Reflections on the Automation Journey from ProMat 2025

ProMat always offers a great opportunity to glimpse into the future of our industry and this year’s event was no exception. For all of us at Vanderlande, it was also a particularly rewarding opportunity to share time with many new and long-term customers, valued partners like Hai Robotics, and our colleagues within the larger Toyota Automated Logistics Group.

Our counterparts in attendance included Bastian Solutions and The Raymond Corporation – all stalwarts that enable us to provide tightly integrated logistics solutions that span our collective capabilities and include scalable systems, intelligent software and full lifecycle services.

ProMat 2025 was also a great time to share with attendees how we analyze supply chains, use data and ask questions to help them identify which solutions will best benefit their business. This applies regardless of where they are in their warehouse automation journey—whether they are just beginning to streamline the most labor-intensive or injury-prone tasks or refining processes within the world’s most advanced distribution centers. It was also rewarding to present our sessions, one on automated case picking and one on automated item picking, and to showcase some of our many proven offerings including ADAPTO, FASTPICK, Load Forming Logic and STOREPICK.

While conversations on the show floor underscored our belief at Vanderlande that each organization’s automation journey is by necessity unique, our experience in Chicago brought to light a number of trends shaping the materials handling sector. Some of these included:

• Longstanding challenges around labor remain: Not surprisingly, access to labor remains one of the most pressing issues warehouse operators face, regardless of whether they are just beginning to deploy automation in their facilities or are refining mature installations. Attracting and retaining people, as well as effectively transitioning valued employees into new roles as automation projects evolve, remain universal, top-of-mind issues and a key driver for using automation.

• Brands are increasingly intentional in their materials handling strategies: Retail e-commerce sales in the U.S., a major driver of fulfillment operations, increased by 9.4% in Q4 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, reflecting strong overall activity. Automation is increasingly seen as a key factor in efforts to remain flexible, agile and resilient even as the need for greater throughput and storage increases. This is particularly true today when consumer sentiments have the potential to change and supply chain leaders demand warehouse automation that delivers a proven return on investment. Not surprisingly, attendees at ProMat this year seemed intently focused on systems and technologies that are proven to impact bottom-line results.

• Flexibility is imperative: Where past ProMat conferences understandably celebrated flashy innovations that were not yet ready for mainstream adoption, required extensive implementation efforts, or were limited to the most advanced facilities, this year’s event was marked by solutions that can be quickly implemented and deployed. Hai Robotics’ HaiPick Climb was one noteworthy example.

Perhaps most importantly, this year’s ProMat conference revealed again just how important and valuable it is for supply chain leaders and materials handling professionals – from end users to vendors – to collaborate. Every organization is different. Every use case for automation is unique and every deployment involves novel challenges and opportunities.

In such an environment, the value of sharing ideas and engaging in a genuine dialogue cannot be overstated. And for this, ProMat delivered as it always does. We look forward to seeing you again in Atlanta for MODEX in 2026!