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U.S. business inventories dropped to near historic lows in 2021 while the costs associated with storing, transporting and financing goods rose considerably. But the logistics sector has begun to enable positive changes, according to a new report.

Consumers are driving shippers and distributors to go green at a quickening pace. How is the logistics industry adapting to these demands?

A well-orchestrated, automated warehouse requires a smart fulfillment software platform that can tie together all the data-management systems that go into warehouse operations, says Akash Gupta, chief technology officer and co-founder of one-stop warehouse automation provider Grey Orange.

Terence Leung, senior director of solutions with Blue Yonder, offers a vision of the future for logistics.

Buying land is a major shift for Amazon, which historically relied on a handful of developers to find property, build fairly simple warehouses and rent them back to the company. Now, Amazon is increasingly taking parts of the development process in-house — often bidding against long-time partners for the best space.

The definition of a warehouse is evolving rapidly, and automation must keep pace with the change, says Jayesh Mehta, industry group manager with MHI.

The number-one labor challenge for supply chains today is worker availability at the retail level, says Pete Blair, vice president of marketing with Berkshire Grey.

Ever evolving, robotics now can meet most any job in any situation, says Mike Futch, chief executive officer of Tompkins Robotics.