Bill Ferrell, professor of industrial engineering at Clemson and one of the authors of the newly published Material Handling and Logistics Roadmap, discusses the findings of this comprehensive study and what they mean for the industry's future.

Greg Cronin, executive vice president of Intelligrated, and Nyle Morris, vice president of sales at Knighted, discuss the paradigm shift in fulfillment strategies being driven by omnichannel retailing and the type of integrated solutions that these strategies require.

Seasonal events that cause spikes in demand no longer are limited to holidays. Handling these peaks without adding labor requires automation, but companies worry about the cost. Lance Anderson of automation systems manufacturer Beumer Corp. shows how better use of equipment can generate the ROI that companies need.

Rapid changes in the health care industry are impacting supply chain planning and execution. Philip Profeta, vice president of supply chain operations at Baylor, Scott & White Health Care, discusses the implications.

Companies that view transportation management as a core competency with a strategic impact approach technology acquisitions as investments and not merely as costs, says Mike Joseph, director of business development at LeanLogistics. Joseph discusses how this mindset is reflected in other supply chain trends.

Customer value and safe operations always comes first at Sunny Delight, but the company also keeps a keen eye on costs. Kevin Singletary discusses steps to the perfect service/cost balance.

An integrated setting for managing demand, supply and inventory involves working with people as much as with technology and information, says Todd Gallant of VF Corp. He explains how the Timberland division of VF is improving collaboration and communication among its associates up and down the supply chain.