Consulting
Independent expertise for your warehouse automation project.
From feasibility studies and concept design to supplier evaluation and investment planning. Practical advice grounded in industry experience, tailored to your operation.
Approach
International warehouse automation expertise
International warehouse automation expert, entrepreneur and consultant with 20+ years of experience developing automated storage and material-handling solutions across Europe and North America.
- Vendor-neutral perspective
- Decision-focused methodology
- Independent of equipment suppliers
Deliverables
From your requirements to a recommended solution.
Methodology
A structured five-step approach: define, analyse, develop, compare and recommend.
Define
Confirm scope, decision criteria and required outputs. Review production volumes, SKU and pallet profiles, inventory policy, operating model, growth assumptions, site constraints and available layout information.
Analyze
Establish design basis: storage capacity, inbound/outbound and peak throughput, material flows, interfaces with production, operating hours, availability requirements and critical assumptions.
Develop
Create suitable automation concepts for finished-goods pallet storage and handling, including high-bay AS/RS and relevant alternatives. Establish preliminary sizing, configuration and layout principles.
Compare
Evaluate shortlisted concepts against capacity, performance, footprint, flexibility, operational complexity, scalability, implementation risk and indicative CAPEX/OPEX.
Recommend
Document preferred concept(s), design rationale, assumptions, risks and open items. Provide a clear feasibility conclusion and roadmap for detailed engineering, validation and supplier engagement.
Methodology
A structured five-step approach: define, analyse, develop, compare and recommend.
Define
Confirm scope, decision criteria and required outputs. Review production volumes, SKU and pallet profiles, inventory policy, operating model, growth assumptions, site constraints and available layout information.
Analyze
Establish design basis: storage capacity, inbound/outbound and peak throughput, material flows, interfaces with production, operating hours, availability requirements and critical assumptions.
Develop
Create suitable automation concepts for finished-goods pallet storage and handling, including high-bay AS/RS and relevant alternatives. Establish preliminary sizing, configuration and layout principles.
Compare
Evaluate shortlisted concepts against capacity, performance, footprint, flexibility, operational complexity, scalability, implementation risk and indicative CAPEX/OPEX.
Recommend
Document preferred concept(s), design rationale, assumptions, risks and open items. Provide a clear feasibility conclusion and roadmap for detailed engineering, validation and supplier engagement.
Areas of expertise
Deep specialization across the full spectrum of warehouse automation consulting — from initial feasibility through technology selection and investment decision.
- Feasibility studies
- Concept design
- Technology strategy
- Financial assessment
- Decision support
Track record
Selected Project Experience
Independent consulting engagements across warehouse automation feasibility, concept design and investment decision.
Cavendish Farms — HBW | 2018
Food-production pallet AS/RS
10,000 locations | 30 m high | Crane AS/RS
Feasibility study, concept design, and project design engineering for a high-bay automated storage and retrieval system serving a large-scale food production facility. Scope included capacity analysis, technology evaluation (high-bay AS/RS vs. deep-lane alternatives), preliminary sizing and layout, and a comparative ROM CAPEX/OPEX assessment to support the investment decision.
Walmart — MicroFulfillment | 2021
MicroFulfillment System for Grocery Store
15,000 locations | Multi-Temp. GTP Shuttle AS/RS | 1,000 Orders/day
Principal Engineer and Account Manager for Walmart Canada’s first fully automated market fulfilment centre with Dematic. Responsibilities spanned requirements definition, operational data analysis, technology selection, system sizing, concept and layout design, and customer coordination.
Cooper Electric — USA | 2024
Omni-Channel Fulfillment System
Omni-Channel Fulfillment | 100,000 units/h | Shuttle AS/RS Goods-to-Person | Robotic Palletizing
Principal Account Manager for the automation solution for Cooper Electric’s 600,000 sq. ft. distribution centre in Cranbury, New Jersey. The role combined engineering and account management, spanning operational analysis, technology selection, system sizing, layout development and customer coordination.
DSV 3PL — Canada | 2022
Innovative Sorter & Order Fulfillment System
Omni-Channel Fulfillment | 10,000 units/h | Pouch Sorter System
Principal Automation Engineer and Account Manager for the technology provider delivering DSV’s automated pouch sorter in Brampton, Ontario. Responsibilities spanned operational analysis, system sizing, concept and layout design, customer coordination and project delivery for retail and e-commerce fulfilment.
Independent, decision-focused advice before major engineering and capital resources are committed.
Christoph Buchmann, Founder — iAutomate