Specialist 3PL fulfilment provider Europa Warehouse picked 78.8 million individual units through its operations in 2023. This is a record for the company, which has invested over £70m in its award-winning warehouse facilities, including £11m in cutting edge automation at its Corby site.
Such a significant investment was not without risks, not least as it was taking place during the Covid pandemic and Brexit, both of which were particularly complex times for business and for 3PL customers. Dionne Redpath, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Warehouse at Europa Worldwide Group, explains: “We didn’t have the benefit of others’ experiences to aid us in our ventures so we thought it important to share five lessons which Europa Warehouse learned from its first venture in technology.”
Lesson one: know your flow
“It’s true to say that any investment – whether this be in new equipment or real estate – can be a risky business because it’s such a significant investment and you want to ensure you achieve your ROI and build in resiliency and futureproofing.
“While it may seem like common sense, having a good understanding of a customer’s flow is pivotal to futureproofing a system – everything from product range, packaging, marketplace, potential client demand change over time, and any future goals. It’s important to keep sight of how this will impact on the process you’re designing. The devil is absolutely in the detail, but a zoomed-out view is also required, particularly when thinking about futureproofing.”
Lesson two: teamwork makes the dreamwork
“One of the best things a business can do to ensure its project is successful is bring in the correct expertise. It really takes a village to pull off a project like automation. We needed to involve our customers, suppliers, contractors, landlord, finance, IT and procurement – and that’s not including our internal operational team. One of the best things we did was bring in the necessary expertise, create governance around the team’s responsibilities and clearly communicate the consequences of delay.”
Lesson three: supplier relations are critical
“Finding the right ‘people fit’ is really important to any job for establishing the right culture and working environment. When we embarked on this automation journey, we needed to work closely with our lead supplier for a significant period in difficult conditions. We were given case studies to demonstrate how brilliantly past projects turned out, but we were also able to ‘test’ our selection of suppliers based on how they responded when things aren’t going to plan. This is a more realistic reflection of such a migration project. Finally, contracts are great, but there’s nothing like working with a team, which has the same ethos, approach and focus. It really does make the job simple!”
Lesson four: timing is everything
“While it’s a bit of a cliché, timing really is everything in a large-scale technological investment. Ensure sufficient fat in the plan – even if you think you have plenty of time, it vanishes in a heartbeat when you’re up against it. Plan every scenario, have a contingency plan in place and have something ready to dust off and mobilise if it’s not going to plan.”
Lesson five: feel the fear but do it anyway
“Doing what’s right, and not what’s easy is one of Europa’s company values. While largescale investments in tech are costly and risky, that’s not to say it won’t be worthwhile in the long run. To businesses seeking to take similar steps I’d say don’t talk yourself out of it and, if the business case is sound – go for it.”
Europa Warehouse is now one of only a few operators in the UK offering a futureproofed shared-user automated picking system. Designed for products that can be stored in totes, the system is ideal for clients who operate with a large SKU range and a complex, volatile order profile, often requiring operations to dramatically scale up and down within a short period of time.
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