Defining the future of WBA’s warehouse operations

Global retail leader in health and wellbeing, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) reached a technology crossroads. Legacy systems and manual, siloed processes were creating bottlenecks. SmartCo stepped in, partnering with WBA to advise and design a high-impact roadmap for future -decision making. The outcome determined whether to overhaul the existing foundation or jump to a cloud-first solution to power their long-term growth.

SmartCo’s Approach

SmartCo carried out a focused review of the warehouse operation, working with stakeholders to understand how goods moved through the site from inbound receipt through to picking, packing and despatch. This helped identify where manual activities and limited automation were affecting performance. We then identified practical improvement opportunities across inventory management, replenishment, picking and planning processes. Alongside this, we reviewed the wider warehouse technology landscape to assess suitable future options and support informed decision-making. Finally, we provided clear recommendations outlining next steps, including further process analysis, vendor engagement and alignment with future warehouse strategy.

Key outcomes

Operational diagnostic: Delivered an independent audit of warehouse systems and workflows to isolate hidden inefficiencies.
Process Optimisation: Recommended high-impact improvements across inbound, inventory, and fulfilment to drive immediate throughput.
Technical Advisory: Evaluated technology stacks, identifying opportunities to ensure future-state architecture is both scalable and pragmatic.
Strategic Roadmap: Delivered a high-impact implementation plan that aligns stakeholder investment with long-term operational goals

The impact

SmartCo helped WBA move from uncertainty about its warehouse systems to a clear understanding of its current challenges and future options. By identifying immediate efficiency gains and rationalising future tech options, we helped WBA identify a clear path to measurable cost reduction. This engagement provided a structured foundation for improving warehouse performance and ensured that future technology investments were primed to deliver maximum operational return.

SmartCo brought expertise that focused on our outcomes and needs, delivering quality outcomes time and time again through proactive leadership and client engagement.

Head of IT