Inside the C-Suite: The End of Overpromised Automation
Customers want results, not just more technology. Read this executive interview with Hai Robotics CEO of Americas, Adrian Stoch, on the industry’s shift toward accountability and customer obsession, as seen at MODEX. Explore the full interview on Modern Materials Handling.
Q: What stood out most to you at MODEX 2026?
A: What stood out wasn’t a single breakthrough technology, but a clear shift in mindset. Customers are no longer asking, “What’s new?”. They’re asking, “What works, and what will deliver results in my operation?”. The most meaningful conversations were centered on accountability: measurable outcomes tied to customer success, faster time to value, and solutions that deliver on breaking the constraints they were designed to break.
There’s growing fatigue around overpromised automation that underdelivers. Instead, customers are prioritizing proven, scalable systems that can adapt as their business evolves, along with choosing partners who can support them over the long term rather than simply deliver technology. The industry is moving toward practical innovation grounded in execution, not hype-driven features or superficial “bells and whistles.”
Success is no longer defined by deploying automation; it’s defined by achieving the KPIs that matter to the customer.
Q: What two or three developments are shaping the market right now?
A:
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There’s a heightened focus on ROI certainty. Economic pressure is forcing more disciplined investment decisions, and customers expect clarity on performance before committing.
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Operational resilience has become non-negotiable. Supply chains must handle variability without constant reinvestment, which is driving demand for flexible, modular solutions.
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Lastly, there’s a shift in expectations — from technology providers delivering systems to partners delivering outcomes. Customers want alignment with their goals, not just a completed installation.
Across the board, there’s less tolerance for failure. Automation projects that miss expectations don’t just impact budgets, they disrupt entire operations and careers. That’s fundamentally changing how decisions are made and who customers choose to work with.
Q: How is your company responding to these developments?
A: Designing and delivering resilient, flexible solutions that achieve the ROI will become table stakes in our industry from here on out. The supplier-vendor model is no longer enough; customers are searching for, and deserve, partners willing to put their own success on the line and measure it against the customer’s operational outcomes. In response to what we see coming, we’ve made a deliberate shift in our mentality by embedding Customer Obsession Behaviors into our culture.
This means operating with greater responsiveness, clearer communication, and full transparency — creating mutually aligned expectations. This approach requires deeper ownership, accountability, and using data to drive the right outcomes. It also means acting as true advocates to our customers, guiding their decisions to ensure long-term success.
We will remain actively engaged beyond go-live to validate performance and ensure sustained operational success, aligning our business KPIs with our customers’ KPIs and definitions of success.
The era of selling automation and walking away is over; the industry needs partners who are willing to be measured by the outcomes their customers actually achieve from their investment in automation.
Read more on Modern Materials Handling here.