Articles » The New Warehouse

Automation Decisions: Why Commercial Decision Engines Matter at the Earliest Stage of the Buying Journey

Most automation projects don’t fail because the technology doesn’t work. They stall because the commercial case never solidifies. By the time someone calls a system integrator, the real automation decisions have often already been made. Budget ceilings are loosely defined. ROI expectations are floating around in a spreadsheet. Internal stakeholders have opinions. Some are optimistic, and some are skeptical as the journey takes shape before a vendor ever enters the room. As Christoph Buchmann, Founder and Managing Director of iAutomate, puts it, “Where does the buying journey begin? I would actually say it really starts with having identified a

By Mike Huff|April 4th, 2026|Automation, Continuous Improvement|0 Comments

The Hidden Cost of Warehouse Turnover: Why Onboarding and Engagement Now Define Productivity

Is warehouse turnover really a staffing problem for HR and operations to manage, or is it, at its core, an experience problem? When work is easier to learn and simpler to execute, workers reach productivity faster and stay engaged longer. For instance, voice-enabled solutions like LYDIA Voice from Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG) deliver user satisfaction that’s nearly thirty percent higher than traditional methods. That kind of experience changes how quickly people find their rhythm on the floor. Warehouse Turnover Isn’t Just a Hiring Problem, It’s a Productivity Problem Labor has become the dominant cost driver for logistics operations; it’s

By Mike Huff|March 28th, 2026|Continuous Improvement, Material Handling, Picking|0 Comments

The New Warehouse Monthly Huddle: February 2026

Alright, team, here’s our February huddle. If you touch warehouse operations in any way, we know you’re busy, so here’s a quick download of what The New Warehouse team was up to in February. But first, as with any good warehouse huddle, let’s start with a safety tip RFID and Smart Labels Are Moving From Pilot to Baseline RFID isn’t experimental anymore. Tag volumes have grown from 20 billion in 2020 to projections exceeding 100 billion by 2028. That kind of scale changes expectations. If everything is readable, everything can be verified. Peak Technologies and Zebra taught us the

By Mike Huff|March 14th, 2026|Space for Thought|0 Comments

RFID in the Warehouse: Focus on Business Outcomes

I still remember our VP of Supply Chain saying, “We will never use RFID.” At the time, he was probably right. That’s no longer the case. Today, RFID hardware works. Read accuracy is reliable. Costs have come down. Source tagging is becoming common. By every technical measure, the technology has matured. And yet, many warehouse leaders still hesitate to move beyond pilots. That hesitation isn’t about technology anymore. It’s about trust. Warehouses today are under pressure from every direction. Labor is harder to find and more expensive to retain. Order volumes fluctuate wildly. Customer tolerance for mistakes has dropped

By Mike Huff|February 28th, 2026|RFID|0 Comments

How to Help Your Leadership Team Justify Investing in Warehouse Automation

Warehouse automation decisions rarely stall because of technology. They stall because leaders struggle to align operational pain with financial reality. For operations and supply chain teams, the challenge is translating daily friction into a business case that executives can support. This means reframing automation as a strategic investment rather than a capital expense. With the right framing, data, and timing, automation becomes a leadership conversation about risk, resilience, and long-term value. Start the Business Case with What’s at Risk The strongest automation conversations begin with what the business stands to lose. Labor instability, rising costs, service failures, and lost

By Mike Huff|January 22nd, 2026|Automation|0 Comments

Yard Operations Shaping 2026 Warehouse Trends

For many warehouse operations, the yard has traditionally been treated as background infrastructure. As long as freight keeps moving, docks stay active, and teams find ways to adapt, the yard is rarely questioned. What is changing as organizations head into 2026 is a growing recognition of what the yard actually represents. It is not just a support function, but a critical control point for flow, labor efficiency, safety, and asset utilization. When performance issues emerge between the gate and the dock, minor disruptions quickly escalate into broader operational problems. Congestion builds. Dwell time increases. Appointments slip. Carrier relationships suffer.

By Mike Huff|January 13th, 2026|Yard Management|0 Comments