The Zion Experience

Going direct to a goods-to-person robotics company can seem simple, but Jordan Frank explains where it gets more complicated, and what can get missed along the way.He and Jim Shaw dig into this and several other topics in part two of their conversation on MHEDA’s 2027 business trends, including:- Why well-rounded experience is harder to find, and what’s lost as experienced people retire- How procurement-driven RFPs can diminish value engineering- Why total cost of ownership keeps coming up- How the sales role is becoming more technical- When going direct makes sense, and the value an integrator can bring#MHEDA #WarehouseAutomation #SystemIntegration #Podcast

In our latest episode of The Zion Experience, Jordan Frank breaks down the differences between simulation, emulation, and digital twins. A digital twin depends on having solid data on how your system performs today, which can make it tough on a greenfield project, where there’s no historical data yet. Jim Shaw shares where higher-level models can pay off, like testing logic and code changes before they reach the warehouse floor.This is one of several @MHEDA 2027 business trends that the two talk through, along with:- How AI search is changing the way buyers research products and partners- Why customers are pushing for access to their controls- Why cybersecurity is getting more attention, including from insurersWhich of these trends are you seeing most in your operation?

When people hear "AI in automation," a chatbot is sometimes the first image that comes to mind, but that’s not where this conversation starts.Our Strategic Account Executive, Joe Gobis, joins our latest TZE episode with Jim Shaw to break down what AI looks like in physical automation right now: where it's already creating value, which operations benefit most, and the misconceptions customers bring.

"You're going to want to design for peak." It's not advice we usually give, except in specific sortation cases. Our Director of Solutions and Engineering, Christian Seymour, joins the latest TZE episode with host Jordan Frank to explain why. He also walks through different sortation categories, such as conveyor, robotic, and unit sortation, explaining when each makes sense and the considerations that determine the right fit.

“Selective” is how Jim Shaw describes the first half of 2026.In our latest TZE episode, Jim Shaw and Amelia Zweizig take a midyear look at the industry, including how companies are evaluating automation, where investment remains active, and what they are watching through the remainder of 2026.

Designing a medical device distribution center requires a different mindset than designing other warehouse operations.In our latest TZE episode, Drew Eubank and Jim Shaw shares lessons from his experience as an operator, discussing how this mindset influences technology decisions, facility design, and day-to-day execution. We also explore how distribution technology and software has evolved, the solutions delivering meaningful results, and what operators should consider when modernizing a medical device distribution center.

The challenge with improving warehouse performance is that it's influenced by more than just automation. Labor availability, order profiles, inventory levels, and many other variables can all affect the outcome.In our latest TZE episode, Sriram Sridhar from Addverb sat down with Jim Shaw and Drew Eubank to discuss digital twin technology and how organizations are using it to better understand existing operations, evaluate potential changes, and make more informed decisions.

One of the biggest challenges in retail fulfillment is that peak demand may last only a few weeks or months, while the decisions made to support it can affect an operation for years.In this episode of The Zion Experience, Jordan Frank shares his perspective on how teams think through facility design, labor flexibility, software strategy, and automation investments when volume can fluctuate significantly throughout the year.Jordan highlights one example of how software can help operations get more out of existing automation by optimizing order flow and improving equipment utilization during peak periods.

Healthcare and medical device distribution centers often operate under a very different set of constraints than traditional retail or e-commerce environments.In this episode of The Zion Experience, Jim Shaw and Jordan Frank discuss how many medical device operations may not experience the same seasonal demand spikes seen elsewhere. However, strict SLA requirements and order cutoff times can still create concentrated intraday peaks where a large percentage of daily volume hits within only a few hours.The conversation covers how those operational patterns can influence warehouse design, automation strategy, flexibility, validation timelines, and long-term planning decisions across healthcare supply chains.

For the first time, we brought The Zion Experience to Modex for a live recording.After a few days on the show floor, Jim Shaw and Jordan Frank sat down to talk through what stood out, what’s getting a lot of attention, and where the real value of the show comes from.One thing that stands out every year is how quickly a single question can turn into a much bigger conversation.