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The Zion Experience

The Zion Experience

by Zion Solutions Group

Season 3

Preparing For Peak Season

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.

Designing Warehouse Operations For Healthcare

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.

Live from Modex 2026!

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.

The Ins and Outs of Network Optimization

Every few years, most distribution centers hit a moment where they have to step back and ask: “Does our network still make sense?” Whether it’s growth, acquisitions, shifting demand, sourcing changes… it all adds up, revealing that what worked 3–5 years ago may not work today. In our latest TZE episode, @Jim Shaw and @Jordan Frank sit down with @Steve Spratt to talk about how companies should approach network optimization. The conversation includes: ➡️ What you need to know before starting a network optimization design project ➡️ Why service doesn’t always improve with proximity ➡️ How small changes (like inventory positioning or even tote size) can have an impact

WMS Project Planning & Preparation: What to Get Right Before You Begin

More often than not, problems during a WMS rollout start earlier, when teams move too quickly through planning, requirements, and testing. In our latest Zion Experience episode, Jim Shaw and Drew Eubank talk through what it takes to prepare for a WMS project before vendor selection and implementation begin. In this conversation, they cover: ➡️ Why understanding your “why” is the first step ➡️ Why process mapping from order creation through shipment matters ➡️ How rushed requirements create scope problems later ➡️ Why provider evaluation should stay agnostic ➡️ Why testing needs more time than most teams expect One of the clearest takeaways from the episode is that WMS projects are a heavy lift, and spending the time up front will determine how much pain shows up later.

Why Operations Advisory Exists

“Data never lies… but it also never tells the whole story.” That line from Drew in our latest Zion Experience episode is the reason Operations Advisory exists. In this episode, Jen Thomas sits down with Jim Shaw and Drew Eubank to break down how advisory really works. They talk through defining the right problem, walking the distribution center floor, identifying quick wins, and building a roadmap grounded in reality. Because the truth usually lives somewhere between what the reports say and what the floor is actually doing to keep things moving.

Protecting Your Automation Investment Through Maintenance

Automation is a capital investment. Maintenance determines whether that investment delivers long-term value. In our latest Zion Experience episode, we talk with Lee Hobbs about what it actually takes to sustain automated distribution centers over time. In this conversation, we cover: ➡️ Why preventive and proactive maintenance protects your original capital investment ➡️ How small issues turn into major disruptions when ignored ➡️ What a practical maintenance roadmap looks like in modern automated DCs ➡️ How technician skill sets are evolving alongside automation Strong maintenance programs reduce downtime, extend equipment life, stabilize operations, and protect capital over the long-term.

2026 Distribution Center Automation: What's Evolving and What's Trending

2026 Distribution Center Automation: What's Evolving and What's Trending In our latest Zion Experience episode, Jim Shaw, Jordan Frank, and Drew Eubank talk through what shifted in 2025 and what they’re watching heading into 2026. Spoiler Alert! 1. Systems are getting more advanced while also becoming easier to use, thanks to better interfaces and a stronger focus on the operator experience. 2. At the same time, the vendor landscape feels less chaotic than it did during the COVID wave. The market has matured, and teams are getting clearer about what’s sustainable versus what just demos well.

How DC Automation is Improving Health Care and Saving Lives

Explore with us how DC automation is transforming healthcare operations at St. Vincent De Paul and helping save lives through smarter, more efficient processes. The Medication Access Program (MAP) at St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy relies on donated medication to serve patients who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it. But donations were arriving faster than they could be inspected, sorted, and made available. Even with volunteers stepping in, the process couldn’t keep up. The SVDP team had a vision to expand the program and serve more patients, which meant automating the process to increase speed and capacity. In this conversation, we talk through: -Why manual processes couldn’t scale, even with volunteers -How automation shifted processing time from months to a single day -What changes when inventory accuracy becomes immediate

2025 Year in Review

Most decisions look good over 12 months. Very few still look good over 7 to 10 years. In our Year in Review podcast, @Jim Shaw, @Jordan Frank, @Drew Eubank, and @Chuck Frank discuss a simple but challenging question: What does it actually mean to be the choice for customers, partners, and team members over the long term? The discussion touches on: ➡️Investing in people so they want to stay and grow with you ➡️Choosing innovation that solves real problems, not just looks impressive ➡️Building recurring, sustainable revenue that supports customers year after year This episode offers a transparent look at how we closed out 2025 and how that perspective is shaping our 2026 roadmap.

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