With 2016 coming to a close, it's time for another helping of supply-chain predictions for the year ahead, courtesy of the San Francisco Roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.

When Skechers started building a colossal distribution center in Moreno Valley six years ago, backers promised a wave of new jobs. Instead, by the time the company moved to the Moreno Valley, it had closed five facilities in Ontario that employed 1,200 people and cut its workforce by more than half. Today, spotting a human on the premises can feel like an accomplishment.When Skechers started building a colossal distribution center in Moreno Valley six years ago, backers promised a wave of new jobs. Instead, by the time the company moved to the Moreno Valley, it had closed five facilities in Ontario that employed 1,200 people and cut its workforce by more than half. Today, spotting a human on the premises can feel like an accomplishment.

Online retail continues to grow at a rapid rate, with a 14.6-percent increase in the category in 2015, totaling $341.7bn. That has major implications for warehouse optimization.

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is among a handful of European manufacturers and logistics companies that are testing a new radio frequency identification solution that offers the benefits of active real-time location system (RTLS) RFID technology without the cost of an active system or the need for batteries.

Ocado, an online-only grocer and retail solution provider, has developed a 4G-based protocol to communicate with the thousands of robots powering its new automated warehouses. These highly-automated warehouses will be offered as part of a managed service called the Ocado Smart Platform which enables international partners to build scalable, sustainable and profitable online retail businesses, the company says.

For retailers and distribution centers, the traditional method for coping with the chaos of the Christmas buying season has been to throw more bodies at the problem. But what if robots could do a better job of handling the surge of activity?

For decades, companies have relied on warehouse management systems (WMS) to control inventory and material handling processes within their warehouses. Historically, retail distribution centers have been built upon plans that included predetermined transportation routes that outlined the number of stores on a route, what product those stores would get and the quantity and configuration of those products. Consequently, distribution centers have had similar designs, process methodologies and IT infrastructures for years. E-commerce has changed the game, though.

Lancaster Farm Fresh Organics (LFFO) has streamlined its previously manual fleet operations to help get product in and out of the warehouse and into the customer's hand in 24 hours or less, said Ben Kreider, the retailer's transportation director. LFFO uses the Descartes Route Planner.