Building a Gartner-Recognized AI-Enabled Warehouse Platform Powered by Cognitive Automation, Analytics, AR & Chatbots from the Ground Up

After successfully exiting their previous company, two visionary entrepreneurs approached us with an ambitious goal: to build a next-generation warehouse management system that could compete and eventually outperform industry giants like Manhattan Associates. They had a business vision; we brought the technical strategy. Our team at NextGen Invent collaborated with them to architect a cloud-native platform from scratch, featuring a patented SmartTask Workflow Engine that dynamically generates UI screens and adapts to the unique process flows of different customers. Once the architecture was validated, the entrepreneurs engaged us to develop, enhance, and maintain the platform. Today, this solution is recognized in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant, used by major enterprises including Unilever, and continues to scale globally as a market-leading WMS.

Technology Used Product Strategy, IT Strategy, Data Analytics, Product Development, AI & Automation

The client is an AI-powered supply chain software company automating global leaders in ecommerce, retail, 3PL, and wholesale. Their mission is to empower businesses through a cloud-native Smart Warehouse Platform that optimizes inventory, automates workflows, and integrates robotics with real-time analytics, solving inefficiencies and enabling scalable growth in omnichannel fulfillment.

30% Increased Labor Efficiency
20% Lower Shipping Cost
30% Increased Sales

Industry

Supply Chain

Business Problem

  • High Labor-Intensive Operations: Reliance on manual slotting and infrequent data analysis led to inefficient labor deployment, excessive pick-and-travel time, and poor space utilization, ultimately restricting throughput and driving up operational costs.
  • Low Productivity Workflow: Lack of intelligent workflow automation hindered operational efficiency, leading to disjointed processes, elongated cycle times, increased manual effort, and slower task completion across core warehouse functions.
  • Stand-Alone System: Isolated systems with limited integration capabilities created data silos, reduced visibility across operations, and complicated efforts to streamline end-to-end supply chain activities.
  • Difficulty in Tracking & Managing Inventory: Inefficient inventory control stemming from a lack of real-time visibility and synchronization led to stock inconsistencies, increased error rates in inventory reconciliation, and latency in order fulfillment processes.
  • Inefficient Communication: Fragmented communication channels and disconnected data flows across departments and systems disrupted coordination, leading to delays, misalignment, and reduced operational agility throughout the supply chain.

Solution Approach

  • Patented SmartTask Workflow Engine: Implemented the SmartTask Workflow Engine to automate complex warehouse workflows without writing custom code. This enabled the client to dynamically generate user interfaces and logic tailored to their operations, drastically accelerating onboarding and configuration timelines.
  • Advanced Warehouse Management System (WMS): Equipped the client with a scalable WMS that supports real-time inventory tracking, intelligent replenishment, task orchestration, and dynamic slotting, allowing them to operate efficiently across multiple warehouse formats and industry needs.
  • Robotics & Automation Integration: Connected the platform with robotic picking, AMRs, conveyors, and sorting systems to reduce manual workload and significantly boost throughput. The platform allows for synchronized orchestration between human and robotic tasks, driving higher speed, safety, and efficiency in warehouse operations.
  • Transportation & Parcel Shipping Optimization: The platform streamlined outbound logistics with intelligent routing, real-time carrier rate shopping, and automated cartonization. Our built-in shipping rate engine evaluates thousands of options to recommend the most cost-effective and timely carrier, eliminating guesswork and manual decisions.
  • Built Real-Time Labor Management Dashboards: Developed dashboards for real-time labor tracking, performance scoring, and gamification. These tools empowered the workforce, improved task accountability, and enhanced operational efficiency across all shifts.
  • Delivered Embedded BI & Real-Time Analytics: The integrated business intelligence dashboard delivers real-time insights across warehouse performance indicators such as inventory accuracy, order cycle times, labor utilization, and shipping costs. These insights drive proactive decision-making, enable continuous improvement, and eliminate operational blind spots.

Value Delivered

The implementation of the cloud-native Smart Warehouse Platform delivered transformational value to the client, positioning them as a future-ready leader in intelligent supply chain management. Recognized in the Gartner Magic Quadrant and trusted by global enterprises like Unilever, the platform demonstrated unmatched enterprise readiness and scalability. Leveraging the patented SmartTask Workflow Engine, we enabled dynamic, no-code workflow configurations tailored to each customer, accelerating deployment and significantly reducing total cost of ownership.

Within just three months, the client achieved up to 30% improvement in labor efficiency, reduced shipping costs by as much as 20%, and increased sales by over 30%. Real-time visibility and analytics empowered smarter, data-driven decision-making, while automation and robotics integration elevated order accuracy and throughput. Additionally, AR-assisted UIs, mobile-first interfaces, and gamified labor tools enhanced user engagement and operational satisfaction across the workforce.

By consolidating key operational functions, inventory management, order fulfillment, labor tracking, and shipping optimization into a single, scalable platform, the solution unlocked a new level of agility and efficiency. The client can now onboard customers up to 80% faster and scale seamlessly across locations, all while maintaining superior service levels and operational precision.

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