Warehouses, factories, and other supply chain facilities have become host to some intense competition and big prizes lately. Who would have thought? (Apparently, the people who understand how to modify behavior and started building gamification apps.) Tune in to hear how and why gamification works, especially on the frontline.

Is friction friend or foe in retail?

Most would argue the latter. But after talking to Rack Room Shoes’ CIO Brian Minnix recently, Zebra Retail Industry Principal Jim Musco believes friction isn't as bad as some might believe.

Think about it: If you're a retailer, what motivates you to modernize your stores more than friction (or the cost of friction)?

Not much, right?

And what happens when you uncover dozens of friction points in your stores?

You start committing a lot of resources to extinguish them.

The result?

Store operations run more smoothly because associates end up with the tools they need to better manage inventory, fulfill orders, assist customers, and more.

So, don't write off friction as the enemy too quickly. But do listen to how Brian worked fast (for the retail world) to rid his stores of friction in this 20-minute chat with Jim. Then learn more about the Rack Room story (that you don't normally see in the media) here.

Is enough being done to protect the health and safety of football players and other contact sport athletes at all levels of their game? Cognitive scientist (and former NFL tight end) Julius Thomas provided his professional opinion in a recent episode of Chalk Talk. See if you agree with his perspective and advice then check out this additional commentary about what pro football players experience on the field. (Constant car crash-type impacts?!)