Automate 3PL Warehouses Without Rebuilding

As a 3PL operator, you know the dilemma: your clients expect fast, accurate fulfillment – but thin margins and fluctuating volumes make traditional automation investments a risk. NEO automates your existing shelf-based warehouse without reconstruction, without heavy upfront cost, and with a pricing model that fits 3PL contracts.

NEOintralogistics automates 3PL warehouses with existing shelving on a pay-per-pick basis. AMR robots bring bins from the shelves to a goods-to-person station - no reconstruction, no heavy investment. Costs are per pick and scale with volume. Go-live in 6–8 weeks. 3PL operators reduce picking labor by up to 70% and onboard new clients faster.

The 3PL Warehouse Challenge

3PL operators face a unique combination of operational constraints:

Multi-client fulfillment

Every client brings a different SKU mix, different packaging requirements, and different SLA expectations. Your warehouse has to serve all of them in parallel.

Volume fluctuations

Seasonal peaks, campaign spikes, and client onboarding create unpredictable volume swings. The next client offboarding can drop volume just as quickly.

Margin pressure

3PL contracts are tightly priced. A traditional automation project with a €500,000 investment cannot be justified on a single client contract.

Dependency on temp labor

During peaks, you need 30–50% more staff. Temp workers are expensive, hard to find, and require training time.

Existing buildings

You operate in leased warehouses with existing infrastructure. A new-build or complete redesign is not an option.

Operator at the goods-to-person station in a 3PL warehouse

Why NEO for 3PL Operators?

NEO was built for exactly the situation most 3PL operators are in: existing shelving, variable volumes, tight margins.

Pay-per-pick instead of CapEx: You pay per pick - not per robot, not per month. When a client’s volume drops, your automation cost drops with it. The model fits 3PL contracts because it ties automation cost directly to fulfillment revenue. Learn more about pay-per-pick

Retrofit instead of rebuild: NEO robots navigate your existing aisles (minimum 85 cm width). There is no reconstruction, no shelf replacement, and no operational downtime. How the retrofit works

TORU robot navigating existing racking aisle - top-down view

Fast to Go-Live, Flexibly Scalable

Go-live in 6–8 weeks: From order confirmation to first automated pick takes 6–8 weeks. That is fast enough to onboard new 3PL clients with automated fulfillment capacity - not after an 18-month construction project.

70% less picking labor: In the automated zone, manual picking effort is reduced by 70%. During peaks, that means: less dependency on expensive temp workers, less training time, more consistent quality.

Multi-client capable: NEO:os manages SKU data, storage locations, and orders on a per-tenant basis. You can run different client volumes through the same system - with cleanly separated order management.

How NEO Works in a 3PL Environment

Assessment and Pilot Planning

NEO evaluates your warehouse - aisle widths, shelf heights, SKU profile, and picking volume. Together, we define a pilot zone covering one or more of your 3PL clients.

Installation During Ongoing Operations

AMR robots and the goods-to-person station are installed in your existing shelving. No reconstruction, no downtime. Other warehouse areas and clients remain unaffected.

Go-Live and Pilot Operation

After 6–8 weeks, you start automated operations. Pickers work at the station, robots bring bins from the shelves - up to 400 picks per hour.

Scaling on Demand

Once the pilot proves out, you scale to additional warehouse areas and clients. Additional stations and robots are added without disrupting ongoing operations.

70%

Weniger Personalaufwand

2,5×

Höhere Lagerdichte

6–8Wochen

Bis zum Go-Live

0€

Vorab-Investition

400 picks/h per goods-to-person station

“No other provider combines such a simple automation solution with higher storage density like NEO. We see great potential to significantly support our fulfillment strategy with NEO.”

Frank Hammermeister

CEO, Versandmanufaktur GmbH (GLS Group)

Technical Requirements

Shelving system	Standard shelf-based racking	No special shelving required
Aisle width	Minimum 85 cm
Shelf height	Up to 250 cm
Item dimensions	Max 380 × 270 × 140 mm	L × W × H
Item weight	Max 5 kg
Pick volume	5,000+ picks/day	recommended
Floor	Level, load-bearing warehouse floor
WiFi	Full WiFi coverage	in the warehouse area

Best fit for

Multi-client fulfillment in existing shelf-based warehouses
Match fluctuating volumes with variable costs
Onboard new clients quickly with automated capacity
Reduce temp labor in picking operations

Not ideal for

Pure pallet warehouses without shelf-based racking
Items that exceed the size or weight limits
Warehouses with fewer than 5,000 picks per day
Sites planning a complete new-build with a shuttle system

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NEO suitable for multi-client fulfillment?

Yes. NEO:os manages SKU data and orders on a per-tenant basis. You can serve multiple 3PL clients through the same system - with separated order management and separate performance tracking per tenant.

How flexible is scaling with volume fluctuations?

Very flexible. With the pay-per-pick model, you only pay for picks actually completed. During seasonal peaks, additional robots and stations can be added. When volume drops, your costs decrease proportionally - no fixed-cost block. Learn more about pay-per-pick

Can I install NEO alongside ongoing operations?

Yes. Installation takes place in the existing warehouse without operational downtime. Other client areas and manual processes continue undisturbed during setup. This is particularly relevant for 3PL operators serving multiple clients in one facility.

How does pay-per-pick fit 3PL contract models?

Pay-per-pick ties automation cost directly to fulfillment volume. If you bill your clients per order or per shipment, picking costs follow the same logic. There is no CapEx line item that you need to amortize across multiple client contracts - costs flow as OpEx directly into your client pricing. Learn more about pay-per-pick

Request a Demo

Find out in a 30-minute call how NEO fits your 3PL warehouse - with a concrete assessment of pick volume, scaling, and cost. Or start with an overview of the NEO platform.

Request a demo

+49 151 4000 8119 sales@NEOintralogistics.com