13/10/2026
Across both roundtable events, two themes came up again and again: order fulfilment efficiency, and the long-term cost benefits of a well-chosen automation solution.
The sharpest question of the sessions came from an attendee in Johannesburg: when weighing up an automation investment, how do you decide whether to build the business case around long-term strategy or short-term payback?
It's a fair question, and not an easy one. Short-term payback is simple to model and easy to justify internally. Long-term strategy is harder to quantify, but it's usually where the real value sits, in a system that keeps performing as the business changes around it, not just one that pays for itself in year one.
That question also pointed to the real reason these conversations matter. In Johannesburg, three delegates independently confirmed the same thing: the partnership between Apex and Dematic is exactly what the market needs right now, both for the technology itself and the ongoing support behind it.
That's the clearest insight to come out of either session. Businesses aren't just choosing a system. They're choosing who stands behind it once it's live.
