Rodney Alston

written by Chris Cunnane with InterSystems   Supply chains have never been more complex or more exposed to disruption. From geopolitical instability and extreme weather to labor shortages and shifting demand, organizations are operating in a constant state of uncertainty. In this environment, basic visibility is no longer enough. Companies need the ability to monitor products in motion, understand their history, and act quickly on reliable data. That is where track and trace becomes essential. Track and trace technology enables organizations to follow products across the supply chain in real time and trace their full history from origin to destination. It connects data from barcodes, RFID tags, IoT sensors, telematics systems, and enterprise applications into a unified view. When supported by a modern data platform, this information becomes more than operational detail. It becomes a foundation for smarter decisions.   Move from Visibility to Action Many organizations have invested in visibility tools, but visibility alone does not solve problems. Knowing that a shipment is delayed is useful; knowing how that delay will affect downstream production, customer commitments, and inventory levels is far more valuable. Track and trace capabilities, when paired with analytics and decision intelligence, help companies shift from reactive…

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…