A discussion about the major themes and challenges that emerged from the recent spring meeting of the MHI Solutions Community, held at Modex 2022 in Atlanta.

Nicola Tomatis, chief executive officer of BlueBotics, discusses interoperability of AGVs and things to consider before investing in automated vehicles.

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.