When your warehouse is in China but your customers are scattered across multiple continents, the margin for operational error should be close to zero, writes Mykhailo Lymar (pictured, below), CEO of Meest China.
In our case, managing fulfillment at that scale meant building systems that could be trusted to work accurately, at speed, and without constant intervention. That’s why we decided, from day one, to create our own Warehouse Management System (WMS) rather than adapt to someone else’s template.
The challenge: managing a global operation from one location
With our fulfilment centre sitting thousands of miles from most delivery destinations, every stage of the process – from receiving goods to dispatch – had to be visible and controllable in real time. Manual tracking and off-the-shelf software worked fine in the early days, but they quickly became too small for us as the company grew.
It’s a bit like being eight years old and trying to squeeze into last season’s sneakers – you love them, you’ve had your best days riding your bike and playing football in them, but they just don’t fit anymore. You’ve simply outgrown them.
That’s why, from the very beginning, we treated our WMS not as a one-time purchase, but as something that would grow alongside our business. Back in 2015, it handled simple tracking and inventory. Fast-forward a decade, and it’s an ERP-integrated, cloud-powered platform that oversees thousands of SKUs, complex order flows, and customer touchpoints every single day. (If only sneakers could upgrade like that!:)) The difference between then and now really is like moving from a desk calculator to AI: same purpose, vastly different capabilities.
Why we built our own WMS
As our business footprint expanded – more countries, more product categories, different fulfillment models – the logistics puzzle became increasingly complex. We found that most off-the-shelf WMS options were built for a single warehouse type or a narrow set of processes.
Our operation had to handle:
• Transit-focused hubs for fast-moving goods
• Long-term storage facilities for bulk orders
• E-commerce fulfillment centers optimized for high-frequency, low-volume orders
Rather than bending our processes to fit a generic system, we designed a standalone, cloud-enabled WMS tailored specifically for our e-commerce core. This allowed us to integrate seamlessly with ERP systems used by our customers and partners – both in China and overseas – and to scale without being constrained by someone else’s software architecture.
Owning the development process meant we could tweak, upgrade, and stress-test the system under heavy data loads without waiting on external vendors. What about the results? Once advanced modules were in place, the operational gains were concrete:
• 9% lower labour costs through better workflow automation
• 1.5× faster processing speeds after introducing Cubiscan technology for automated dimensioning
• Better cost control by tracking packaging, labour, and time per order – improving both pricing accuracy and resource allocation
Beyond the numbers, the WMS gave us the agility to handle seasonal spikes without the chaos that often comes with rapid scaling.
Key takeaways
If you’re choosing or building a WMS, start with clarity about what your warehouse actually does. Is it about rapid turnover, bulk holding, or last-mile preparation? Map out your operational flow – like drafting an architectural plan – before looking at software. Identify bottlenecks, understand why they happen, and prioritize fixing the 70% of processes that carry most of your workload. Resist the urge to overbuild from the start. The most effective systems grow in layers – adding complexity only when the core processes are already running smoothly. Keep development continuous, not one-and-done, so your operations can adapt to changes in volume, market conditions, or customer expectations.
Bio of the speaker:
Mykhailo Lymar has served as CEO of Meest China since its founding in 2014, leading the company’s mission to make Asian logistics as accessible and seamless as possible for businesses and individuals worldwide. Over more than 10 years at the helm, he has built and guided a diverse global team, establishing operational hubs across Europe and Asia. To truly understand the nuances of Asian logistics, Mykhailo relocated to China for five years, immersing himself in the region’s culture and business practices. With over 20 years of experience in logistics and an Executive MBA, he combines strategic vision with hands-on expertise in cross-border logistics, supply chain optimization, and market expansion.