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“Necessity is the mother of Invention.”--Plato, philosopher
“When Necessity rapidly consumes the globe in a pandemic, Invention calls its brother Fulfillment.”--ShipHero, fulfill-osopher
While our shipping quotes may be better than our written quotes, the principle holds true: a good product is only as good as its ability to reach customers. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush… okay, no more proverbs.At its onset, the global pandemic caused a shortage of goods that people relied on with no way of receiving them. But then came the shift to digital, and the ecommerce industry saw tremendous growth. When more people started sending more things, we in the ecommerce fulfillment industry experienced growth of our own.Fulfillment as a Service (FaaS) companies like ShipHero began partnering with online brands to provide fast and reliable fulfillment services powered by SaaS-based fulfillment software. In under a year, ShipHero became trusted by over 4,000 ecommerce brands and 3PLs every day to get their products in the hands of their customers, on time and on budget with their Warehouse Management Software (WMS).How did we obtain and manage such high-speed growth? The answer lies in our steadfast set of criteria that we developed to know when the time has come to expand our operations, and through what means. Let’s dive into this Warehouse Buying 101 guide, so you can understand when and how to grow your own network of warehouses.
We’ve found that taking a data-driven approach is essential to know when to expand your operations. Through real-time data monitoring and executive oversight, we get the right data to the right people to make the best possible decisions. We know it is time to expand our operations when one of the following occurs:
We let our business tell us when it is time to expand, not the other way around. Make sure you are tracking the right data, like ‘Miles Travelled per Order’ or ‘Time to Fulfill’ in order to assess the state of your operations before expanding. Because adding new warehouses to your network can be expensive and very difficult to undo, you need to ensure that there are no simple fixes for your current fulfillment woes.
Once you are certain that it is time for 3PL to grow its network of warehouses, the next step is to analyze your options and choose the strategy that best satisfies your needs. It is through in-depth research and quality information that allows ShipHero to make smart decisions.
Location, location, location (technically not a proverb).For ecommerce fulfillment, choosing the right location for your warehouses makes all the difference. Having a widespread network of warehouses improves the cost-efficiency and speed of your order fulfillment, but having multiple operations in one area provides resiliency.Understand where your brand and your brands’ customers are located. What is the competition in that area? Is there an airport nearby and how are the road conditions for trucks? Does the area have an adequate talent pool to employ and run your operations smoothly?By determining your location, this allows you to set a more defined area to search for expansion opportunities.
Are you looking for immediate expansion to solve an urgent need, or is this a long-term decision to ensure future success? Why are you expanding now? What are the underlying forces that are driving your growth, and will they still be there in the future?By understanding your timing, this helps you align to your long-term business goals and mitigate risks caused from short-term thinking.
How much are you willing to invest? How much free capital can you afford to spend? Think in terms of proportions of your current and projected orders.Knowing where you want to expand, how quickly, and how much you are hoping to spend will give you all the information for the final step.
With the above considerations in mind, the final step is to execute your desired expansion method. ShipHero has employed a blend of the following strategies to successfully and quickly grow their network of warehouses:Build from ScratchThe first strategy is to set up a brand new warehouse. As the most time consuming option, ShipHero is able to spin up a brand new warehouse in 30 days, which we did recently in our Pennsylvania warehouse (now hiring). It is also the most costly option, but allows for the greatest level of autonomy in running your operations.Partnership with Existing 3PLExisting 3PL companies that have additional capacity to spare may contractually agree to fulfill your customers’ orders for a percentage of the profits. Partnering with an existing 3PL is the fastest way to add capacity to a certain region, so if you are in a time crunch to start getting orders out the door, this is a smart way to go. Keep in mind, with regards to quality of service, your company will wholly rely on the existing 3PL to deliver, so make sure you partner with the 3PL that matches your standards of excellence.Buyout an Existing OperationIf there’s a suitable candidate, buying an existing operation is a great way to expand your network. For example, ShipHero recently purchased Radio Shack's DFW Fulfillment Center, and because they already used our software, we began fulfilling ShipHero orders practically overnight. Transitioning an existing operation to suit yours is less costly and time-intensive than building a warehouse from scratch, and it allows more autonomy and capacity than a partnership. So keep an eye out on your existing partners or your clients, as they may become a good target for acquisition.This concludes our Warehouse Buying 101 tutorial, and we hope that you can use it to expand your operations and effectively fulfill on behalf of your online brands and retailers. And if you’re looking to unlock your ecommerce fulfillment superpowers, ShipHero is a leading provider of SaaS 3PL software for ecommerce fulfillment. We give you the tools to quickly master your ecommerce operations with a cloud-based software solution trusted by ecommerce and retail brands of all shapes and sizes.Learn more about ShipHero's industry-leading warehouse management software.
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The ShipHero Model Context Protocol (MCP) connects supported AI clients directly to your live ShipHero data, so warehouse teams can ask questions and get specific answers from their own account. It is built for day-to-day operational checks, including inventory levels, open orders, shipment status, holds, returns, purchase orders, and exceptions. For ShipHero customers, it is available at no additional charge and runs on existing API credits.
Every order, shipment, inventory movement, hold, return, and purchase order creates data inside ShipHero. Your warehouse information is right there, but getting to it can be a slow, complex process.
Before the ShipHero MCP, answering a specific operational question often meant logging in, finding the right report, applying the right filters, exporting data, or asking the one person on the team who knew where to look.
Even when the answer was simple, like a quick inventory check, it could turn into a 20 to 45 minute task. A customer question could sit half a day while someone pulled the right numbers. That delay adds friction to the floor. It slows decisions. It keeps teams waiting on data they already own.
The ShipHero MCP gives supported AI clients secure, read-only access to live ShipHero data.
That means operators can ask questions in plain English and get answers from their actual account, not from a generic help article or static knowledge base. A chatbot can tell you where to find a number. The ShipHero MCP can return the number itself.
It works with MCP-enabled AI clients, including Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and Codex. Connect it once, authenticate access, and your team can start asking operational questions from the AI tool they already use.
The workflow is simple:
The MCP does not replace ShipHero. It makes the data inside ShipHero easier to reach when your team needs a fast answer.
The ShipHero MCP is designed for everyday operational questions, such as:
If the data lives in your ShipHero account, the MCP gives your team a faster way to ask for it.
Speed matters, but safety matters too.
The ShipHero MCP is read-only by design. It can retrieve information from your account, but it cannot create orders, modify records, delete data, or change warehouse settings.
That gives teams a practical way to use AI for operational visibility without risking accidental account changes. Operators can ask. Managers can check. 3PL teams can answer client questions faster.
The data becomes easier to use, while the records stay protected.
For founders, the MCP can turn a quick inventory check into a simple question.
For operations leads, it can surface shipment status, holds, exceptions, and low-stock SKUs without digging through reports.
For 3PL operators, it can help answer client questions faster, using live account data instead of manual follow-up.
The result is a faster way to reach the information already inside ShipHero.
The ShipHero MCP is available to all ShipHero customers at no additional charge. It runs on existing API credits, so specific questions help keep usage efficient.
To get started, visit developer.shiphero.com or contact your ShipHero account representative.
ShipHero MCP is a read-only connection between supported AI clients and your live ShipHero data. It lets users ask operational questions in plain English and receive answers from their actual ShipHero account.
A chatbot usually answers from fixed, generic information. ShipHero MCP connects to live account data, so it can return specific answers about your orders, shipments, inventory, holds, returns, and other ShipHero records.
ShipHero MCP works with AI clients that support the Model Context Protocol, including Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and Codex.
No. ShipHero MCP is read-only. It can query data, but it cannot create, update, or delete records in your ShipHero account.
No. The MCP is built for operators and can be connected from a supported AI client in minutes. Developers may use more advanced tools for deeper analysis, but most day-to-day users can work directly with the MCP.
Yes. ShipHero MCP is available to ShipHero customers at no additional charge and runs on existing API credits.
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Transitioning to a new Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a high-stakes decision that often triggers concerns regarding downtime, data integrity, and workforce adaptation. As warehouses prepare for 2026 growth, understanding these common hurdles—and the technical solutions that resolve them—is essential for a successful migration. This guide addresses the five primary barriers to adoption and how a high-velocity infrastructure ensures a seamless transition.
Warehouse operators frequently hesitate to upgrade due to perceived risks that can halt operations. These challenges typically include:
To clear these hurdles, a structured implementation strategy is used to prioritize data density and entity clarity.
In the competitive eCommerce landscape, staying stagnant with manual workarounds is often more costly than the transition itself. Moving to a high-velocity WMS converts your warehouse from a cost center into a growth engine by providing Labor Efficiency and ROI through automated routing and reduced authentication friction.
Because the platform is built for the floor worker, features like Workforce Hero allow seasonal temps and new staff to be authenticated and productive in under an hour.
No. High-velocity infrastructure increases visibility by providing Total Real-Time Control. Managers can monitor exactly what is in the Hospital queue and track replenishment in real-time from a single dashboard.
Before going live, a ground-up audit is performed using cycle counting tools. The system's architecture ensures that every movement on the floor is synchronized with sales channels instantly, maintaining 99.9% accuracy.
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Picture a packer at Peak Season. A box is in front of them, a product in each hand, and somewhere on a cluttered desk there's a mouse they need to find to confirm the order. They look down. They hunt. They click. Then they do it again. Thousands of times a day.
That moment of friction is small. But it is never just one moment. Multiply it across your entire pack line, across an entire shift, and you are looking at a measurable and largely invisible drag on your total throughput.
Tap-to-Pack is a purpose-built hardware controller designed by ShipHero to eliminate digital friction at the packing station. It connects via USB-C, requires no drivers or additional software, and syncs automatically with the ShipHero WMS packing app. This new system is now available at the ShipHero Store.
Instead of navigating a screen with a keyboard and mouse, packers execute every high-frequency command — such as selecting box sizes, printing labels, finalizing orders, flagging exceptions — with a single physical tap on one of eight programmable buttons.
Key specifications:
Most warehouses are running 2026 operations on 1990s peripheral standards. The keyboard and mouse were designed for spreadsheets and emails, not high-volume fulfillment. When used at a packing station, they create three compounding problems:
The problem is not your people. It is the tools you are asking them to use.
Tap-to-Pack introduces a "Rodent-Free" packing standard: a workflow where the packer's hands stay on the product, their eyes stay on the work, and the software fades into the background.
The device guides the packer through two feedback systems:
ShipHero customers running Tap-to-Pack are already seeing a 90% reduction in on-screen interactions and a significant increase in the number of orders packed per hour, without adding headcount or changing their warehouse layout.
One of the hardest challenges in fulfillment is absorbing volume quickly, especially during Peak Season, when temporary staff need to reach target productivity fast.
Because Tap-to-Pack's interface is physical and intuitive, there is almost nothing to teach. Pick up the product, follow the light, tap the button. New packers can reach target productivity in minutes rather than hours.
The system is also modular:
Whether you are a growing DTC brand or a high-volume 3PL, Tap-to-Pack is designed so your hardware never becomes a ceiling on what your team can do.
Tap-to-Pack is a programmable, industrial-grade hardware controller that connects to the ShipHero WMS and allows warehouse packers to execute packing station commands, such as printing labels, selecting boxes, and completing orders. All with a single physical button press, eliminating the need for a keyboard and mouse.
The device connects via USB-C and syncs automatically with the ShipHero WMS packing app. It is a true plug-and-play solution: no drivers, no background software, and no manual configuration required.
Yes. Buttons are configurable for a range of packing actions, including Print Label, Complete Order, Select Box Size, and the Hospital function, which flags a problematic order and keeps the line moving without stopping to resolve it on screen.
The system is fully modular. Connect up to two additional 8-button hubs to the Main Hub for a total of 24 programmable buttons, supporting even the most complex multi-step packing workflows.
Tap-to-Pack devices require ShipHero Packing App v1.0 or higher. The current release is v1.1.0.
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