Expert thought leadership, data driven insights

Six months after launching DexoryView Adapt (‘Adapt’), our customers are showing us how AI and physical intelligence are changing warehouse operations - and where the industry is heading next.

I’m General Counsel here at Dexory, looking after legal, compliance and risk. I qualified as a solicitor back in 2005, originally working in commercial property and then transitioning into general commercial work when I moved in house. I’ve also done other jobs - legal ops and training, property management, teaching and working as a buyer for an airport retailer.

Warehouse scanning has evolved quickly. Across distribution centers, handheld scanners, forklift-mounted cameras, drones and autonomous robots can all make inventory capture faster.

But they are not solving the same problem. The data collection methods each technology uses determine what questions it can actually answer.

The important question isn't just “How quickly can I scan my warehouse?” The better question is: “How consistently can I understand what is happening - and what can I do with that information?”

Most businesses can answer two questions about their warehouse with confidence: what came in through the door, and what left it.

Everything that happens in between is murkier than most operators would like to admit.

The WMS says 15,000 units are in bay C4. The ERP agrees. But when did anyone last physically verify that?

Most warehouses head into Q4 relying on WMS data that doesn't reflect physical reality. Here are the five questions operations leaders need to answer, and why most can't.

Warehouse space is not just about storing and moving products. Making every square metre and every process perform under pressure is what matters. This pressure is increasing. E-commerce is growing, labour costs are rising, and global uncertainty and tariffs are making operations less predictable.