The SupplyChainBrain Podcast Past, Present & Future: The Evolution of Warehouse Technology
Oct 17, 2025
Craig Hattabaugh, Vice President at Berkshire Gray, and Ellen Bruhn, VP of Product Management at AutoStore, delve into the past, present, and future of warehouse technology. They discuss the evolution from conveyor systems to advanced robotics and automation. The duo explores how these innovations impact workforce roles, shifting tasks towards higher-skilled positions. They predict a future influenced by AI in decision-making and seamless human-robot collaboration. Ellen also shares insights on AutoStore's Carousel AI, promising enhanced picking accuracy and efficiency in fulfillment.
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Customer Demand Rewrote Warehouse Design
- Warehouses from a decade ago were inward-focused and scheduled around fixed daily windows.
- Modern customer demand for millions of SKUs and same-day service made those designs largely unusable.
Fashion Building Example From The Past
- Ellen described a highly automated fashion building built for store replenishment with pouch and A-frame sorters.
- That design assumed fixed receiving and outbound hours and couldn't support same-day online orders.
Robotics Span Inbound To Outbound Flow
- Robotics now automate receiving (depalletizing) and dense storage across pallet, case, and each levels.
- Automation also handles outbound pallet building and truck loading to meet compressed shipping windows.