MODEX C-Suite Q&A: Matt Kuper, VP of Global Sales and Applications at Bastian Solutions

Q: What is your number one takeaway from Modex 2022?

Matt Kuper: The world of automation has changed rapidly over the last couple of years. The need to automate has come to the forefront and industries have shifted from, “Should we automate?” and over to, “How much can we automate and how quickly can we make it happen?”

We’ve responded to this with continued, expedited innovation, and I’m excited to see what happens next. We’ve seen AGV and AMR capabilities mature along with the transformation of robotic piece picking. We’ve also seen how goods-to-person can truly transform a warehouse’s operations. At Modex we had the chance to show where Bastian Solutions is taking these technologies and also see firsthand how others are using them, which made for a very exciting show floor this year.

What are the three key market trends from your perspective?

Matt Kuper:The first is being able to extend your warehouse operations and modify them as your business changes. Future-proofing systems is really a necessity. During the pandemic, different types of retailers and e-tailers experienced major business shifts. These companies have to be able to adjust their warehouses accordingly, keep a close eye on their operations, ensure that there are no downtime disruptions and their customers’ orders are being fulfilled on time.

During the pandemic, demand for same-day delivery, same-day pickup and buy online/pickup in-store exploded and continues to increase. Retailers are filling more orders directly from store locations in their customers’ neighborhoods and their cities. With micro-fulfillment, retailers can cut the walk time and costs, gain labor efficiencies, improve customer satisfaction and achieve their fast turnaround requirements.

Finally, we’ll continue to see labor as a major disruption to operations across the entire supply chain. There’s been a shift in thinking about what roles people play and how to make sure that all employees are as efficient as possible. These shortages aren’t going away anytime soon, so the question comes down to how many of your fulfillment operations can you automate in order to alleviate these pain points.

How is Bastian Solutions responding to these market trends?

Matt Kuper:As an independent integrator, we offer the best possible automation systems in rapidly changing landscapes. Our experts look at all available technologies and choose the right tools for the job. In terms of future proofing, we provide a high degree of scalability and always make sure that the system is designed to be compatible and flexible with the customer’s operations and its market.