Kimi翻译：准备好迎接下一次繁荣了吗？

在物流领域，托运人和承运人之间的“权力摆动”通常会根据经济周期和供需动态每两到四年来回摆动。虽然《现代》杂志的读者可能不负责货物运输规划，但运营节奏不可避免地与库存情况、订单下达以及出货速度紧密相连。反过来，当这种节奏以惊人的速度推进时，这就是一个很好的信号，表明是时候进行升级、改进和投资了。

始于2022年中期的货运衰退导致了我们在2023年《现代》读者调查中看到的一些投资犹豫。尽管在2024年年末出现了逐渐稳定的迹象，但我们的许多行业分析师告诉我们，需求全面恢复和运价正常化可能要到明年中期才能实现。

然而，到2025年底，情况应该会真正好转，甚至可能迎来繁荣。好消息是，仓库和配送中心（DC）的运营正在与货运同事保持联系。正如高级编辑罗伯托·米歇尔（Roberto Michel）上个月在我们2024年仓库/配送中心运营调查的结果中分享的那样，我们看到资本支出预算预测显著上升——从2023年的115万美元增加到今年的180万美元。

“除了在自动化和数据升级方面的积极投资外，我们还看到了仓库和配送中心运营中更广泛的技术转型趋势，以促进更具数据驱动的管理方法。”米歇尔说，“因此，随着这些对行业的积极结果，我们应该期待在即将到来的一年看到更多的战略创新，以准备好应对接下来的挑战。”

事实上，米歇尔所暗示的这种“战略创新”的一个很好的例子可以在本月的系统报告中找到，该报告介绍了Agile Cold Storage在亚特兰大附近新建的自动化配送中心，旨在满足两家关键食品加工客户在这一繁忙都市区的分销需求。他们已经拥有一个有吸引力的场地，需要扩建，但空间有限。

“这个故事的酷炫之处在于，Agile Cold Storage实施了一项经过验证的技术——高架、托盘式自动存取/检索系统（AS/RS），其系统设计符合其双重目标：可靠性和足够的容量，以满足食品加工客户的波动需求。”米歇尔说，“他们以适合其主要目标的方式部署自动化。”例如，米歇尔表示，Agile Cold没有选择在AS/RS前面设置更复杂的输送带循环，这本可以减少接收和尺寸测量站的数量，而是选择了在每个起重机通道前设置单独的进料站。

这为解决方案注入了一些硬件冗余，但避免了更复杂的循环进料成为单点故障。“我认为这表明自动化解决方案并非千篇一律，”米歇尔补充道，“通常有一些独特的系统设计元素，决定了硬件如何部署以适应特定公司或运营的操作目标。这就是战略创新。”

原文：Ready for the next boom?

In logistics, the “pendulum of power” between shippers and carriers typically swings back and
forth based on economic cycles and supply/demand dynamics every two to four years.
While the readers of Modern may not be charged with freight transportation planning,the pace of operations is inexorably tied to the rhythm and pace of what's in stock, what's being ordered, and what's moving out the door. And in turn, when that pace is rolling at breakneck speed, that's a good sign that it's time to upgrade, improve and invest.
The freight recession that started around the middle of 2022 has been responsible for some of the investment hesitancy in our 2023 Modern reader surveys. While there have been signs of gradual stabilization here in late 2024, many of our industry analysts tell us that full recovery in terms of demand and rate normalization may not reach us until the middle of next year.
However, things should really be rolling, if not booming by the end of 2025. The good news is that warehouse and DC operations are keeping in touch with their freight colleagues. As senior editor Roberto Michel shared last month in the findings of our 2024 Warehouse/DC Operations Survey, we're seeing a significant rise in capital expenditure budget projections—increasing from $1.15 million in 2023 to $1.8 million this year.
“On top of the positive move toward more investment in automation and upgrades in the data, we're also seeing a broader trend of technological transformation within warehouse and DC operations to facilitate a more data-driven approach to management,” says Michel. “So, with these positive results for the industry, we should look forward to seeing more strategic innovation over this coming year to be ready to handle what's next.”In fact, a good example of this “strategic innovation” Michel alludes to can be found in this month's System Report on Agile Cold Storage's new automated DC near Atlanta designed to facilitate the needs of two key food processing clients looking for distribution in this busy metro area. They already had an attractive site that needed an addition, but space was limited.
“The cool thing about this story is that Agile Cold Storage implemented a proven technology—a high-bay, pallet AS/RS—under a system design that suited its dual objectives of reliability and enough capacity to meet the demand swings of its food processor clients,”says Michel. “They're deploying automation in the way that suits their overriding objectives.”For example, Michel says that instead of doing a more complicated conveyor loop in front of the AS/RS that could have eliminated the need for as many receiving and dimensioning stations, Agile Cold opted for separate infeed stations in front of each crane aisle.
That injected some hardware redundancy into the solution, but avoided making a more complicated loop infeed a single-point-of failure.“I think it goes to show that automation
solutions aren't cookie cutter,” adds Michel.
“There are often some unique system design elements to how the hardware gets deployed to suit the operational objectives of a specific company or an operation. That's strategic innovation.”