Client
- Company: D2C consumer brand (e-commerce)
- Scale: €18m ARR · 110 FTE · 3PL + in-house CX
- Scope: Cost takeout, SLA uplift, process redesign, KPI framework
Case study · Operations & AI
Leaner, more reliable
D2C operations.
We redesigned core operations for a direct-to-consumer brand: lower operating costs, better on-time delivery and zero critical process gaps across fulfillment and CX.
- D2C
- Ops & Fulfillment
- Process redesign
- Cost efficiency
−18%Operating costs
+14%On-time delivery
0Critical process gaps
The brief
Client, objectives
& constraints.
An €18m ARR e-commerce brand with Q4 peaks, a fragmented WMS/Shopify stack and a mid-term 3PL contract.
Objectives
- Cut variable & fixed Ops cost without harming CSAT
- Lift on-time delivery and first-contact resolution
- Remove single points of failure & data gaps
- Introduce weekly KPI/OKR cadence
Constraints
- Seasonality spikes (Q4 peaks)
- Fragmented WMS + Shopify apps
- 3PL contract mid-term — limited leverage
Plan & milestones
8–12 weeks,
diagnose to scale.
Quick wins first, then the redesign, then a cadence that keeps the gains.
- 01
Diagnostic
Process mapping (order→fulfill→deliver→return), time-motion study, cost stack, SLA baseline, VOC/CSAT.
Weeks 1–2 - 02
Redesign & business case
New swimlanes, decision rights, re-slotting, pick/pack standards, CX macros, routing rules, savings plan.
Weeks 3–4 - 03
Execution
Wave picking, 3PL SOPs, carrier mix, buffer stock logic, CX queue & macro library, risk controls.
Weeks 5–8 - 04
Stabilize & scale
KPI dashboards, weekly ops review, training, QBRs with 3PL/carriers, continuous improvement backlog.
Weeks 9–12
What we did
Three workstreams,
one team.
Fulfillment & 3PL
Re-slotting, wave picking, late-cutoff experiment, ASN discipline, dock scheduling, damage control (DMAIC).
- Pick/pack time −23%
- Mis-ship rate −37%
Last-mile & inventory
Carrier re-mix with service tiers, promise-date logic, safety-stock rules, return-to-stock SLAs.
- On-time +14%
- Lost in transit −28%
CX & automation
Macro library, self-service flows, SLA routing, sentiment alerts; first-contact resolution as north star.
- FCR +11pp
- CSAT 4.7 → 4.8
Outcomes
Measurable.
Repeatable.
Operations finally became predictable. Costs down, delivery up, and our support queues are calm — the dashboards keep everyone honest.”
Efficiency
- −18% operating costs (run-rate)
- −23% pick/pack time
- −12% carrier spend per order
Reliability
- +14% on-time delivery
- 0 critical process gaps
- Promise-date accuracy +9pp
Customer
- First-contact resolution +11pp
- Refund rate −7%
- CSAT up to 4.8/5
Want similar results?
Want leaner, more reliable ops?
We'll map the bottlenecks, redesign the flow and lock in a weekly KPI cadence.