When I first stepped into warehouse operations at a 3PL over 25 years ago, everything ran on clipboards, paper, spreadsheets, and a whole lot of hope.

We had basic software, but not much. We’d scribble pick lists by hand, shout across the floor to find missing orders, and constantly fix errors before they reached the customer. It worked, just about. But only through effort, instinct, and a team running on fumes.

By 2010, after years of living that chaos, we reached a breaking point.

We were growing, but our systems weren’t.

That’s when I stepped one foot off the warehouse floor and into the world of software and Brian and I began building StoreFeeder, a WMS created not from theory, but from everything we knew was broken and was still causing me daily pain.

StoreFeeder was evolving.

Since then, I’ve walked into hundreds of warehouses. And what shocks me isn’t how much has changed, but how much hasn’t.

Too many businesses are still trying to scale while their backend runs on duct tape and crossed fingers.

Warehouses will spend thousands on shiny new fork trucks, but neglect their actual processes.

So, here’s how that evolution unfolded for us, and how we can now help you make the same leap.

Stage 1: Manual Tracking

This was the norm for years:

• Clipboards everywhere.
• Handwritten pick lists.
• Someone shouting “Has anyone seen this order?” across the floor.
• Orders held together by experience, not systems.

It worked… until it didn’t.

As volume rose, so did the mistakes. And the firefighting. And the cost.

Stage 2: Standalone Systems & Processes

Eventually, we brought in barcode scanners, label printers, and bits of software.

Each tool helped a little, but nothing talked to anything else.

• Labels had to be printed manually.
• Inventory was updated in one place but not another.
• Orders sat waiting for someone to realise they existed.
• Despatches were delayed. SLAs were missed.

That’s when the penny dropped: we couldn’t grow like this.

We needed more than tools. We needed a system.

Stage 3: Integrated WMS (StoreFeeder Begins)

So, we built one, from the ground up. I say “we”, I just demanded functionality, Brian and his team did the coding…

Suddenly, everything started to click into place. Day by day, more functionality, more automation, better control.

• Orders, inventory, couriers, picking, despatch, all linked.
• Inventory and tracking updates sent to channels in real time.
• One system. One source of truth.

For the first time, the warehouse felt calm. Predictable. Scalable.

Stage 4: Warehouse Intelligence

This is where the magic really happened.

We didn’t just integrate processes, we made them smarter.

• Shipping services auto-selected based on weight, value, location.
• Logical pick routes generated automatically.
• Despatch completed with a single scan.
• Performance insights at your fingertips.
• Accuracy gains and measurable cost savings.

Suddenly, the system was making better decisions than a human could.

Teams were faster, calmer, more confident. Fulfilment was no longer a bottleneck, it was a growth driver.

This is the real unlock.

From Pain to Progress

We built StoreFeeder because we lived through the pain.

We knew what it felt like to run a warehouse on sheer effort, and we knew it wasn’t sustainable.

Today, StoreFeeder helps operators move from chaos to control. From clipboards to intelligent automation.

So if you’re stuck in that messy middle between startup and scale, we’ve been there…and we built something to help.

Where Does Your Operation Stand?

If you're curious whether your current setup is holding you back, drop me a message.

We’ll take a look, walk the floor, and show you what’s possible.

StoreFeeder was built for this. Let’s make it work for you.

Interested in changing how you work? Drop me a message. I would be happy to talk!

Or get in touch for a demo, our team of experts in WMS and eCommerce are always on hand to show you how we can help your business overcome the same issues.

Book a demo of StoreFeeder today

Ian Dade - Operations Manager at StoreFeeder‍