Reduce logistics costs: warehousing, fulfilment and contract logistics
We renegotiate your warehousing and fulfilment contracts – pallet spaces, order picking, pick and pack, returns, value added services and warehouse SLAs. Freight rates and transport are covered on a dedicated page.
Where money is lost in warehousing and fulfilment
- Contract logistics agreements work with prices and volume assumptions from yesterday – order structure and inventory turnover have changed since.
- Pallet spaces and floor space are billed as a flat rate, although space utilisation fluctuates or has permanently decreased.
- Goods receipt, order picking and goods issue are priced as a lump sum instead of per pallet, order line or pick.
- Value added services and returns handling are billed as extras without a clear price list.
- Index clauses for labour and energy run automatically without proof of actual cost development.
- Warehouse SLAs (lead times, picking quality, inventory accuracy) are not backed by a bonus-malus scheme.
What we optimise in warehousing and contract logistics
- Warehousing costs: pallet space and floor space prices, storage fees, minimum occupancy, stocktaking and inventory management
- Handling: goods receipt, put-away, order picking, pick and pack, packing station, goods issue
- Fulfilment and returns: prices per order and order line, returns receipt, inspection, restocking
- Value added services: labelling, co-packing, kitting, display building – with a binding price list
- Warehouse SLAs and KPIs: lead times, error rates, inventory accuracy, bonus-malus rules
- Site concepts: number and layout of warehouse sites, space utilisation, consolidation of several providers
- Index clauses: limit price adjustments for labour and energy to proven cost components
Five levers for lower warehousing and logistics costs
Update the volume structure
Today’s pallets, order lines, picks and returns form the price basis – not the planning values at contract signature.
Switch the pricing model to service units
Rates per pallet space, pick or order line instead of lump sums make costs controllable and comparable.
Reflect space utilisation and inventory turnover
Unused pallet spaces and overcapacity disappear from the invoice; minimum occupancy levels are adjusted.
Price value added services and returns
A binding price list replaces individual extras and makes additional services predictable.
Link warehouse SLAs to bonus-malus
Quality and lead times become measurable – and poor performance is reflected in the price.
Logistics or freight? The difference
This page covers everything that happens inside the warehouse and at your warehousing or fulfilment provider: space, pallet spaces, handling, order picking, returns and additional services.
If you are looking at the cost of moving goods from A to B – freight rates, parcel services, road, sea and air freight, fuel and toll surcharges or freight audit – please see our freight page.
How your project works
Initial call and documents
You provide warehousing and contract logistics agreements, price sheets, SLA annexes, invoices and inventory and movement data. Your effort: a few hours.
AI-supported analysis
We match billed services against volume data, space utilisation and benchmarks for warehousing and handling prices.
Negotiation by experts
In coordination with you, we negotiate with your warehousing and fulfilment providers – through renegotiation or a targeted market enquiry.
Implementation and control
The new prices and SLAs are fixed contractually. We check that they show up on the invoices.
You only pay a share of the savings realised – no fixed costs, cash-positive from day 1.
Results that pay off
Across all categories we achieve an average of 25 % savings – in more than 1,100 successful negotiations. Examples from industry, consumer goods and private equity can be found under Practice & Case Studies.
Who benefits from a logistics check
- Companies with outsourced warehousing, contract logistics or e-commerce fulfilment
- Contracts with an index clause or a term of more than two years
- Several warehouse sites or providers
- Changed order structure, return rate or inventory level since contract signature
- Upcoming contract renewal
Packaging at the packing station is also a cost driver in fulfilment. We negotiate cartons, void fill and stretch film in a separate category.
Reduce packaging costsFrequently asked questions about warehousing and logistics costs
What is the difference between logistics costs and freight costs?
Logistics costs arise in the warehouse and in contract logistics: pallet spaces, goods receipt, order picking, pick and pack, goods issue, returns and value added services. Freight costs arise when goods are transported between two locations – freight rates, modes of transport and surcharges such as fuel or tolls. We cover the two on separate pages.
Which documents do you need for the logistics check?
Logistics or contract logistics agreements with price sheets, statement of work and SLA annex, invoices for the last twelve months and – where available – volume data, inventory and movement data (pallets, order lines, returns).
Our contract has an index clause – is it still worth it?
Especially then. We review the calculation and limit the adjustment to proven cost components such as labour or energy.
Do we have to switch warehouse or fulfilment provider?
No. In most cases we renegotiate with your existing provider. A switch or a market enquiry is an option, not a prerequisite.
What does the logistics check cost?
Nothing. Savify works 100 % success-based: we receive a share of the savings realised. If there are no savings, there are no costs for you.
Reduce warehousing and logistics costs – start without cost risk
In a short initial call we clarify which warehousing and fulfilment contracts hold potential. Free and non-binding.
Request a free logistics check