‍Let’s talk about how to start a warehouse business that can scale, deliver fast ROI, and still lets you go home at 5:00 PM.

From working closely with new 3PLs and warehouse operators, I’ve seen exactly what makes a warehouse stay organized and confident from the jump. Hint: it’s all about making your day easier! With real-time connectivity between your systems and automated workflows that take care of the heavy lifting for you!

Putting the right integrated systems in place early isn't just a tech choice — it’s a growth strategy that saves you a massive amount of time, stress, and rework as your business takes off.

TL;DR: I’m Olivia, CartonCloud North America Operations Manager. I’ll walk you through what you actually need to run your first warehouse efficiently — including why an integrated WMS + TMS matters, how automation helps small teams do more with less, and which workflows are worth setting up from day one to support your long-term growth.

Here's some of the top Q’s I get asked about starting or scaling a 3PL warehouse. 

Q: What software do I need to run my first warehouse efficiently?

A: To run your first warehouse efficiently, you need WMS software that automates your picking and packing, outbound deliveries, and invoicing all from one platform! 

Many 3PLs start out with fragmented setups, using one system for the warehouse, another for transport, and spreadsheets to bridge the gaps. However, when you bring all that data into a single platform, you can unlock clear visibility across your entire operation.

“From my experience working with new 3PLs, the warehouses that run smoothly off the bat are those that set up their integrated systems from the start. When all your data lives in one place, it’s far easier to stay in control and make confident decisions as you grow and take on new customers.” — Javier Hernandez, Implementations Consultant, CartonCloud

CartonCloud’s integrated WMS + TMS platform makes it easy to bring all of your operational areas together in one place (meaning you have a single source of truth you can rely on for warehouse management, transport, and invoicing) with real-time updates as an order progresses from picked, packed, to dispatched.

See how these 3PLs use CartonCloud to automate their operations from start to finish.

Let’s take a quick walk through what that looks like in CartonCloud!

• Say an order comes in from one of your customers. As soon as it’s created in CartonCloud, it shows up instantly in your WMS. Your warehouse team can then pick and pack the order using barcode scanning with each scan confirming the correct product and quantity required (while your inventory levels and order status updates in real time).
• Once the order is packed, that order information flows straight into CartonCloud’s TMS. The job is added to a delivery run, assigned to a driver, and tracked through dispatch. When the delivery is completed, the driver captures electronic proof of delivery, like a signature or photo, directly in the app, and the order status updates immediately.
• Now here’s my favorite part. While all of this is going on, CartonCloud automatically applies the correct storage, handling, and delivery charges in the background as the work is completed. That means as soon as the delivery is confirmed, an invoice is generated and synced over to your accounting software, such as Xero or QuickBooks. 

Now imagine trying to do all of that on paper! 😅

For new warehouses, this kind of end-to-end automation removes a huge amount of manual work early on and ensures everything stays connected as your order volumes grow. 

Q: How can I automate warehouse operations from day one?

A: To automate your warehouse operations from day one, there are a few key time savers I always recommend for 3PLs to get started with from the beginning, such as using barcode scanning, wave picking, and integrating with customer storefronts and accounting software. 

1) Start with barcode scanning to automate your stock and order accuracy.

Barcode scanning is a great way to ensure your WMS system is always in sync with what’s actually happening on the floor. Whether it’s scanning in stock you’ve received, picked or packed — each scan acts as your built-in accuracy check, giving you confidence that everything is always spot on. That means your inventory updates and checks are completely automated, with no need to go back and update your inventory records later.

Check out this #WarehouseHack where I run you through how to use barcode scanning for top-notch inventory accuracy.

You can also find out more about specific barcode scanning workflows in CartonCloud in this free downloadable guide!

2) Automate your order picking with Wave Picks.

Ever wish you could knock out a stack of orders in one go? Well, with Wave Picking you can! Instead of picking orders one by one, your team can batch up to 100 orders together and pick them all in a single run.

That means no more zig-zagging back and forth between locations — just one smooth pick path that saves a lot of walking time. 

See how Core Logistic Services use wave picking to automate the picking process with just a team of two.

3) Automate order entry with online storefront integrations or our customer portal.

These days, there are so many order sources to keep track of such as Amazon, Etsy, WooCommerce, Shopify… the list goes on. We often see 3PLs managing orders coming in from five or more platforms, which is exactly why automating order entry makes such a big difference.

By integrating with online storefronts like Shopify, orders pop straight into your CartonCloud WMS the moment a customer clicks ‘Buy’. The order’s ready to go, your team can get moving straight away, and everything stays in sync behind the scenes. Find out more about our self-managed Shopify integration here.

“As soon as an order is placed in a customer’s Shopify store, it automatically flows into our system. Once the order is processed and shipped, CartonCloud updates the status in both systems and sends the shipping notification to the end customer.” — Javier Hernandez, Implementations Consultant, CartonCloud.

Alternatively, if you’re not running e-commerce operations, you can still automate order entry in a few simple ways. 

• Your customers can submit their orders via email using a standard Excel template and CartonCloud will automatically import them into the system. 
• Orders can also be entered directly through the CartonCloud customer portal, allowing customers to log in and create orders themselves. 
• And for more established or legacy systems, we also support EDI connectivity, enabling seamless order transfers between systems.

4) Automate invoicing and billing with accounting integrations.

Now here’s an admin task that you can completely take off your plate with CartonCloud’s automated invoicing and billing (and why it just might just be my favorite).

CartonCloud integrates directly with accounting software like Xero, so as the work gets done throughout the day, the system automatically applies storage, handling, and delivery fees in the background. Invoices are generated for you and sent straight into your accounting platform, ready to go out to customers — without you needing to touch a thing.

That means:

• No late nights stuck invoicing.
• Clear, consistent bills your customers actually understand.
• Getting paid faster, with way fewer questions!

“In CartonCloud, each order essentially builds its own charge, and depending on your charging scheme — whether that’s daily, weekly, or monthly — the system consolidates everything for you. It aggregates and sums the totals, giving you a clear, organized report at the end of each invoicing period.

This way, you’re not constantly doing ad hoc or manual billing for extra services. If there are occasional value-added services or unique requests, those can still be logged separately.” — Javier Hernandez, Implementations Consultant, CartonCloud

Q: How do small warehouses manage order picking and invoicing without extra admin staff?

A: We help small warehouses manage order picking and invoicing without extra admin staff by using workflows that enable them to do more with less, such as being able to pick high-volume orders with Pick to Tote in one run, or automating their invoicing. With each task automated, it’s one less thing they have to touch. 

For example, instead of picking one order at a time, your team can use Pick to Tote to grab high-volume orders in one run.

This works by having one person pushing a tote trolley through the warehouse and picking up to 20 or 30 orders (depending on the capacity of your tote trolley). Each order is placed  into its own tote, so once the run is finished, everything is already organized and ready to move straight into packing. [Check out our Chief Product Officer’s webinar direct from the warehouse, to see Pick to Tote and Pack Screen in action!]

That means fewer warehouse walks, fewer touches, and a lot more orders picked in the same amount of time!

Check out this video below where I explain how you can pick for high-volume orders in CartonCloud. 

To find out more, read our blog where we explain how you can scale high volume e-commerce fulfillment without hiring more staff here.

Now on the invoicing side, it’s all about setting up your integrations so you can let CartonCloud’s WMS system take care of all the invoicing on your behalf!

Connecting CartonCloud to your accounting software is super simple; all you have to do is link your customers, sync your products and services, and set your invoices to be automatically pushed to your accounting software (that’s time saved that normally would be taken care of by extra staff!). 

Learn more about how you can simplify invoicing with 3PL WMS integrations here.

Q: What are the hidden costs of running a warehouse manually?

A: The hidden costs of running a warehouse manually usually hides quietly in the background and can quickly add up over time (eventually impacting your margins, customer satisfaction, as well as time spent fixing errors). Here are the top 3 hidden costs I see most often in new 3PL warehouses:

1. Picking errors
2. Revenue leakage
3. Time spent on invoicing
   

Hidden Cost #1: Picking errors

Picking errors are one of the most common hidden costs we see in warehouses running manual processes. When teams are cross-checking spreadsheets, double-checking with each other, or relying on memory, accuracy is almost guaranteed to slip — especially as order volumes increase.

Using the CartonCloud mobile app and barcode scanning, 3PLs like Rockstar remove that guesswork entirely, scanning a location or product on the spot to instantly confirm they’re picking the right stock from the right place.

“If there was ever any question about what item is in a specific location, it’s as easy as scanning that barcode and having it pop up straight away in the CartonCloud app.” — Jimmy Skodras, Vice President of Operations and Logistics, Rockstar 3PL

Hidden Cost #2: Revenue leakage from missed charges

Another common cost in transport operations is revenue leakage. Paper-based processes make it easy for delivery documents to be misplaced, left in a vehicle, or never returned to the office — meaning payment can be delayed or missed without final delivery confirmation.

“As small businesses grow, the risk for accurately capturing and charging for completed tasks is higher than ever, especially as key transport drivers get even busier. We've seen that 75% of businesses that we engage with actually don’t have any system in place to help them capture charges, and as a result, are leaking revenue daily.” — Shaun Johnson, Senior Manager - Customer Operations APAC, CartonCloud 

The team at AustraCold have been able to prevent revenue leakage simply by using CartonCloud to gain real-time oversight across their entire operation. 

“As a startup business, we needed a system that was very simple to use, intuitive, and gave us warehousing, transport, and billing all under the one system.” 

"We look after the customers' best interests and their product. We're in the food industry so their product is sensitive, it's perishable, so we need to make sure it gets delivered with integrity." — Birol Guler, Managing Director, AustraCold

Hidden Cost #3: Time spent on invoicing

Lastly, another hidden cost of running a warehouse manually is time — especially when it comes to invoicing. It doesn’t always show up on a balance sheet, but it can quietly eat into your evenings and weekends.

Emily Harris, Owner of Motus Transport knew the cost all too well.

“All day long, it was all night long, it was on the weekends, I couldn't go out to dinner, I couldn't go out with friends. I couldn't watch TV, because I would be sitting at the desk filing things, routing things. I was literally at work one night to 1:00AM doing it.” 

Using CartonCloud’s integrated WMS + TMS, Emily got her time back with invoicing no longer being a worry.

“Being able to finish like a normal person at 5:00; we've done all the allocating, we've printed all of the paperwork for the next day. It saves on cost, it saves on having to employ more staff, because if I didn't have this program, I would have to have probably two admin people with me — there's no way that I'd be able to do the volume of work that we do do with the program.” — Emily Harris, Owner, Motus Transport

Key Takeaways

• Set your tech stack up for growth with an integrated WMS + TMS from the start. A single source of truth across warehouse, transport, and invoicing means less re-entering data, fewer mistakes, and better visibility as you grow.‍
• Automate early to avoid hidden costs later. Barcode scanning, ePODs, storefront integrations, and automated invoicing remove manual work from day one — helping prevent picking errors, revenue leakage, and late nights spent on admin.‍
• The right workflows let small teams do more without hiring more staff. Features like Pick to Tote and automated billing allow small warehouses to handle high order volumes efficiently, scale fulfillment, and stay profitable without adding extra headcount.

Want to know more?

If you’re setting up your first warehouse or feeling the strain of manual processes as you grow, getting the right system in place early makes all the difference. CartonCloud helps you bring warehouse, transport, and invoicing together in one platform, so you can stay in control, avoid hidden costs, and scale without adding unnecessary admin! 

Book a free demo with our team to see how CartonCloud works in action and see how you can run a smarter, more efficient warehouse from day one.