Recap: Key Insights from IWLA’s Fulfillment Forum in Toronto

Last week I attended the IWLA Fulfillment Forum in Toronto. This was my first time to an IWLA event and I was very impressed. The room was filled with industry leaders who aren’t just talking about operational excellence—they’re living it. And best of all? They were sharing their insights and experience with each other to lift the industry.

The overarching theme? Best-in-class fulfillment providers aren’t simply focused on squeezing out more revenue—they’re using their systems, tools, and expertise to create more value for their brand partners, fueling mutual growth through long-term partnerships.

Here are my three key takeaways:

1. AI is here to takeover... kind of.

The most forward-thinking fulfillment providers are using AI to get ahead of problems, not just respond to them. They're using AI to:

1. Optimize inventory placement, slotting, to drive efficiency and get ahead of bottlenecks
2. Forecast baseline demand to inform labor strategy. When to hire, when you use supplemental labor, how to schedule etc.
3. leverage operational data to educate brands on the benefits of forecasting, alignment, and collaborationbetween internal teams and external partners

The message was clear: AI isn’t just an internal advantage—it’s a way to spark better conversations and stronger partnerships with brands.

2. Labor is the Lynchpin

Automation and AI are powerful, but the workforce remains at the heart of warehousing and fulfillment and that likely isn't changing. The providers who will thrive aren’t replacing people—they’re augmenting them with the right tools and processes for their operational maturity.

A hard truth emerged: if you’re struggling to hire and retain quality labor, it might not be because “people don’t want to work”—it could be because your tech and tools are outdated.

Consider this: the iPhone launched in 2007. If it were a person, it’d be 18 this year. Many of today’s workforce have never known life without sleek, intuitive, “Apple-ified” technology. If your systems and hardware feel like they belong in a pre-smartphone world, you’re creating unnecessary barriers for your team.

3. Price for Your Business, Not for the Prospect

Sustainable growth comes from pricing with discipline:

1. Know your costs
2. Price for the future
3. Be ruthless about profitability at the account level, not just across your P&L

The best operators avoid the extremes. Overly simple pricing can attract underdeveloped brands that drain resources. Overly complex pricing can scare away everyone. The goal? Meet brands where they are, but never compromise your business model to fit theirs.

My Parting Thought

The forum reinforced that “best in class” isn’t about flash—it’s about foresight. It’s about marrying operational excellence with genuine partnership, ensuring that technology, people, and pricing all work in harmony to create value for everyone involved.

I'm back stateside reinvigorated about the work we're doing to help fulfillment providers evaluate prospective business and tell the story of how they can deliver value for shippers through thoughtful pricing and collaborative execution.