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.

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.

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