Flexible automation, labor augmentation and longer lead times for project delivery are among the major trends in material handling, says Christian Dow, executive vice president of leadership and membership at MHI.

Robotics make it easier for operators to manage productivity in a time of severe labor shortages, says Karen Leavitt, chief marketing officer at Locus Robotics.

What are robots really being used for in distribution facilities today? Craig Henry, U.S. industry manager with Siemens Industry, provides a status report — and a look at the future.

Warehousing is suffering from an acute shortfall of labor. Is automation the answer?

Yesterday's automation consisted of fixed infrastructure that couldn't be adjusted to meet changing needs. Not anymore, says Rick DeFiesta, executive vice president of sales and solutions Americas with Geek+.

Automation can help warehouses address problems of labor scarcity and rising inflation, but is it cost-effective enough to justify the effort? Jan Bednar, chief executive officer of Shipmonk, offers a perspective.

Jeff Christensen, vice president of product with Seegrid, talks about how users of autonomous mobile robots can combine the units with analytics capabilities, to see, measure and improve material flow in the warehouse.