Order fulfillment – the process of preparing and delivering a customer’s order, including warehousing, packing, labeling, and shipping – is core to an effective supply chain. But the way companies fulfill orders is changing, and that creates new risks and opportunities for retailers, logistics providers, and other ecosystem stakeholders. In the wake of these changes, consumers' expectations have also increased: they demand faster delivery, lower costs, and greater accuracy. To meet these expectations, retailers are getting savvy with how they use physical space, and both retailers and logistics providers are experimenting with new warehousing and fulfillment models. Among those in use are ship-from-store and dark stores, but neither are necessarily within close proximity of the customer. And that is another challenge.

Supply chain management plays a critical role in the success of organizations across various industries. With the increasing complexity in the global marketplace, many companies are turning to automated supply chain management solutions to address emerging challenges. In this article, we will explore the benefits that automation brings to supply chain management processes, ranging from cost savings and increased efficiency to improved decision-making and agility.