The material handling industry is in the middle of a historic digital transformation from manual to automated processes in distribution center (DC) and fulfillment operations. To keep pace with unrelenting e-commerce fulfillment speeds and order volumes, many DC operations have taken significant steps in making the transition to more automated, digital processes. Even with these improvements, many continue to strain under the weight of modern commerce complexities, rising customer service expectations and labor availability challenges.

Automation alone is simply not enough. To unlock the operational intelligence needed to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace, DC operators now need to connect these systems via industrial internet of things (IIoT) technologies. This white paper will explore the market conditions driving this digital transformation and examine how fulfillment operations can take the next steps in the digitization process by connecting DC assets, people and processes to address modern commerce challenges.