The Rise of Robots: Logistics, Infrastructure & the Future of Ops

Inside the AI Transformation of Parts, People & Processes

Each week, we spotlight the AI news that matters most to industrial and distribution operators - from major tech shifts to real-world developments that impact how business gets done. Our newsletter delivers timely, relevant insights to help you stay informed, make smarter decisions, and understand where AI is creating opportunity, risk, and real operational change.

Weekly Updates: Where AI Meets Distribution Reality

→ MSC’s 40% Labor Savings Isn’t a Tech Story: It’s a Business Mandate
MSC Industrial Supply partnered with Bastian Solutions to deploy an AutoStore goods-to-person robotic system - and saw 40% labor savings, higher output, and better accuracy without expanding their footprint. For industrial distributors, this is the blueprint: use AI to do more with less. Your fulfillment ops either get smarter… or get left behind.

→ Eight GenAI Strategies Improving Supply Chain Ops
Forget vague AI optimism. Material Handling & Logistics shares real strategies that supply chain leaders are using to move the needle: rethinking workflows, running real pilots, deploying predictive dashboards, and more. The winners aren’t chasing shiny tools - they’re focused on what increases accuracy, resilience, and margin today.

→ Google Invests $25B in AI Infrastructure & Data Centers
AI doesn’t run on magic. It runs on data centers, GPUs, and a lot of energy. Google’s massive commitment across the PJM electric grid - the largest in the U.S. - is about securing compute and clean power. For anyone relying on cloud AI, this is infrastructure risk management at scale - and a sign of how quickly demand is rising.

→ Procurement’s Next Frontier Is AI-Powered (and Portfolio-Smart)
It’s time to rethink traditional roles, and embrace new strategies to unlock the future of performance. Supply Chain Management Review identifies five areas, like org design and ESG integration, where AI can increase visibility and savings. The message to operators: optimize or leave margin on the table.

Opinion: SLMs Are the Future of AI Agents - Smaller Is Smarter

Big isn’t always better. NVIDIA’s latest research shows that Small Language Models (SLMs) are outperforming LLMs in targeted, tool-like tasks - at a fraction of the cost. If you’re building or embedding agentic systems, start mapping where SLMs can replace bloated infrastructure. The upside? Faster execution, cheaper ops, and simpler orchestration.

What We’re Listening To

→ Advanced Manufacturing Now (SME Media)
If you want to understand how advanced manufacturing is actually evolving - not just hypotheticals - this podcast delivers. Dive into conversations with people building the future of factory floors, where AI isn’t theory - it’s throughput, uptime, and margin.

→ The Manufacturing IT Podcast (Daniel Langley)
This podcast shares real talk from ops leaders deep in MES, IIoT, and AI deployments. Daniel cuts through the noise with guests who have lived through the transformation - and share their advice for the current and future industry leaders.

InstaLILY x SRS Distribution Innovation Summit

We’re teaming up with our amazing client SRS Distribution, one of the leading names in building products distribution, to host a one-day summit for operators, IT innovators, developers, and teams who keep this industry running and push it forward every day. There will be an innovators track and a hackathon track, and the day will end with a live demo and happy hour.

Thank you for reading! Have feedback? Email our Managing Editor Liz Mahoney (liz@instalily.ai). We are always looking to improve.