Case Study — Large Scale Capital Project

Selected from a 20-year track record of large-scale operations engagements

Greenfield Fulfillment Network:
$40M+ Build. 600K Units/Peak Day.
Delivered On Time.

A confidential engagement for a leading national retailer in fragrances, skincare, and home essentials — from a six-point whiteboard in a conference room to the client's flagship distribution hub for over a decade.

$40M+ Capital Deployed

600K Units / Peak Day

<12 Mo Concept to Operational

10+ Years as Flagship Hub

The Origin

It started in a conference room
with a marker.

In October 2012, a cross-functional team gathered with a single goal — define what success looks like. What came out of that room was a six-point ideal case written on a whiteboard and a hand-drawn facility concept that would become a $40M+ fulfillment network operational in under a year.

This is where it began.

Original client requirements whiteboard from October 2012

The Ideal Case. Six client requirements captured in the room where the engagement began. October 2012.

Original facility concept whiteboard showing two buildings and connector

The Solution Concept. Two buildings, one connector, one sorter — drawn on a whiteboard that same day. Built and operational by Peak 2013.

The Challenge

Six requirements.
One year. No margin for error.

The client entered this engagement with clear expectations. Every one of the following requirements needed to be met — not most of them, all of them.

Scale Throughput Capacity

Grow peak day processing from 450,000 to 600,000 units — a 33% capacity increase requiring new infrastructure, automation, and labor model design.

Limit Operational Disruptions

Build and launch a net-new facility network without disrupting the existing fulfillment operation serving live customer orders.

Achieve Full Peak 2013 Readiness

The operation had to be fully functional, staffed, and stress-tested before peak season. No delays. No extensions. No excuses.

Reduce Cost Per Unit (CPU)

Automation and process redesign needed to drive measurable CPU reduction — not just add capacity, but add it more efficiently.

Improve Outbound SLA Performance

Hit 95% same-day outbound SLA — a meaningful step up from existing performance that required both systems and operational discipline.

Build Flexibility for Long-Term Growth

The solution couldn't just solve for today. It needed to serve as the foundation for the client's growing multi-node fulfillment strategy well beyond 2015.

The Solution

From whiteboard to operational reality
in under a year.

As Project Director, I led a large cross-functional team spanning real estate, construction, automation, technology, and operations — coordinating $40M+ in capital deployment across every workstream simultaneously while keeping the existing operation running.

🏗️

Two-Building Network

Rapidly procured, cleaned, and prepared a second facility adjacent to an existing operation — executing the real estate acquisition, building preparation, and infrastructure buildout on a compressed timeline.

🔗

The Connector

Engineered and constructed a physical connector between the two buildings — enabling seamless product flow across the network and making the two facilities operate as a single integrated fulfillment hub.

💡

Put-to-Light Automation

Deployed a full Put-to-Light (PTL) system to drive the CPU reduction the client required — improving pick accuracy, throughput rates, and labor efficiency across the operation.

⚙️

High-Speed Sortation

Integrated a sorter system capable of handling the 600K unit/day throughput requirement while enabling the 95% same-day outbound SLA the client demanded.

💰

$40M+ Capital Program

Buildings, automation, MHE, infrastructure, and systems — all deployed on schedule and within budget across a multi-month capital deployment program.

👥

Cross-Functional Leadership

Managed every workstream — real estate, construction, automation vendors, technology teams, and operations — keeping the program on track while decisions moved fast and stakes were high.

The Outcome

On time. On budget.
Built to last.

The operation launched as planned. Every one of the six original requirements was met. Expected operational learnings during the ramp were anticipated, planned for, and managed — not surprises. The client received not just a launch, but a foundation.

✓

Launched on time — Peak 2013 readiness achieved

✓

600K units/peak day capacity delivered

✓

95% same-day outbound SLA target met

✓

Client highly satisfied with delivery and execution

Beyond
Go-Live.

What Made the Difference

Staying through the ramp.

Most project teams declare victory at go-live and move on. This engagement didn't end at launch. As Project Director, I stayed through the operational ramp — working alongside the team to translate a technically launched facility into a genuinely performing operation.

That decision — to stay and learn — changed how I think about operations leadership permanently. Running a project of this scale and seeing what happens after the ribbon is cut revealed what actually drives a successful operation: people leadership, clear goals and metrics, and real accountability. Those lessons became the foundation of every transformation that followed.

Greenfield Fulfillment Network:$40M+ Build. 600K Units/Peak Day.Delivered On Time.

It started in a conference roomwith a marker.

Six requirements.One year. No margin for error.