In today's complex manufacturing and distribution environment, it takes materials handling and information technology to fill orders and move goods. "In the short term, the biggest trend we're seeing is that our customers want to keep their facilities going without major investments," says David J. Martin, group president of FKI Logistex, North America. "That means improving mechanical systems that allow customers to improve their facilities."

Longer term, however, those systems will need to be integrated intelligently to maximize resources. That means smarter machines and smarter systems through intelligent control systems, an initiative FKI Logistex calls "Intelligent Metal." The goal is immediate access to and control of live data streams such as scheduling, planning, and systems. That allows a user to not just react to events in the DC, but to take proactive steps before problems occur.