Operators and sponsors
- Independent view before CAPEX, supplier, scope, or layout commitments
- Clearer decisions for leadership without losing the operational detail
Logistics planning for warehouse automation and smart factory projects
I help operators and project teams prepare logistics, automation, and integration decisions on a clearer basis. Material flows, building constraints, supplier assumptions, interfaces, tests, and readiness are made explicit before commitments are fixed.
- Warehouse and production logistics concepts for ASRS, shuttle, AutoStore, AMR, conveyor, sortation, and line supply
- Factory logistics input for architects: docks, shafts, clear heights, floor loads, fire protection interfaces, and expansion reserves
- Requirements, tender packs, supplier comparison, and operator-side delivery oversight
- WMS/WCS/ERP integration, FAT, SAT, SIT, UAT, acceptance evidence, and go-live readiness
Basel, Switzerland. Projects across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and selected international sites including East Africa. GMP, validated environments, precision manufacturing, retail distribution, and high-value components.
Where I fit into the project
Architects and factory planners
- Material flow, functional areas, docks, shafts, heights, and floor-load assumptions
- Protected building interfaces before supplier technology is fixed
Program, IT, and operations leads
- ERP, WMS, WCS, MES, and automation ownership across suppliers
- Readiness gates, test evidence, cutover logic, and handover discipline
Where projects lose clarity
Most automation problems start quietly. A building assumption is unclear, a supplier boundary is hidden in the offer, an interface has no owner, or a test proves too little too late.
Typical failure modes
- Automation concepts are discussed before volumes, flows, and constraints are stable
- Architecture layouts freeze before logistics assumptions are explicit
- Business cases use point estimates where ranges and assumptions are needed
- Supplier offers are not comparable
- ERP/WMS/WCS/automation interface ownership is unclear
- Quality-critical parts are planned with standard logistics assumptions
- Tests exist but acceptance evidence is missing
How I prevent this
- Separate facts, assumptions, open decisions, and supplier choices
- Create a baseline that suppliers, IT, operations, HSE, and architecture can challenge
- Make ownership visible before gaps reach commissioning
- Define evidence, readiness gates, and handover logic before go-live pressure starts
Problems I make visible early
Building and logistics do not match
Automation needs space, height, floor loads, shafts, maintenance access, fire protection interfaces, and future expansion routes. I translate logistics into building requirements early enough for architects and owners to act.
Supplier offers are not comparable
Different suppliers optimize for different assumptions. I create the operator-owned baseline: volumes, process boundaries, load carrier rules, IT interfaces, acceptance criteria, and scoring model.
Sensitive parts block automation
Cleanliness, ESD, scratches, vibration, and handling limits must become usable system rules. I structure part classes, load carriers, inlays, washing logic, and test requirements.
IT and tests arrive too late
ERP, WMS, WCS, MES, and controls need clear ownership before FAT, SAT, SIT, and UAT. I define interface ownership, data mapping, test cases, and evidence requirements.
Mandates by project phase
Requirements pack
- Volume profiles, process flows, acceptance criteria
- Specs, data templates, and interface requirements
Factory logistics planning for architecture
- Building-relevant logistics requirements
- Docks, shafts, clear heights, floor loads, HSE, fire protection, and expansion reserves
Tender and vendor selection
- Tender pack, scoring model, and clarifications
- Comparable offers and decision-ready documentation
Sensitive parts and clean intralogistics
- Cleanliness, ESD, inlays, load carriers, and handling classes
- Automation feasibility for manual, assisted, and robotic processes
GMP and validated intralogistics
- Validated requirements, evidence expectations, and acceptance logic
- FAT, SAT, SIT, UAT, deviation handling, and readiness gates
Program delivery and commissioning readiness
- Operator side program control and risk tracking
- Readiness gates, cutover planning, and acceptance evidence
Integration and test leadership
- Interface ownership and data mapping
- FAT, SAT, SIT, and UAT planning with evidence
Project rescue and second opinion
- Rapid assessment of scope, risks, and test gaps
- Recovery roadmap with clear decision points
Industries and environments
Industrial manufacturing and smart factory
Material flow concepts, functional areas, production supply, automation footprints, and future-state layout support.
Pharma, GMP, and validated logistics
Readiness gates, acceptance evidence, test planning, and controlled handover for regulated operations.
Precision manufacturing and sensitive parts
Logistics concepts where part protection, traceability, cleanliness, ESD, and high-value handling matter as much as throughput.
B2B retail and distribution
Warehouse automation, WMS/WCS/ERP integration, picking and storage concepts, fulfillment capacity, and transition planning.
A steady partner when project risk becomes visible
The value is practical pattern recognition from many projects: what matters now, what can wait, which assumption will hurt later, and what evidence leadership will need before acceptance.
- Early warning on layout, scope, supplier, interface, and test risks
- Clear escalation when a decision really needs to be made
- Documents and decision logs that work in workshops, steering meetings, and supplier discussions
- Direct senior accountability from first assessment to acceptance
- Internal templates and data workflows used where they improve consistency and speed
Planning material from project work
Selected planning views from layout, material flow, and automation work.
Engagement models
- Quick diagnostic (2 to 5 days)
- Business case or automation scenario sprint
- Phase mandate for concept, requirements, or tender
- Fractional program leadership (1 to 3 days per week)
- Late phase stabilization for tests, readiness, and cutover
Experience snapshot for intralogistics delivery
- Worked for KNAPP as global project manager
- Client side implementations with Servus, Dematic, Kardex
- Architecture interface for industrial and Smart Factory planning
- Contexts: GMP and validation, ESD, dangerous goods, fire protection
- Sensitive parts, precision manufacturing, retail distribution, and production logistics
- Typical project profile: CAPEX CHF 5m to 100m
- Pallet positions: 1,500 to 30,000
- Tote or carton positions: 15,000 to 200,000
- Throughput: 500 to 10,000 order lines per hour
About Fabian Ecker
Fabian Ecker is an operator-side warehouse automation and intralogistics consultant based in Basel. His work covers requirements, tenders, supplier selection, delivery oversight, WMS/WCS/ERP integration, test strategy, and commissioning readiness across industrial, pharma, retail, and precision manufacturing environments.
Get a clear operator-side assessment before layouts, suppliers, automation scope, or interfaces are fixed.
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