A specialist in artificial intelligence, robotics, and intelligent logistics, Lit Fung is managing director and vice president of international business and the Americas at warehouse robotics and automation company Geek+. Among other accomplishments, he led Geek+’s first overseas deployments and has built its international organization and partner ecosystem in more than 40 countries, overseeing strategy, sales, delivery, and customer success across these international markets.
Q: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT MARKET FOR WAREHOUSE ROBOTICS?
A: The market has entered a new phase of maturity. When we first started, many companies we spoke with viewed warehouse robotics as an innovation project, which often led to proof-of-concept projects. Today, it’s increasingly considered a strategic business investment largely driven by persistent labor shortages, rising customer expectations, and SKU [stock-keeping unit] proliferation.
The need for greater supply chain resilience has fundamentally changed how companies think about warehouse operations. As a result, automation is no longer just about reducing labor costs; companies also want to create more agile, scalable, and predictable operations.
Q: YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING GEEK+ AS AN INTERNATIONAL PLAYER. ARE THERE SOME LESSONS YOU LEARNED IN LAUNCHING OPERATIONS IN MULTIPLE COUNTRIES?
A: One of the biggest lessons is that while logistics challenges are remarkably similar around the world, every market is different with respect to how business gets done. Success requires much more than shipping technology into a new country. It requires local talent, trusted partners, responsive service, and a willingness to understand each customer’s operating environment.
Q: WHERE DOES SOFTWARE FIT INTO A SUCCESSFUL ROBOT INSTALLATION?
A: Robots execute physical tasks, but software orchestrates the entire operation. Without intelligent software, even the most advanced robots cannot operate at their full potential. The software determines task prioritization, traffic management, inventory movement, resource allocation, and integration with warehouse management systems and enterprise platforms.
Good software enables facilities to optimize throughput, respond to changing demand, and continuously improve performance through analytics and data-driven decision-making.
Q: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO’S JUST BEGINNING TO EXPLORE AUTOMATION FOR THEIR DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS?
A: Start with your business objectives rather than the technology. It’s easy to become fascinated by robotics demonstrations, but the most successful automation projects begin with identifying the operational challenges you’re trying to solve. Whether the goal is increasing throughput, improving storage density, addressing labor shortages, or supporting future growth, those priorities should drive the automation strategy. I would also encourage companies to think beyond today’s requirements. Choose solutions that can scale as your business grows rather than just solving an immediate problem.
Q: WHAT INNOVATIONS IN WAREHOUSE ROBOTICS DO YOU FORESEE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?
A: We’re entering an era where warehouse automation is becoming increasingly intelligent rather than simply becoming more automated. Artificial intelligence will play a much larger role in optimizing workflows, predicting demand, dynamically allocating resources, and continuously improving warehouse performance through real-time learning.
We’re also seeing greater integration across different forms of automation. AMRs, robotic arms, machine vision, AI, and warehouse software are becoming part of a unified ecosystem instead of operating as separate technologies. The future isn’t about individual robots—it’s about intelligent orchestration.
