Mark Holmes

Prospects of supply chain automation have the industry abuzz. It’s even become a major sticking point in the International Longshoremen’s Association contract negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance. The dockworkers do not want ports to automate processes out of fear they will lose their jobs to machines. Today, there are seemingly endless possibilities for optimization. Terms like generative artificial intelligence and machine learning have become commonplace in discussions about ways to gain efficiencies and reduce costs. Can man and machine work together as businesses leverage automation for optimization? Beyond the Buzz: Understanding the Automation Imperative Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), is described by Business News Daily as a later-stage development in which machines take in data on their own and then analyze it. Automation, on the other hand, is fixed on repetitive tasks; after a job is performed, an automation system “thinks no further.” The Business News Daily article explained that “automation involves an entire category of technologies that provide activity or work without human involvement,” while AI involves “a machine exhibiting and practicing something similar to what we describe as human thinking – that is, the ability to interact in thousands of ways with the…

In a world where customer demands are rising and budgets are tightening, operational leaders face a tough mandate: scale faster, deliver more — all without growing the team. If you’re feeling the pressure to expand capabilities without expanding payroll, this eBook is your roadmap to making it happen. “How to Scale Operations Without Scaling Your Payroll” is a practical, executive-ready eBook from OrderEase that explores how modern logistics leaders are optimizing performance, increasing output, and driving growth — all without adding to their headcount.   Download this ebook to: Get a blueprint for smarter scaling in a tight labor market Learn how to stretch your team’s impact without overworking them Discover smart automation – Learn how to turn messy emails and PDFs into structured data that flows seamlessly into your systems.   Whether you’re a logistics leader, operations executive, or eCommerce manager, this eBook will help you take your operations further — efficiently, sustainably, and strategically.   Download the ebook here to learn more