Guest: Abdil Tunca on managing robots; Trucking may get some relief; Demand for industrial real estate surges

Oct 24, 2025

Abdil Tunca, a senior principal analyst at Gartner specializing in warehouse automation, shares his insights on the growing trend of managing robotic workforces. He discusses the skills needed to oversee robots and emphasizes the importance of upskilling and strategic planning for executives. Tunca also offers advice for workers to thrive alongside automation, recommending roles that focus on technology management. Additionally, the podcast touches on new federal regulations in trucking and a surge in demand for industrial real estate, signaling shifts in supply chain dynamics.

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INSIGHT

Labor Economics Driving Automation

Rising labor costs and shortages are the primary forces accelerating warehouse automation adoption.
Small and mid-size companies face the biggest pressure to automate because they cannot absorb high labor wages.

INSIGHT

New Skill Mix For Robot Management

Managing robots requires a blend of technical, operational, and soft skills rather than pure engineering expertise.
Operations will shift toward data-driven roles like system analysts and remote monitors.

ADVICE

Pilot, Integrate, Iterate

Start small with pilot projects and expand only after proving value and integration.
Integrate robots with your WMS and build feedback loops using utilization and error-rate data.

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Our guest on this week's episode is Abdil Tunca, senior principal analyst at Gartner's Supply Chain Practice. While we aren’t quite yet to the era of the Jetsons, we have seen some remarkable advancements in robotics over the past few years. In fact, many future supply chain managers may be managing more robots than human workers. What will that be like? Our guest has some insights.

The trucking industry, and especially the truckload sector, has been in a market slump that has lasted a few years now. Recently there have been some new rules out of Washington that may offer some relief. How is the industry reacting to them?

Demand for industrial real estate—which includes warehousing and logistics space—surged in the third quarter, according to a report from real estate firm Colliers. The company’s Q3 U.S. Industrial Market Statistics report forecasts a stabilizing industrial landscape that is poised for growth, marked by stronger demand and slowing development.

Supply Chain Xchange also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane. It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. A new series is now available on Top Threats to our Supply Chains. It covers topics including Geopolitical Risks, Economic Instability, Cybersecurity Risks, Threats to energy and electric grids; Supplier Risks, and Transportation Disruptions Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes. The podcast is also available at www.thescxchange.com.

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This podcast episode is sponsored by: Storage Solutions

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