Warehouse operations
Hands on experience of the daily realities of receiving, storage, inventory, picking, dispatch and customer service.
Work and Experience
Operational experience built from the warehouse floor up.
Alan Nanson has 40+ years of operational experience, progressing from warehouse operations into senior leadership, Managing Director responsibilities and consultancy. That experience now supports Bottomline Lab's work across operational leadership, recovery, client onboarding, project delivery, WMS implementation and system improvement.
40+ yearsOperational experience
Warehouse floor to senior leadershipPractical experience at every level
3PL, warehousing and distributionCore operational background
Projects, systems and recoverySupport where change must work in practice
Career progression
Experience earned by doing the work.
Alan began his career in warehouse operations and progressed through frontline management, operational leadership and senior executive roles before establishing Bottomline Lab.
This progression matters because the advice does not come from observing operations from a distance. It comes from working within them, leading people, carrying responsibility for customers and results, and dealing with the practical consequences when something is not working.
Operational leadership
Responsibility for teams, customers, service levels, safety, productivity and the performance of warehouse and distribution operations.
Senior leadership
Leadership of larger and more complex operations, including 3PL, distribution, telecommunications and technology logistics.
Bottomline Lab
Applying that experience through operational support, project delivery, client onboarding, system improvement and practical consultancy.
Earlier corporate career
Alan's career experience
Before establishing Bottomline Lab, Alan's career included work involving Apple, Google, Vodafone and Spark, together with leadership responsibility across warehousing, distribution, telecommunications and technology logistics.
This experience included complex customer operations, high volume distribution, automated warehouse systems, operational change and the coordination of people, processes and technology.
Apple, Google, Vodafone and Spark are referenced only to describe Alan's previous career experience. They are not presented as current Bottomline Lab clients, partners or endorsers.
Consultancy assignments
Work delivered through Bottomline Lab
Bottomline Lab applies that operational background to assignments where a business needs experienced support, additional project capability or a practical way through an operational problem.
- 01
Interim operational leadership during periods of change.
- 02
Operational recovery and stabilisation.
- 03
New client onboarding for 3PL and warehousing operations.
- 04
Warehouse and logistics setup.
- 05
WMS implementation project management.
- 06
Project planning and delivery support.
- 07
Workflow, reporting and system improvement.
- 08
Software and technical implementation support.
- 09
Operational readiness, go live and early support.
- 10
Practical support for customer service and delivery problems.
Industry experience
Experience across different operational environments.
The deepest experience is in operations where logistics, systems, customers and people have to work together. Other industry exposure adds useful context without suggesting the same depth in every sector.
Core operational experience
- 3PL and 4PL
- Warehousing and distribution
- Freight forwarding, import and export
- Telecommunications in Australia and New Zealand
- Technology and network logistics
- Telecommunications retail and omnichannel software
- Customer onboarding and logistics setup
Broader industry exposure
- Retail
- Carpets and flooring
- Food and beverages
- Medical and healthcare
- Beauty and supplements
- Manufacturing and production
- Printing, print finishing and raw materials
- New Zealand Defence Force related environments
Practical capability
Experience relevant to the problem in front of you.
Operational recovery
Stepping into an operation under pressure, understanding what is going wrong and helping the team restore control, confidence and service.
Client onboarding
Preparing the people, processes, systems and operation required to bring a new customer into a 3PL or warehousing environment.
WMS implementation
Project management and operational support covering requirements, testing, training, readiness, go live and early stabilisation.
Automated warehouse systems
Experience with operational environments where automation, systems and physical warehouse processes must work together.
Project delivery
Providing the planning, coordination, reporting and practical support needed to move operational projects forward.
System improvement
Improving workflows, reporting, controls and everyday systems so the operation is easier to manage and support.
Featured operational recovery story
From daily delivery errors to the best delivery the customer had received.
Alan stepped into a warehouse during a period of operational leadership change. The previous management approach had created a degree of fear within the team, with management generally appearing on the warehouse floor only when something had gone wrong.
A major customer was receiving large orders every day, but almost every delivery contained errors. The customer then had to check the order, report the problems, arrange credits and wait for replacement stock.
Rather than blaming the warehouse team, Alan spoke with them and observed how the work was being completed. The employees wanted to do a good job, but they had not been given a reliable process, the right training or enough positive support.
A critical care process was introduced for the customer. Orders were picked, independently checked and packed carefully. Pallets were rebuilt so they were stable and professionally presented. Boxes were sealed, shrink wrapping was tidy and delivery labels were applied straight.
The physical presentation mattered, but the more important change was that the team understood the standard, checked their own work and could take pride in what they dispatched.
The following afternoon, the customer called to say it was the best delivery they had ever received from the operation.
It was not a complicated transformation. It was a practical change to the process, supported by clearer expectations, encouragement and pride in the result.
The team already wanted to do good work. They needed someone to help them see what good looked like and give them a process they could repeat.
Start with the current pressure
Sometimes the next improvement is simpler than it looks.
If an operation is struggling with service, leadership change, customer complaints or a project that is losing direction, start by talking through what is happening now.
Discuss what is happening