The past, present, and future of supply-chain automation

We trace 20th-Century developments in the area of supply-chain automation and discuss the history of automation from the viewpoints of material-flow, information-flow, supervision and control, and relationship automation and identify future directions. The main message is that it is important to make balanced investments in all four facets of automation: material-flow, information-flow, supervision and control, and relationship automation to maximize shareholder value. to maximize shareholder value. Just in time to enhance 21st-century industry, material-flow, information-flow, supervision and control, and relationship automation are reaching maturity.