Megan manages an online clothing store. She must determine what her company's warehouses and distributing facilities need and which type of automation can maximize order efficiency. What major phase of the planning process does this example describe?

data gathering

Explanation:

Data gathering -

It refers to the process of collecting the data or information in a system , is referred to as the process of data gathering .

The method is adapted in order to collect relevant information for a specific topic which is need for the project or personal use .

The method is used in various field like social studies , environment studies etc.  

Hence , from the given scenario of the question ,

The correct answer is data gathering .

industry had made the u.s. the richest nation in the world at this time. the second industrial revolution caused growth in industry and transportation, which allowed increased trade between nations.