From Cost Center to Control Tower: Modern Warehouse Tech

From Cost Center to Control Tower: Modern Warehouse Tech

From Supply Chain Now by Supply Chain Now

April 15, 2026 · 47 min · Season 1 · Episode 1571

About this episode

This episode discusses the evolving role of warehouses in supply chains and the impact of modern technology on operations.

Warehouses have become one of the most important battlegrounds in modern supply chain. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton is joined by industry leaders Lance Olmsted , Chief Revenue Officer at IFS , and Patrick Maley , Chief Revenue Officer at IFS Softeon , to explore why warehouse execution now plays a much bigger strategic role across the business. As customer expectations rise and supply chains face more pressure to move faster, they explain how companies are rethinking the warehouse as a source of speed, flexibility, and competitive advantage. The conversation covers how real-time visibility, modern warehouse systems, and industrial AI can help teams make better decisions, respond faster to disruptions, and close the gap between planning and execution. Lance and Patrick also share their perspective on where warehouse operations are headed next and why adaptability will be critical moving forward. Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Intro (03:54) IFS acquires Softeon: what happened (07:34) Why warehouses became a strategic lever (09:31) Biggest pressures: AI adoption & tariffs (18:22) Closing the gap between planning and execution (20:36) Real-time…

People in this episode

Host: Scott W. Luton

Guests: Lance Olmsted, Patrick Maley

Topics covered

  • warehouse technology
  • supply chain management
  • real-time visibility
  • industrial AI
  • strategic warehouse operations
  • customer expectations

Keywords

  • warehouse execution
  • supply chain
  • AI adoption
  • real-time decision making
  • operational improvements
  • competitive advantage

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: IFS, IFS Softeon

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