inperson
Mike Colby is the head of Logistics Automation at Sick Inc. Colby first joined Sick in 2012
as a director of sales for one of the Factory Automation sales teams and was subsequently
promoted to lead Sick’s Logistics Automation business in the U.S.
Logistics Automation is focused on helping customers design and optimize their entire
logistics chain by automating material flows and making sorting, picking, and warehousing processes faster, more efficient, and more reliable. Colby recently spoke with DC
VELOCITY Editorial Director David Maloney.
Mike Colby of
Sick Inc.
to realize what’s happened in a process.
Tomorrow, it will be critical to understand what is going to happen across the
entire supply chain network, utilizing
artificial intelligence and predictive analytics that rely on sensing data.
Q: HOW EXTENSIVE WILL THE GROWTH OF
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) BE OVER THE
NEXT FIVE YEARS WITHIN DISTRIBUTION
CENTERS?
A: I think AI will become part of our
everyday lives in the near future. The
speed at which this will develop will
follow a classic bell curve: Innovators
(already utilizing AI today), Early
Adopters (just starting), Early Majority
(coming soon), Late Majority (TBD),
and Laggards (R.I.P.). I think it’s critical
that organizations embrace technology
advancements (i.e., AI) so they can not
only survive, but also thrive.
Q: MOST SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTIVES SEE
THE NEED FOR DIGITIZATION. BUT HOW FAR
ALONG ARE THEY IN THIS PROCESS?
A: Those who move quickly to digitize
their supply chain will gain efficiencies,
develop new business models, grow revenue streams, and create competitive
advantages for their business. This effort
has started and will gain momentum in
the midterm.
Q: HOW DO YOU VIEW THE CURRENT STATE OF
THE SUPPLY CHAIN AUTOMATION MARKET?
A: I view the current state as transitionary. The supply chain automation
market is a dynamic space right now as
it becomes connected across its enterprise. Everyone involved with material
handling (OEMs, end-users, suppliers) is
facing new challenges, new technologies,
and new expectations. Success in this
environment centers not only on meeting customers’ expectations, but also on
anticipating future needs by designing
flexible solutions that will be able to meet
the demands of constant change.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PAIN POINTS YOU’VE SEEN CUSTOMERS
EXPERIENCE WHEN AUTOMATING THEIR MATERIAL FLOWS?
A: First, balancing major automation investments against the
uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring. Second, when we talk
about a connected enterprise across supply chains and the digital
world we live in, there can be multiple pain points around how
to manage data effectively. Lastly, as new automated systems
and processes are implemented, there is a challenge to effectively
redeploy the existing workforce into roles that create value in
their organizations.
Q: WHAT ROLES WILL SENSORS AND THE SHARED DATA THEY COLLECT
PLAY IN GROWING THE INTERNET OF THINGS AND INDUSTRY 4.0?
A: Without sensors and the data they provide, there is no
Internet of Things and Industry 4.0. Sensors are the eyes and
ears of everything going on in the industrial environment at
the machine and/or system level. In the past, it was important
In our continuing series
of discussions with top
supply-chain company
executives, Mike Colby
discusses advances in
artificial intelligence, the
growth of digitization,
and a connected future
supported by the Internet
of Things.
