More companies are choosing a global partner for storage systems, automation, robotics and software. Warehouse projects have never been more complex. Storage systems, automation, robotics and software are no longer independent technologies. Today they must operate as one coordinated ecosystem, fully integrated with production processes and business systems from day one.
For logistics directors, this changes everything
Only a decade ago, selecting the right storage solution or introducing automation into specific processes was often enough to improve operational performance. Today, however, technology alone is rarely the deciding factor. The real challenge lies in bringing every element together into one operation that performs reliably from the moment it goes live — and continues to evolve as the business grows.
As warehouse projects become increasingly sophisticated, many companies are changing the way they select their logistics partners. Rather than coordinating multiple suppliers responsible for different stages of a project, they are increasingly choosing a single global partner capable of taking responsibility for engineering, storage systems, automation, robotics and software as one coordinated solution.
The objective is not simply to reduce the number of suppliers. It is to reduce project risk, improve coordination and ensure that every decision contributes to the performance of the complete operation.
Over more than sixty years, Mecalux has continuously expanded its capabilities to become a global provider of storage systems, warehouse automation, robotics and software. Today, the company develops integrated logistics projects in which engineering, automation and digital solutions are conceived together from the earliest design stages, enabling customers to work with one partner throughout the complete lifecycle of the project.
When Cepsa decided to modernise the logistics supporting its lubricants production facility in southern Spain, one of the company’s key requirements was that every phase of warehouse development — including engineering, construction and the software needed to manage warehouse operations — should be carried out by a single company.
By assuming responsibility for the complete turnkey project, Mecalux delivered an automated warehouse directly connected to production, helping Cepsa improve operational efficiency while reducing logistics costs.
Projects such as this demonstrate how warehouse development has evolved. Competitive advantage is no longer determined solely by the technologies installed inside a warehouse. Increasingly, it depends on the ability to integrate those technologies into one operation that delivers measurable business value from day one.
The pharmaceutical industry perhaps illustrates this evolution better than any other sector. When Takeda expanded its manufacturing facility in Poland, the company was not simply looking for additional storage capacity. It wanted every phase of the warehouse project — from construction and automation to the software required to manage daily operations — to be delivered by a single partner.
Mecalux responded with a turnkey solution that integrated the automated warehouse, climate control, fire protection and warehouse management software into one coordinated project. The result was a logistics operation designed to support pharmaceutical manufacturing while ensuring the environmental conditions, traceability and operational reliability that the sector demands.
The same philosophy can be applied to very different industries. At British Sugar the challenge was to optimise the internal movement of finished products while supporting one of Europe’s largest sugar processing operations. Mecalux developed an automated logistics solution that increased operational efficiency and ensured a continuous flow of products between production and storage, helping the company respond more effectively to changing production requirements.
For baker group Lantmännen Unibake the priority was different again. As production volumes increased, the company required a logistics centre capable of handling both chilled and frozen products, while maintaining complete traceability and ensuring continuous product flow.
Working alongside the customer, Mecalux developed a logistics centre directly connected to production, integrating automated storage technologies into one coordinated operation. Today, the installation dispatches close to 100 pallets per hour while providing the flexibility needed to support future growth.
Three companies, three industries, three completely different operational challenges. Yet all reached the same conclusion. The challenge was never simply to automate a warehouse. It was to find a partner capable of bringing together storage systems, automation, robotics and software into one integrated logistics solution that would continue creating value long after commissioning.
As logistics operations become increasingly sophisticated, that capability is becoming just as important as the technologies themselves.
Software has become a fundamental pillar of modern warehouse performance. Through its end-to-end logistics software platform, Mecalux combines Easy WMS, Easy WCS and Easy WES to manage warehouse operations, coordinate automated systems and orchestrate workflows within a single integrated platform. Together, these solutions connect storage systems, automation and robotics, giving companies the visibility, synchronisation and control needed to manage increasingly complex logistics operations
As a global provider, Mecalux develops and integrates this complete software architecture alongside its storage and automation solutions, giving customers a single technology platform designed to maximise operational performance throughout the warehouse lifecycle.
This integrated approach has earned the confidence of some of the world’s leading manufacturers and retailers. Companies including PepsiCo, Unilever, IKEA, HAVI Logistics, Coca-Cola and Thule have all chosen Mecalux to support critical logistics operations across a wide range of industries. Although every project is unique, they all share the same objective: creating logistics operations that are more efficient, more connected and ready to support future growth.
As warehouse projects continue to increase in complexity, companies are no longer simply investing in storage systems or automation. They are increasingly looking for partners capable of integrating storage systems, automation, robotics and software into one coordinated solution — from initial design and engineering through to implementation and long-term operation.
That is where the role of the logistics partner is changing. Success is no longer defined only by the quality of an automated warehouse or the performance of a warehouse management system. It depends on the ability to bring every technology, every process and every stage of the project together into one solution that delivers measurable business value.
For a growing number of companies, that capability is becoming one of the most important competitive advantages in modern logistics.