From Cost Center to Control Tower: Modern Warehouse Tech — Featured on Supply Chain Now
by Mike Catalino
For years, the warehouse was viewed as a cost center. That mindset is changing fast.
In a recent episode of Supply Chain Now, titled “From Cost Center to Control Tower: Modern Warehouse Tech,” Patrick Maley, CRO, Softeon and Lance Olmsted, CRO, M&A Group, IFS explore how modern warehouse execution is becoming a critical driver of supply chain performance.
From Cost Center to Competitive Edge
Today’s supply chains are under constant pressure, from rising customer expectations to ongoing disruption. As discussed on Supply Chain Now, many of the biggest operational bottlenecks organizations face can be traced back to the warehouse.
The Power of Connected Execution
A major theme of the conversation is the disconnect between planning and execution. While enterprise systems may define strategy, it’s the warehouse that determines whether that strategy succeeds.
Patrick highlights how real-time visibility enables organizations to:
- Respond faster to disruptions
- Optimize labor and inventory decisions
- Improve service levels without increasing cost
The IFS + Softeon Vision
Lance shares how the combination of IFS and Softeon is designed to bridge this gap.
By bringing together Softeon’s warehouse execution expertise with IFS’s industrial AI and enterprise capabilities, organizations can:
- Connect planning directly to fulfillment
- Orchestrate operations across systems in real time
- Unlock new levels of agility and scalability
Industrial AI in the Warehouse
Another key focus of the episode is industrial AI and how it’s being applied in practical, real-world ways.
From orchestrating labor to optimizing inventory positioning, AI is enabling smarter decision-making at the point of execution.
Looking Ahead
The warehouse has evolved from a functional link in the supply chain to a driver of strategic value.
As shared on Supply Chain Now, the companies that win will be those that elevate warehouse execution into a true competitive advantage.
Listen to the full episode on Supply Chain Now to learn more.
