Half of surveyed operators say their automation cannot flex

Material Handling & Logistics reported on 9 March 2026 on a Lucas Systems study of 114 U.S. supply-chain executives. Fifty-one percent said their automation is unprepared for unforeseen changes. The same share said they see more unplanned disruption than three years earlier. Eighty-five percent had up to 10 significant unplanned disruptions in the past year, and 7 percent had more than 10.

The disruptions named include system downtime, equipment failure, labor shortages, and demand spikes. Seventy-seven percent said at least half of their hardware or software is too rigid to respond. When the line is the thing that failed, the recovery is still a person at the equipment, with a drawing and a next step.