Guest: Dwight Klappich of Gartner on new research into warehouse robotics; Taking stock of tech investments; Last-mile delivery trends

Our guest on this week's episode is Dwight Klappich, research vice president and Gartner Fellow in Gartner's Logistics and Customer Fulfillment team. He shares new research that Gartner has conducted into how robotics will be used in distribution centers. Within the next few years, distributors will deploy a number of different categories of robots for various warehouse tasks. These systems will need a collaborative platform to work together. He shares details on how Gartner views the future of this crucial and expanding market.The SMC3 JumpStart conference was held in Atlanta this week and featured a number of speakers sharing their thoughts around a weaker freight environment, tech investments that should be made, and how companies should take stock of their operations and priorities during the current economic slowdown.New research into last-mile deliveries shows that the final mile has grown more complex, expensive, inefficient, and unsustainable. As a result, the majority of retailers have outsourced their delivery networks. This has lowered costs, but has reduced their control, making some rethink whether speed or reliability is more important to their customers.DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. The third season of eight episodes has fully launched  and focuses on attracting and retaining labor in our supply chains.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:GartnerEconomy and technology take center stage as SMC3 conferenceRetailers lose visibility as they outsource last mile delivery, FarEye saysVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Visit Supply Chain QuarterlyListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastListen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcastSend feedback about this podcast to [email protected] is sponsored by:  BeckoffOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts