Changing demands on customers and the influence of e-commerce are creating a convergence of automation and material handling systems. In light of these rapidly changing business conditions, Wolter Group, a family-owned group of companies that include dealers of lift trucks, engineered systems, automation, storage and handling, equipment leasing, and other products and services, has developed a vision for the "convergence of systems within the supply chain," according to President Jerry Weidman. Weidman breaks down the "convergence of systems within the supply chain" into six categories:

• business systems,
• communication technologies,
• plant and warehouse automation,
• telemetry,
• vehicle guidance systems, and
• the Internet of Things.

To support this vision, the company has developed partnerships aimed at providing customers with complete facility integration—"from the four walls to the four wheels," as Weidman puts it.

For more information, see the Wolter Group website.