Scaling Warehouse Automation: Lessons from Radial's Multi-Site Journey

When retailers outsource fulfillment, they are buying more than just space on a shelf or labor hours in a warehouse. By outsourcing, they’re buying consistency, accuracy, and speed across every order. For Radial, a global third-party logistics provider (3PL) that partners with some of the world’s top retail brands, delivering that promise at scale has meant rethinking how automation fits into its network. 

In a recent episode of the “Warehouse Automation Matters” podcast, I spoke with David Welsh, VP of Fulfillment Services Delivery at Radial, about what it takes to roll out automation across multiple facilities and how to do so in a way that elevates both customer experience and workforce adoption. 

Scaling Warehouse Automation Starts with Quality 

When Radial first explored warehouse automation, the team focused on speed, but their primary objective was quality. As Welsh explained, “Getting first-pass quality through the door on your first attempt is key for us.” 

That meant reducing errors in picking, ensuring order visibility, and tightening control over fulfillment processes. Service improvements were the next priority in delivering orders faster and more predictably while keeping customers delighted. 

Locus Robotics emerged as a strong fit for both objectives for Radial. By enhancing pick accuracy and streamlining replenishment and putaway, warehouse automation allowed Radial to improve the fundamentals of quality while setting the stage for more consistent service. 

Immediate Workforce Impact 

The operational gains of automation were clear, but what surprised Welsh most was the effect it had on the workforce. Traditional picker training often takes weeks, but with Locus, training time dropped to hours instead of days, thanks to an intuitive graphical interface. 

“We were down to minutes and hours to train and onboard associates effectively at the same productivity and quality expectations we had,” Welsh recalled. “That was the most evident and clear differentiator that I saw immediately.” 

This usability advantage has been carried forward with each new implementation, making adoption smoother and improving productivity from day one. 

Building on Early Lessons 

Radial’s first deployment focused on outbound and inbound fulfillment, but lessons learned quickly shaped the company’s second rollout. One key insight was around robot allocation and involved understanding how many robots were needed and what functions they should serve.  

With those insights, Radial rethought its approach for the second site, which expanded robotic automation to include replenishment putaway and returns. Associates no longer worked as single-function pickers; instead, they became zone managers that were capable of running multiple workflows at once. The result was a more versatile workforce and a more resilient operation. 

Scaling Across Verticals 

The next frontier for warehouse automation at Radial is cosmetics and beauty fulfillment, where they expect to double peak capacity while creating more predictable off-peak operations. The smaller product form factors and a need for micro-peak handling inherent in beauty and cosmetics fulfillment make automation even more valuable. 

This progression shows how Radial balances consistency with customization. The company replicates their key pillars of training, quality, and time-to-serve across all implementations, while tailoring workflows to each vertical’s requirements. 

The Role of Collaboration 

Welsh emphasized that technology alone doesn’t drive success and the collaboration between Radial, Locus Robotics, and Radial’s tech partners like Logiwa has been critical. 

“There are project managers on our side, on the tech side, and on the Locus side, and they’re all working in concert,” Welsh said. Weekly site visits and real-time optimizations keep implementations on track and even details like adjusting waypoints or queueing processes are approached as joint decisions. That shared ownership is what turns warehouse automation from a pilot into a scalable strategy. 

Workforce Engagement and Retention 

Perhaps the most telling measure of success is employee response. At Radial’s Brownsburg, Indiana site, many associates are Haitian Creole speakers and the multi-language capability on the Locus Robots helped improve workforce adoption with faster buy-in and stronger engagement. 

Beyond accessibility, gamification features also play a role as dashboards show associates their productivity and quality in real time, benchmarked against peers. “Whether it’s bragging rights in the break room or personal pride, that visibility resonates,” Welsh said. 

This combination of intuitive design and performance visibility has the potential to improve not only training but also retention, which is a critical challenge in warehousing today. 

Lessons for Fulfillment Leaders 

Welsh closed with advice that others can take to heart of don’t confuse labor metrics with machine metrics. 

“Units per labor hour isn’t the same as a unit per machine hour,” he cautioned. “Your robot utilization is key.” Matching labor to machine uptime, and then feeding lessons learned back into planning cycles, is essential for maximizing efficiency. 

The Future of Fulfillment at Radial 

For Welsh, the bigger picture is about enabling clients to thrive. Whether supporting apparel, cosmetics, or other industries, Radial sees automation as a way to deliver both scale and service without sacrificing quality. 

“We’re here to help our customers delight their customers,” Welsh said. “Automation will have a part to play in our future and our strategy.” 

The takeaway: Radial’s journey demonstrates that scaling automation is as much about people and process as it is about robots. By focusing on quality, training, and collaboration, Radial is creating a repeatable model that can flex across industries and sites. 

Listen to the full episode of Warehouse Automation Matters to hear more from Radial’s David Welsh.