, where Scott & Karin discussed the top news in supply chain for the week, and also welcomed featured guest, Lora Cecere with Supply Chain Insights to the podcast.   On Thursday, we continued with the second half of Greg’s interview with Sarah Barnes-Humphrey for TECHquila Sunrise.   And to wrap up the week, Scott and Greg welcomed Ashfaque Chowdhury, PhD with XPO Logistics to the podcast for a great conversation. Which was your favorite episode this week? Never miss an episode by subscribing to Supply Chain Now! Make sure you tune in next week for more great conversation, timely topics, and exceptional guests.

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…