Fashion e-commerce fulfilment

For this well-known fashion retailer, managing omnichannel fulfilment across multiple European markets presented significant operational complexity. Different order profiles, return rates and customer expectations required a solution that delivered both consistency and flexibility.

The challenge

To create a platform capable of standardising warehouse operations across regions while remaining adaptable enough to support future expansion. The organisation also wanted to minimise disruption by integrating with existing systems rather than replacing them, enabling rapid adoption without impacting ongoing operations.

A phased deployment approach was chosen, with an initial implementation at a UK distribution centre serving as a proof of concept before rolling the solution out to a larger European facility. This allowed operational benefits to be validated, confidence to be built and a repeatable deployment model to be established.

The solution

Inteq delivered an integrated warehouse automation platform combining its software (IWS), RFID-enabled processes and Pick-to-Light technology to simplify complex fulfilment operations while improving speed, accuracy and operational visibility.

Rather than replacing existing infrastructure, the solution was designed to integrate seamlessly with established warehouse systems through simple mapping and architecture integration. This approach enabled rapid implementation with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.

Operational teams were able to become productive after just two hours of training, while the hypercare support phase was completed in under a month. During implementation, growing e-commerce volumes were absorbed without disrupting the existing automated operation, ensuring wave efficiency was maintained throughout.

The cloud-hosted, fully managed platform removed the need for on-site server infrastructure while providing real-time operational visibility. Every packed order automatically generated a live status update to the warehouse management system, giving teams complete visibility throughout the fulfilment process.

A key differentiator was the use of RFID technology. By leveraging RFID tags already embedded within products, the organisation avoided the cost and complexity of additional tagging. Unlike traditional barcode scanning, RFID identifies items instantly without requiring line-of-sight, creating a faster, more reliable verification process.

Automated item verification ensured the correct products were dispatched to the correct customers while significantly increasing packing speed and reducing fulfilment errors.

The results

The implementation delivered measurable operational improvements while establishing a scalable platform for future growth across Europe.

Key outcomes included:

• Processing speeds up to five times faster than previous barcode-based methods.
• Average packing time reduced to just 0.85 minutes per order.
• Peak throughput of 54 orders per packing station per hour.
• Near-100% outbound order accuracy through automated RFID verification.
• Significant reduction in incorrect-item returns, one of the most costly issues in fashion e-commerce fulfilment.
• Staff trained and operational within two hours.
• Hypercare completed in less than one month.
• E-commerce growth accommodated without affecting existing warehouse automation performance.
• Cloud-based deployment eliminating the need for local server infrastructure.
• Real-time warehouse management system updates for complete operational visibility.

The improved fulfilment capability also enhanced the customer experience. Faster issue resolution during implementation reduced operational risk, while bringing fulfilment operations in-house enabled customers in key European markets to receive orders within hours rather than days.

Beyond immediate operational gains, the solution created a foundation for continued growth. Increased product availability, the ability to scale efficiently during peak trading periods such as Black Friday, and an estimated 30% operational improvement opportunity have established a repeatable warehouse automation model that can be deployed successfully across multiple European distribution centres.