Warehouse management has changed significantly in the past decade. The COVID-19 pandemic, greater consumer access to technology, and wider demand for delivery mean that firms like Amazon have seen a $12 billion jump in profits compared to pre-pandemic estimates. But meeting the increased demand placed on warehouses isn't easy. The sheer volume and speed of orders require digitally-integrated solutions at every level. A generous helping of artificial intelligence is also needed to ensure that everyone's orders arrive on time and in their intended state.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is hot. Billions of dollars in venture capital have been invested in AI firms, including firms that focus on solving supply chain problems. Machine learning (ML), a subset of AI, is particularly hot. Interestingly, while AI is not a new technology in supply chain management, so much more data is becoming available for analysis, that we're seeing a new focus on using these techniques to improve supply chain applications, including warehouse technologies. Any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of success toward some goal is using artificial intelligence in some manner.