In today’s fast-paced ecommerce landscape, the allure of automation is undeniable. Promises of lightning-fast picking, optimised space and reduced labour reliance are compelling for any forward-thinking brand or retailer. There’s no denying that automation is transformative, but what’s visible on the surface (the gleaming robots and impressive throughput figures), often hides a larger, more complex reality. Many businesses eager to innovate dive in only to encounter unforeseen challenges, and uncommunicated complexities down the line.  

At THG Fulfil, we believe a successful automation strategy is built on transparency and a deep understanding of the full operational picture. As a global fulfilment provider, and experienced AutoStore and Libiao distributors, we’ve seen what truly makes automation work, and what pitfalls to avoid. It’s not just about installing equipment; it’s about integrating a solution that becomes a genuine asset.  

The Gleaming Surface: Common Automation Hurdles

Before we delve into the less-chartered waters, we should acknowledge the challenges that most decision-makers are already facing when considering automation:  

• Significant upfront investment: there’s no denying that automation systems require a substantial capital outlay.
• Implementation timelines and disruption: the prospect of lengthy installation periods and potential disruption to ongoing operations is a valid concern for many brands and retailers.  
• Integration complexity: ensuring seamless communication between new automation and existing Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and other critical platforms is a technical hurdle.

While these are important considerations, focusing solely on them can mean missing other, equally significant factors that can impact long-term success.  

Diving Deeper: What Your Automation Provider Might Not Be Telling You

The ‘one-size-fits-all' mirage  

• What they might not say: Providers naturally want to sell their solutions. Sometimes, this means a standard configuration is pushed, even if it doesn’t perfectly align with the unique intricacies of your products, order profiles, existing facility constraints, or critically, your ambitious future growth plans.  
• The impact: As a result, you could end up with an inflexible system that underperforms, misses key efficiency gains, or requires costly and disruptive modifications sooner than anticipated. Your solution will end up feeling more like a compromise than a win.  

The hidden lifetime costs  

• What they might not say: The initial quote for hardware and basic software is just the beginning. What about ongoing software licensing fees? Are there escalating maintenance contracts? What are the real energy consumption costs once the system is operating at full capacity? Have you factored in the availability and pricing of essential spare parts, or the cost of mandatory software upgrades to maintain support?  
• The impact: Your carefully calculated Return on Investment (ROI) can be significantly skewed by these uncommunicated operational expenditures, slowly eroding profitability and leading to budget surprises.  

The vendor lock-in and software straitjacket

• What they might not say: How proprietary is the system you are considering? Will you be tethered to the original vendor for all future spare parts, servicing needs, and critical software updates? How flexible is their software in adapting to evolving business processes or integrating with new third-party solutions without incurring hefty development fees?  
• The impact: A lack of control can lead to inflated long-term costs, as you have fewer alternatives and an inability to adapt your operations to market changes or even integrate innovations without significant vendor dependence.  

Data-rich, insight-poor  

• What they might not say: Modern automation systems generate an obscene amount of operational data. But is this data easily accessible to you? Can it be seamlessly integrated into your broader business intelligence platforms for holistic analysis? Crucially, who truly owns this data and how can it be leveraged for continuous improvement and strategic decision-marking without requiring constant vendor intervention?  
• The impact: You risk missing out on invaluable opportunities for ongoing optimisation, proactive maintenance, process refinement, and strategic business planning.  

Underestimating the human element

• What they might not say: The technical specifications of robots can often overshadow the significant impact automation will have on your workforce, your established internal processes and even your company culture. While basic operator training might be included, the depth of change management required for smooth adoption, upskilling, and ensuring your team can maximise the system’s capabilities is frequently downplayed.  
• The impact: without a proactive change management strategy, you might face employee resistance, underutilisation of the automation’s capabilities and prolonged ramp-up times that impact productivity.  

Scalability promises vs practical realities  

• What they might not say: Simply saying ‘our system is fully scalable’ doesn’t tell you what scaling will actually involve. How disruptive is the process of adding capacity or throughput? What are the genuine lead times and costs for expansion? Is scaling a smooth, linear process or are there investment thresholds that trigger redesigns or reinvestments?  
• The impact: An unclear path for scalability can leave you unable to respond efficiently during peak seasons, rapid business growth or evolving consumer demands without facing unexpected delays, substantial capital expenditure or significant operational changes.  

Your Pre-Flight Check for Automation Success

Knowledge is power, and to ensure you embark on your automation journey with eyes wide open, here are some critical questions to ask any potential automation provider:  

• Beyond the initial quote, can you provide a comprehensive breakdown of all anticipated operational costs over the next 5 years? This should include maintenance schedules and costs, software licensing and upgrade fees, energy consumption estimates, typical spare parts costs, and ongoing training needs.
• How does your system and its software integrate with our existing platforms (mention your specific WMS/ERP/ecommerce platform]? What level of customisation is possible within the standard offering, and what are the typical costs and timelines for more advanced integrations or customisations?
• Can you detail your long-term support, preventative maintenance model, and software update roadmap? What are your guaranteed service level agreements (SLAs) for critical issues, and what are the associated costs?
• Please describe the practical process, typical lead times, and all associated costs for scaling the system up by 25%. What are the physical and software implications?
• How does your system ensure we have full ownership and open, easy access to our operational data? What tools or APIs are available for integration with our existing analytics platforms?
• What specific change management support, beyond initial operator training, do you provide to help our team adapt to new processes and maximise the utilisation of the automation?
• Could you provide references from clients with an operational profile and business challenges similar to ours? We'd be keen to understand their experience with these less-obvious aspects. 

The THG Fulfil Approach: Transparency and True Partnership in Automation

At THG Fulfil, we see ourselves as more than an AutoStore distributor. We are your strategic, long-term fulfilment partner, because we design, implement and operate sophisticated automated warehousing solutions for global brands daily. We understand the hidden challenges intimately, because we’ve navigated them ourselves.  

Our approach is rooted in fully understanding your unique, operational DNA from your current needs to your future aspirations. We champion transparent communication regarding the lifecycle of your investment from day one and focus on designing systems that are not only technologically advanced but also adaptable, genuinely scalable and demonstrably future-ready.  

We help you navigate the common pitfalls by ensuring the solution delivers not just cutting-edge technology, but sustainable long-term value, enhanced operational resilience and a clear path to achieving your desired ROI. Our goal is to empower brands to automate faster, scale smarter and boost fulfilment performance. To do this, we have developed capex light RaaS models, giving brands of all sizes the opportunity to benefit from agile automation solutions.

Warehouse automation offers transformative potential for ecommerce operations. However, the journey to realising that potential is smoother and more successful when you partner with someone who is candid about the opportunities and the potential complexities. By understanding the unspoken truths, and asking the tough questions upfront, you empower yourself to select an automation provider and a solution that won’t just meet your demands of today, but will also evolve with you, driving your brand forward for years to come.