Episode 349: Fulfillment IQ

The New Warehouse welcomes fellow podcasters Dan Coll and Ninaad Acharya to the show to discuss their backgrounds and how they came together to start Fulfillment IQ. Ninaad is the co-founder and CEO, and Dan is a Partner at Fulfillment IQ, a global organization with teammates in India, Canada, and the US dedicated to helping solve unique problems within the field of fulfillment logistics. In addition to development, implementation, and advisory services, they provide marketing services such as website building, SEO optimization, and social media strategy. Be sure to tune in to this incredibly insightful episode, where they discuss everything from the next disruption, emerging technology, the secret sauce, and their eCom Logistics Podcast.

Key Takeaways

• Dan jokes that clients either bring them in to assist with strategic initiatives or because the warehouse is on fire (not literally). He adds Fulfillment IQ provides consulting services to help identify the root causes of problems, bespoke product development, and implementation of existing solutions. They also offer Fulfillment IQ in a Box, a SaaS-based product offering that helps brands solve fulfillment-related problems.
• Ninaad shares that if businesses aren’t thinking about implementing automation, they should at least be educating themselves about it. Ninaad’s statement emphasizes the advantages of robotic automation, particularly in North America, where labor is challenging. Automation offers enormous savings potential, with returns on investment for transitioning from manual to automated warehouses sometimes being less than one year. This technology has gone through a maturity cycle and is now entering a period of enlightenment, wherein it becomes increasingly stable and accessible. With all these factors combined, this is an exciting time for businesses to explore and invest in robotic automation.
• They both heard the same problems in the industry and felt they could help warehouses and distribution centers achieve quick wins. They noticed the warehouse ecosystem was changing due to e-commerce, with automation and robotics becoming popular. Ninaad points out there was also an underlying gap in the industry around operational excellence within distribution and fulfillment centers. Fulfillment IQ’s niche lies within the e-commerce space, where they specialize in helping small to mid-sized businesses grow through every phase of their company’s lifecycle with tailored solutions for each problem presented.
• Dan and Ninaad started the eCom Logistics Podcast last year with a mission to talk to leaders, innovators, and disruptors in the fulfillment space. Listeners can expect conversations that go deep into topics related to warehouse operations and industry trends, as well as interviews with individuals within the field of fulfillment logistics.