Operations consulting for e-commerce

We make operations perform better.

We help e-commerce businesses improve warehouse productivity, inventory accuracy, fulfilment performance and logistics costs.

Diagnose. / Design. / Deliver.
E-commerce Health Check
Higher
productivity
Lower
operating costs
Better
order accuracy
Faster
fulfilment
Our offer

Operations solutions for
e-commerce and logistics.

From operational diagnosis to implementation and measurable results. We focus on what delivers real business impact.

E-commerce Operations Health Check

Comprehensive diagnosis of your e-commerce operations.

Warehouse Performance

Higher productivity, capacity and process efficiency.

Inventory Intelligence

Better stock availability, lower inventory and higher turnover.

Logistics Cost Optimisation

Identify and reduce logistics and fulfilment costs.

Operations Transformation 90 Days

From insights to implementation and measurable improvement.

Warehouse Automation Advisory

Business case, technology choice and delivery of automation projects.
OPERATIONS LABQ4

E-commerce Operations Health Check

3.8
Fulfilment3.9
Inventory3.6
Warehouse3.8
Processes3.4
Technology3.3
FLAGSHIP SERVICE

E-commerce Operations Health Check

A practical, data-driven assessment of your e-commerce operations with a clear improvement plan.

7–10 days
turnaround
Actionable
recommendations
90-day
improvement plan
Learn more
Warehouse Automation Advisory

Automation that pays back.
Designed with an operator’s eye.

We help you decide whether, what and when to automate, and then deliver the project on time and in budget. Vendor-neutral: our goal is your cost per order, not selling equipment.

01

Analysis & business case

Order profile, volumes and growth scenarios. Automation options compared on CAPEX, OPEX and payback.

02

Concept & technology choice

Layout, material flows and capacity. Selecting the right mix of technologies for your SKU and order profile.

03

Tender & vendor selection

User requirements (URS), RFQ, comparison of offers, negotiation of price, SLA and guarantees.

04

Delivery & ramp-up

Schedule and budget control, acceptance tests, go-live, ramp-up to target throughput and team training.

PROVEN IN PRACTICE
€50Mwarehouse automation (shuttle, sorters, conveyors) delivered 100% on time and in budget
+50%automated system throughput after a process model change
+60%inbound efficiency in an automated warehouse
TECHNOLOGIES WE WORK WITH
ShuttleCube storageSortersConveyorsAMR / AGVPick-to-lightWMS / WCS

Not sure automation makes sense yet? Start with the Health Check: it shows whether processes are ready to automate.

More about automation advisory
Our approach

A proven, practical process.

1. Diagnose

Analyse your operations and identify real improvement potential.

2. Design

Develop practical, data-driven solutions tailored to your business.

3. Deliver

Support implementation and turn recommendations into results.

Typical results

Measurable impact
for e-commerce businesses.

-16%Fulfilment cost
per order
+30%Picking
productivity
-18%Inventory
value
-32%Returns
handling time
About Operations Lab

Why I started Operations Lab.

For over 20 years I have worked in logistics, manufacturing and e-commerce companies, optimising warehouse, transport and purchasing processes: from Exide and Aluplast, through Arvato and InPost, to AUTODOC.

In every project I saw the same limitations and challenges. Companies know their operating cost could be lower, but they lack the time, data or experience to fight for it effectively. Teams are busy firefighting, and improvements wait for “a better moment”.

That is why I started Operations Lab. I want to use this experience to help companies fight for a better operating cost: a fast diagnosis, a concrete plan and hands-on support with implementation, until the effect shows in the numbers.

Practice over slidesSolutions tested on real warehouse floors.
Numbers over opinionsEvery recommendation has a KPI and a value.
Delivery, not just a reportWe stay until the results show up.
Hubert Walczak

Hubert
Walczak

SUPPLY CHAIN DIRECTOR

Supply chain director with 20+ years in logistics, warehousing, distribution and manufacturing, including 15+ years in leadership roles. As a Board Member of AUTODOC Logistics I was accountable for 2,000+ employees, a €30M+ budget and a €50M automation investment delivered on time and in budget. I teach at Kraków Business School (UEK) and WLS Academy.

20+years in logistics & supply chain
2,000+employees in managed operations
€50Mautomation investment, on time & budget
€6M+savings generated
WMSLean · Six Sigma · KaizenPL · EN · DE
Career path

Companies and roles.

Manufacturing, 3PL, fulfilment, e-commerce and distribution: I understand operations whatever the business model.

03.2026 – present
Interhandler (JCB, KIOTI)Construction & agricultural machinery
Logistics Director
Warehouse logistics, transport and materials purchasing across five group businesses; inventory reduction and WMS rollout preparation.
03.2023 – 12.2025
AUTODOC Logistics, SzczecinAuto parts e-commerce
Infrastructure Director / Board Member
2,000+ employees, €30M+ budget, €50M automation delivered on time and in budget; +50% automated throughput, €4M packaging savings.
08.2022 – 02.2023
AUTODOC Logistics, BerlinAuto parts e-commerce
Supply Chain Strategy Director
European distribution network and capacity plan; M&A integration support.
11.2020 – 08.2022
Rohlig SUUS LogisticsLogistics / fulfilment
Head of E-commerce
End-to-end B2B/B2C fulfilment model and dedicated fulfilment centres; oversized-goods delivery via Allegro.
07.2019 – 08.2020
InPost (Integer Group)Logistics / fulfilment
Head of Fulfilment
Fulfilment service built from scratch: 40 customers in year one, 3 new fulfilment centres (30,000 m²).
11.2017 – 2024
ChaingersSupply chain consulting
Logistics & Distribution Optimisation Expert
Distribution network design, material flow optimisation, warehouse layouts and process redesign.
05.2017 – 06.2019
Arvato PolskaLogistics / 3PL
Distribution Centre Manager
Multi-client DCs, 80,000 m², 600+ staff; positive EBITDA, −15% operating costs with Lean/Kaizen.
02.2014 – 04.2017
AluplastManufacturing
Logistics Director
Team of 300+, KPI/OTIF programme, +40% space utilisation, €150k yearly savings on slow stock.
03.2010 – 01.2014
Exide TechnologiesManufacturing
Distribution Centre Manager
DC serving Central & Eastern Europe, materials purchasing, 4PL transport platform with €2M savings.
2004 – 2010
H&M Logistics · FlexLink · Bilfinger
Team Leader · Project Leader
In parallel
Teaching & community
Lecturer, Kraków Business School (UEK)Expert lecturer, WLS AcademyMember, PSML
Automation ROI calculator

Does warehouse automation pay off for you?

Enter a few numbers about your warehouse and get an indicative range of savings, investment and payback. The estimate is based on benchmarks from real automation projects.

Your warehouse

At this volume full automation rarely pays back. Process optimisation, slotting and semi-automation usually bring a faster return. Let’s check it in a Health Check.
Payback
–
indicative range, years
Annual savings
–
labour savings minus higher running costs
Estimated investment
–
system with installation and out-of-scope costs
Staff after automation
–

Labour cost per order

Today
–
After automation
–

Indicative estimate based on typical ranges: labour reduction of 35–50% for goods-to-person and 50–60% for advanced automation, investment per order per day of design capacity, and running costs (service and energy) of 3.5–4.5% of the investment per year. It does not replace an analysis of your order profile, building and vendor offers.

Want an exact business case?

We compare real vendor offers with your manual process: labour hours by process, FTE, cost per order, ROI, NPV and payback with ramp-up.

Business Case Pro
BUSINESS CASE PRO

The full automation business case tool, by subscription.

The same model we use in consulting projects. Compare any number of vendors and your manual process, with your own parameters.

Unlimited scenarios

Vendors, variants and phases side by side, plus your manual process as the baseline.

Process-level model

Labour hours for unloading, putaway, decanting, picking, packing and loading in six zones.

ROI, NPV and payback

Including EBITDA view, ramp-up year, cost of capital, cash flows and qualitative scoring.

Export to Excel

Results and all inputs in one file, ready for your board or investment committee.

Saved projects

Separate analyses for each site or client, saved in your account.

Expert support

Optionally, an Operations Lab expert prepares the analysis, report, presentation and recommendation.

FOR YOUR OWN PROJECT

Pro

€229 net / month
€2,290 net / year
Minimum 3 months
= €191 per month
  • 1 user
  • Up to 3 active projects
  • All vendors vs manual process, NPV, IRR, sensitivity
  • Board report (PDF) and Excel export
FOR CONSULTANTS & GROUPS

Advisor

€579 net / month
€5,790 net / year
Minimum 3 months
= €483 per month
  • Everything in Pro
  • Unlimited projects
  • Up to 3 users
  • Board report with your own logo
  • Methodology onboarding session
DONE WITH AN EXPERT

Pro + Review

€7,690 net / project
Annual Pro access included
  • Data analysis and review of vendor offers
  • Business case built by an Operations Lab expert
  • Board report and presentation
  • Recommended option and negotiation points
  • Results presented at your board meeting

All prices are net (excl. VAT).

E-COMMERCE OPERATIONS HEALTH CHECK

A clear diagnosis of your operations in 7–10 days.

An independent, data-driven assessment of fulfilment, inventory, warehouse, processes and technology. You get a KPI baseline, quantified savings and a 90-day plan.

See the methodology
7–10days from kick-off to results
5areas assessed
1–5maturity scale per area
90day action plan
What it is

A structured check-up of your operations, done by an operator.

The Health Check answers three questions: where your operations stand today, where the money is lost, and what to fix first. We combine data analysis with what we see on the warehouse floor.

It is based on 20+ years of running fulfilment and distribution centres. No generic slides: every recommendation comes with its expected impact, cost and owner.

When it makes sense

  • Cost per order keeps rising and nobody can say exactly why
  • Every peak season means overtime, temps and late orders
  • You are planning growth, a new warehouse or automation
  • Stock is high but availability is still a problem
  • New management needs an independent view of operations
What we assess

Five areas, one integrated view.

01

Fulfilment & order flow

Order profile, cut-off times, order-to-ship lead time, peak handling and on-time dispatch.

Cost per order · OTD · lead time
02

Inventory

Stock structure, ABC/XYZ, slow movers, availability and inventory accuracy.

Days of cover · availability · accuracy
03

Warehouse & layout

Space use, slotting, travel distances, storage density and capacity headroom.

Pick travel · utilisation · density
04

Processes & people

Productivity per process, labour planning, shift model, quality and returns handling.

Lines/h · error rate · returns time
05

Technology & data

WMS functionality and use, integrations, reporting, and readiness for automation.

Data quality · reporting · automation readiness
Methodology

From data to a 90-day plan in five steps.

  1. Day 0

    Kick-off & data request

    A 60-minute call to agree goals and scope. You receive a short data checklist; we sign an NDA.

  2. Days 1–3

    Data analysis

    Order, stock and labour data turned into a KPI baseline: cost per order, productivity, inventory structure and capacity.

  3. Days 3–5

    On-site diagnosis

    Gemba walk through every process, time observations, interviews with managers and team leaders. Remote option available.

  4. Days 6–8

    Scoring & quantification

    Each of the 5 areas scored on a 1–5 maturity scale. Every improvement opportunity sized in money and FTE.

  5. Days 9–10

    Results & 90-day plan

    Management workshop: findings, priorities and a 90-day plan with owners, milestones and expected impact.

Scoring

Each area scored on a 1–5 maturity scale.

The score is based on measured KPIs and observed practices, not on opinions. It shows where you are, where comparable operations are, and the realistic next level.

1

Reactive

Firefighting, little data, results depend on individuals.

2

Basic

Processes defined, KPIs measured occasionally.

3

Managed

Regular KPIs, standards and planning in place.

4

Optimised

Continuous improvement, data-driven decisions.

5

Best in class

Benchmark level, scalable and ready for growth.

What you get

  • Report with findings and quantified opportunities
  • KPI baseline and benchmark against comparable operations
  • Maturity heatmap across the 5 areas
  • Savings potential in money and FTE
  • 90-day plan: quick wins, owners, milestones
  • Management workshop and recommendation on automation

What we need from you

  • Order lines for 3–12 months (date, order, SKU, quantity)
  • Stock snapshot and SKU master data (dimensions, location)
  • Headcount, hours and labour cost by process
  • Warehouse layout and current KPIs, if available
  • 4–6 hours of key people’s time

Don’t have all the data? That is normal. We work with what you have and flag the gaps.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to be on site?

We recommend 1–2 days on site, because the gemba walk shows what data cannot. A fully remote version is possible.

How is our data protected?

We sign an NDA before any data is shared. Data is used only for the assessment and deleted on request.

How is it priced?

A fixed fee agreed upfront, based on the number of sites and the scope. No hourly billing and no surprises.

What happens after the Health Check?

You can implement the plan yourself, or we can support you in the Operations Transformation 90 Days programme or with automation advisory.

Is it only for e-commerce?

It is designed for e-commerce and omnichannel fulfilment, and works equally well for B2B distribution and spare parts warehouses.

Ready to see where your operations stand?

Book a 30-minute call. We will agree the scope and send a fixed-price proposal.

WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION ADVISORY

Automation that pays back. Designed with an operator’s eye.

We help you decide whether, what and when to automate, choose the right vendor and deliver the project on time and in budget.

Check ROI in 1 minute
€50Mautomation project delivered on time and in budget
4phases, from business case to ramp-up
0%vendor commissions
+50%system throughput after process change
Why it matters

Automation is a 10-year decision. Get it right the first time.

The wrong technology, an oversized system or an incomplete offer can cost millions and years of payback. Most problems start before the contract is signed: in the data, the concept and the tender.

We stand on your side of the table: we model your real order profile, compare options and vendors on the same scope, and stay with you until the system reaches target throughput.

When to call us

  • Labour cost and availability limit your growth
  • Your warehouse runs out of capacity in 2–3 years
  • You have vendor offers and cannot compare them fairly
  • The board needs a solid business case before investing
  • An automation project is late, over budget or below throughput
How we work

Four phases. You can start with any of them.

  1. 01 · 2–4 weeks

    Analysis & business case

    Order profile, SKU and volume analysis, growth and peak scenarios. Options compared on CAPEX, OPEX, NPV and payback, including the manual baseline.

    Outcome: Business case and recommendation
  2. 02 · 3–6 weeks

    Concept & technology choice

    Layout, material flows, capacity and storage design. The right mix of technologies for your SKU and order profile, with simulation of peaks.

    Outcome: Concept design and capacity model
  3. 03 · 6–10 weeks

    Tender & vendor selection

    User requirements (URS), RFQ to 3–5 vendors, offers normalised to the same scope, negotiation of price, SLA, guarantees and penalties.

    Outcome: Vendor comparison and contract terms
  4. 04 · 9–18 months

    Delivery & ramp-up

    Owner’s engineer: schedule and budget control, FAT/SAT acceptance tests, go-live, ramp-up to target throughput and team training.

    Outcome: System at target throughput
Tools

Check the numbers yourself, before we even talk.

FREE

ROI calculator

A quick estimate of savings, CAPEX and payback for goods-to-person or full automation, based on your volume and labour cost.

Open the calculator
SUBSCRIPTION

Business Case Pro

The full model we use in projects: any number of vendors vs your manual process, NPV and IRR after tax, sensitivity, offer normalisation and a board report.

See plans
Technologies

We compare all the main options, not just one.

Shuttle systems

High-throughput goods-to-person for totes and cartons.

Cube / grid storage

Very dense tote storage with robots on a grid.

AMR / AGV

Flexible mobile robots, easy to scale step by step.

Sorters & put-walls

Order consolidation and parcel sorting for e-commerce.

Conveyors & auto-packing

Flow between zones, right-sized boxes, lower packaging cost.

Pick-to-light & WMS/WCS

Semi-automation and the software layer that makes it work.

Why Operations Lab

Vendor-neutral

We are not paid by vendors. The only goal is your cost per order.

An operator’s eye

We have run automated warehouses ourselves, including a €50M project delivered on time and in budget.

Numbers first

Every option gets a full business case: CAPEX, OPEX, NPV, payback and sensitivity.

Right-sized automation

Sometimes the best answer is optimisation or semi-automation. We will tell you.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do you work with specific vendors?

No. We know the market and the leading vendors, but we take no commissions. Our recommendation is independent.

Can you join a project that has already started?

Yes. We often help at the tender stage or during ramp-up, when throughput is below the contract.

What volume justifies automation?

It depends on the order profile and labour cost. As a rule of thumb, goods-to-person starts to pay back above a few thousand orders a day. Check it in our ROI calculator.

Can we order only the business case?

Yes. Phase 1 is a standalone service and ends with a clear recommendation, even if the answer is “not yet”.

Planning automation or already have offers?

Book a 30-minute call. We will tell you where the biggest risk and the biggest saving are.

OPERATIONS LAB

Privacy policy

Polityka prywatności

Obowiązuje od 5 listopada 2026 r.

1. Administrator danych

Administratorem danych osobowych jest Hubert Walczak, prowadzący działalność gospodarczą pod firmą Hubert Walczak Operations Lab, ul. Działkowa 7, 62-090 Rokietnica, NIP 7772575075. Kontakt w sprawach danych osobowych: kontakt@operations-lab.pl.

2. Jakie dane i w jakim celu

Przetwarzamy dane podane w formularzu kontaktowym lub w wiadomości e-mail: imię i nazwisko, adres e-mail, nazwę firmy, temat i treść wiadomości. Wykorzystujemy je, aby odpowiedzieć na zapytanie, przygotować ofertę i prowadzić dalszą korespondencję.

3. Podstawa prawna

Art. 6 ust. 1 lit. b RODO (działania przed zawarciem umowy na Twoje żądanie) oraz art. 6 ust. 1 lit. f RODO (prawnie uzasadniony interes administratora, czyli odpowiedź na korespondencję i kontakt biznesowy). Podanie danych jest dobrowolne, ale bez nich nie możemy odpowiedzieć.

4. Jak długo

Dane przechowujemy przez czas prowadzenia korespondencji, a następnie maksymalnie 12 miesięcy, chyba że zawrzemy umowę. Wtedy dane przechowujemy przez okres jej realizacji i okres wymagany przepisami podatkowymi lub do przedawnienia roszczeń.

5. Odbiorcy danych

Dane mogą być powierzane dostawcom usług, z których korzystamy: hostingu strony i obsługi formularza (Netlify, Inc.), poczty e-mail (Google Ireland Ltd., Google Workspace) oraz biuru rachunkowemu. Część z nich może przetwarzać dane poza Europejskim Obszarem Gospodarczym, w szczególności w USA, na podstawie decyzji Komisji Europejskiej (EU-US Data Privacy Framework) lub standardowych klauzul umownych.

6. Twoje prawa

Masz prawo dostępu do danych, ich sprostowania, usunięcia, ograniczenia przetwarzania, przenoszenia danych oraz wniesienia sprzeciwu wobec przetwarzania opartego na prawnie uzasadnionym interesie. Masz też prawo wnieść skargę do Prezesa Urzędu Ochrony Danych Osobowych (ul. Stawki 2, 00-193 Warszawa).

7. Pliki cookies i podobne technologie

Strona nie używa plików cookies do analityki ani reklamy. W pamięci przeglądarki (localStorage) zapisujemy wyłącznie wybrany język strony. Kroje pisma są pobierane z usługi Google Fonts, co oznacza przekazanie Twojego adresu IP do Google.

8. Profilowanie

Nie podejmujemy decyzji w sposób zautomatyzowany i nie profilujemy użytkowników.

Privacy policy

Effective from 5 November 2026.

1. Controller

The controller of your personal data is Hubert Walczak, running a business under the name Hubert Walczak Operations Lab, ul. Działkowa 7, 62-090 Rokietnica, Poland, tax ID (NIP) 7772575075. Contact for data protection matters: kontakt@operations-lab.pl.

2. What data and why

We process the data you provide in the contact form or by e-mail: name, e-mail address, company, topic and message. We use it to answer your request, prepare an offer and continue the correspondence.

3. Legal basis

Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (steps taken at your request before entering into a contract) and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (our legitimate interest in answering correspondence and business contact). Providing data is voluntary, but we cannot reply without it.

4. Retention

We keep the data for the duration of the correspondence and then for up to 12 months, unless we enter into a contract. In that case we keep it for the term of the contract and for the period required by tax law or until claims become time-barred.

5. Recipients

Data may be processed by our service providers: website hosting and form handling (Netlify, Inc.), e-mail (Google Ireland Ltd., Google Workspace) and our accounting office. Some of them may process data outside the European Economic Area, in particular in the USA, based on the European Commission’s decision (EU-US Data Privacy Framework) or standard contractual clauses.

6. Your rights

You have the right to access, rectify and erase your data, to restrict processing, to data portability and to object to processing based on legitimate interest. You may also lodge a complaint with the Polish supervisory authority (Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Danych Osobowych, ul. Stawki 2, 00-193 Warsaw).

7. Cookies and similar technologies

This website does not use cookies for analytics or advertising. Only your language choice is stored in your browser (localStorage). Fonts are loaded from Google Fonts, which means your IP address is shared with Google.

8. Profiling

We do not make automated decisions or profile users.

Let’s make your operations perform better.

Book a no-obligation conversation about your operational challenges and improvement opportunities.