Supply chain automation will become more intelligent, connected, and adaptive. AI-driven software will continue evolving from reactive monitoring toward predictive and prescriptive capabilities that help operations rebalance workloads and automatically optimize performance.
The Rise of Flexible Automation within the Supply Chain
Q&A with Celeste Chartier, Solution Consulting Manager | Dematic
Tell us about yourself and your role with Dematic.
During my 5+ years at Dematic, I have worked closely with customers to help them identify automation strategies that improve operational efficiency while also giving them the flexibility to adapt as business needs change. A large part of my role involves helping organizations evaluate technologies like robotics, intelligent software, and modular automation systems that can scale over time and fit within both greenfield and brownfield environments.
How is the focus of supply chain automation changing?
The biggest change is really the mindset. Supply chain automation is evolving beyond addressing isolated operational challenges. Our customers are increasingly evaluating how automation solutions fit into a broader operational strategy instead of solving just one pain point at a time.
Persistent labor shortages, rising operating costs, and fluctuating consumer demand are all driving this shift. Organizations are asking where automation can have the greatest long-term impact and how systems can evolve over time. That has shifted attention toward scalable, adaptable solutions such as flexible automation supported by intelligent software that can orchestrate equipment, balance workloads, and provide greater visibility across operations.
How is a rise in flexible automation impacting various operations within supply chains?
Flexible automation is helping supply chain operations become more adaptive and responsive to changing business conditions. For example, in fulfillment operations, technologies like Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), and AutoStore are helping facilities handle changing order volumes, growing SKU counts, and tighter delivery windows with greater agility. These solutions can often be deployed incrementally and adjusted over time without requiring major facility redesigns, making them ideal for brownfield applications.
As automation becomes more flexible, software plays a critical role in tying these technologies together. Intelligent orchestration platforms help coordinate workflows, optimize resource allocation, and provide real-time operational insights, allowing supply chains to become more efficient while adapting to shifting demand patterns.
This broader shift toward flexibility is helping companies build more resilient operations that can evolve alongside changing customer expectations and fulfillment models.
What technologies are helping to automate these operations?
A combination of fixed automation, mobile robotics, and AI-powered software is driving today’s automation strategies. Proven technologies like conveyors, sorters, palletizers, depalletizers, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), and shuttle-based storage (such as the Multishuttle) continue to deliver reliable, high-throughput material movement across many different environments. At the same time, flexible automation technologies are becoming increasingly important. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) allow operations to automate transport tasks without relying on fixed paths, making them well suited for facilities that need to adapt to changing volumes, layouts or workflows. These systems can often be deployed incrementally and expanded over time as operational needs evolve.
AI is also becoming more embedded within the software that orchestrates these systems. AI-driven tools are already helping operations support predictive maintenance, identify bottlenecks, optimize material flow, and dynamically balance workloads in real time. Platforms that provide advanced analytics, such as Dematic Command Center, are giving operators greater visibility into performance data so they can make faster, more informed decisions.
What challenges should companies be ready to address, as they try to implement more flexible tools and solutions?
Integration remains one of the biggest challenges for companies looking to introduce automation to their facilities. Many organizations are working with a mix of legacy infrastructure and newer technologies, so ensuring all systems communicate effectively without disrupting operations or causing downtime can be complex, especially in brownfield environments.
Another key challenge is orchestration. Without a strong software layer to coordinate equipment, workflows, and people, automation can unintentionally create work in silos. Companies need to think carefully about how technologies will work together as part of a connected ecosystem.
Finally, companies are under pressure to think long term. Building flexibility into automation strategies helps ensure systems remain adaptable as volumes, workflows, and customer expectations continue to evolve.
Can you share a recent use case where flexible automation improved operations?
Many customers have approached us recently regarding utilization of AMRs to transport parts between various workstations. Although it is a simple use case, as labor continues to be a challenge, this can be a powerful use of flexible automation, especially when you are first starting your automation journey.
How else might supply chain automation change over the next three to five years?
Over the next several years, supply chain automation will become more intelligent, connected, and adaptive. AI-driven software will continue evolving from reactive monitoring toward predictive and prescriptive capabilities that help operations rebalance workloads and automatically optimize performance.
At the same time, ongoing maintenance and optimization support will become even more important as organizations look to maximize the value and longevity of their automation investments. Ultimately, automation is no longer just about efficiency — it’s about creating more resilient, scalable supply chains that can continuously adapt to change.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of RoboticsTomorrow
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