At Manifest 2026, conversations about supply chain transformation centre not just on automation itself, but on how organisations design operations to remain adaptable in uncertain markets. That theme comes sharply into focus during a joint discussion with Royanna Chappell, VP Business Development at Ocado Intelligent Automation, and Rick Goe, SVP Supply Chain at Distribution Management who detail an innovative and highly fruitful partnership.
From constraint to capability
Distribution Management, through its DM Fulfilment Services division, provides D2C and omnichannel fulfilment for brands and retailers. Built on a foundation of traditional distribution operations, the company increasingly supports fast-moving e-commerce clients whose product ranges and order profiles change constantly.
That shift, however, exposes the limits of conventional warehouse design.
“As we brought on third-party fulfilment into our product mix, we had SKU proliferation,” says Goe, SVP Supply Chain at Distribution Management. “Those SKUs got further and further away from the conveyor belt, which required our employees to walk, creating inefficiencies and productivity declines. It even had an impact on employee morale.”
Facility leases nearing expiration forced a strategic decision. Rather than retrofit ageing conveyor-heavy sites, the company chose to rethink its operating model entirely. “We had to decide who we wanted to be three years from that period all the way up to ten years,” Goe explains. “Did we want to invest in what we had, or be proactive and design for growth?”
For Chappell, VP Business Development at Ocado Intelligent Automation, flexibility is the defining advantage. “The reason I find AMRs so attractive is the adaptability,” she says. “Other technologies didn’t give operators this freedom. We took travel out of the equation and allowed people to be where work is, with work brought to them.”
- Events
- Together in Events