From Cost Center to Control Tower: Modern Warehouse Tech

Warehouses have become one of the most important battlegrounds in modern supply chain.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton is joined by industry leaders Lance Olmsted, Chief Revenue Officer at IFS, and Patrick Maley, Chief Revenue Officer at IFS Softeon, to explore why warehouse execution now plays a much bigger strategic role across the business. As customer expectations rise and supply chains face more pressure to move faster, they explain how companies are rethinking the warehouse as a source of speed, flexibility, and competitive advantage.

The conversation covers how real-time visibility, modern warehouse systems, and industrial AI can help teams make better decisions, respond faster to disruptions, and close the gap between planning and execution. Lance and Patrick also share their perspective on where warehouse operations are headed next and why adaptability will be critical moving forward.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(03:54) IFS acquires Softeon: what happened

(07:34) Why warehouses became a strategic lever

(09:31) Biggest pressures: AI adoption & tariffs

(18:22) Closing the gap between planning and execution

(20:36) Real-time visibility and faster decision-making

(22:30) Industrial AI defined & applied in warehouses

(29:05) Real-world operational improvements & customer examples

(37:10) The warehouse of the next 3–5 years

Additional Links & Resources:

• Connect with Lance Olmsted: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-olmsted-98708568/
• Connect with Patrick Maley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmaley/
• Learn more about IFS: https://www.ifs.com/en
• Learn more about IFS Softeon: https://www.softeon.com/
• Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
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• WEBINAR- Ahead of Disruption: How AI-First Design Builds Supply Chain Resilience — and Transforms the Teams Behind It: https://bit.ly/4ldRn3b

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