Define Accountability
We establish clear ownership and decision-making frameworks between your internal teams and GXO.
- Responsibility matrices
- Escalation protocols
- Performance governance
- Cross-functional touchpoints
GXO Operations
GXO Operations Confidence
Navigating the complexities of large-scale contract logistics requires deep operational insight. Our GXO advisory ensures your fulfilment operations are robust, intelligent, and commercially viable.
Our operators advise leading brands on optimising GXO partnerships.
GXO clients trust Cogent2 expertise
Organisational Design
Who owns what, when
Effective GXO partnership relies on clarity in roles and responsibilities. Our consultants define the operating model required to maximise your 3PL relationship.
Optimise Workflows
Analyse and refine operational processes to align with GXO's capabilities and internal objectives.
- Order flow choreography
- Inventory reconciliation cycles
- Invoice validation workflows
- Customer service handoffs
Risk Mitigation
Identify and address potential operational bottlenecks and discrepancies inherent in complex 3PL environments.
- Discrepancy resolution plans
- Peak trading preparedness
- System integration change control
- Data accuracy controls
Why Cogent2
The complexity behind GXO
GXO manages high-volume, often intricate fulfilment for enterprise retailers. This scale introduces operational and commercial complexities that extend far beyond typical warehousing functions, demanding a strategic, operator-led approach to management and incident resolution.
- Deep 3PL operational experience
- Integrated system architecture advisory
- Commercial contract negotiation support
- Multi-system data reconciliation
- Peak trading strategy and oversight
- Incident and exception management
Operator-led
Engagement model
Tier-1 Vendors
GXO experience
£100M+ GMV
Client scale
Cross-System
Operational scope
Operational Intelligence
CogentAI
GXO operations generate vast amounts of data, yet genuine insight can be scarce. CogentAI transforms raw event streams into actionable intelligence, detecting patterns and predicting anomalies before they impact your customer or bottom line.
Anomaly Detection
Alert Prioritisation
Performance Monitoring
Inventory Drift Analysis
Exception Root Cause
"Most brands realise too late the internal workload required to manage a 3PL. CogentAI reduces this overhead, flagging critical issues before they escalate."
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Proactive identification of inventory discrepancies and fulfilment exceptions.
Capabilities
Operational areas Cogent2 improves
We focus on the critical areas where GXO partnerships demand the most meticulous attention, ensuring operational integrity and strategic alignment.
Visibility & Reporting
- Data consolidation strategy
- Performance reporting frameworks
- Exception logging and analysis
- Dashboard development
Process Optimisation
- Inventory receipt and putaway
- Order picking and packing paths
- Returns processing workflows
- Value-added service management
Data Reconciliation
- Stock discrepancy resolution
- Invoice validation automation
- Carrier manifest accuracy
- Commercial trade-off analysis
Integration Governance
- Data flow integrity monitoring
- API usage and rate limits
- Error handling protocols
- System upgrade management
Connected Ecosystems
GXO Never Operates Alone
GXO is the engine room of your fulfilment, but it relies on tight orchestration with your wider commerce ecosystem. We ensure all systems communicate effectively.
Frontend & Order Management
ShopifyAdobe CommerceSalesforce Commerce Cloud
ERP & Financials
NetSuiteMicrosoft Dynamics D365SAP B1
Integration & Intelligence
PatchworksCogent AI
Marketplaces & Channels
AmazonMarketplacerMirakl
Logistics & Shipping
ShipStationPeoplevoxDespatch Cloud
Operational Intelligence
Common GXO operational bottlenecks
Retailers frequently encounter specific challenges when scaling with GXO. Our advisory identifies and addresses these, transforming them into operational strengths.
Invoice Reconciliation Discrepancies
Symptoms
- Monthly invoices don't match internal records
- Excessive time spent validating charges
- Lack of detailed breakdown for activity-based costs
Root Causes
- Misaligned data capture between GXO and client ERP
- Lack of clear tariff sheet interpretation
- Manual comparison processes
GXO WMSNetSuiteMicrosoft Dynamics D365
Impact: Unplanned costs and significant finance department overhead, delaying payment cycles and impacting cash flow forecasting.
Cogent Approach: We build reconciliation frameworks and automation, ensuring every GXO charge aligns with agreed terms and recorded activities within your ERP.
Inventory Reporting Drift
Symptoms
- Physical inventory doesn't match system stock figures
- Allocated stock for orders becomes unavailable
- Frequent stock adjustments needed from GXO
Root Causes
- Batch vs. real-time sync issues
- Inconsistent cycle counting processes
- Lack of agreed discrepancy resolution workflow
GXO WMSShopifyBrightpearlNetSuite
Impact: Overselling, underselling, delayed orders, and loss of customer trust due to inaccurate stock availability messaging.
Cogent Approach: Our advisory establishes robust inventory reconciliation protocols, integrating data feeds and defining discrepancy investigation and resolution pathways to maintain accuracy.
Lack of Real-Time Exception Visibility
Symptoms
- Learning about fulfilment exceptions hours later
- No immediate alerts for carrier collection failures
- Customer service unaware of order holds
Root Causes
- Reliance on batch reports or manual communication
- Lack of integration for exception events
- GXO's internal systems not exposed for immediate status
GXO WMSGorgiasZendeskAdobe Commerce
Impact: Delayed customer responses, increased customer service overheads, and potential reputational damage from uncommunicated fulfilment delays.
Cogent Approach: We architect secure data flows to surface critical GXO exception events into your internal systems, enabling proactive customer communication and rapid issue resolution.
Deep Integration Expertise
Where the connection succeeds or fails
Integrating with a global 3PL like GXO requires meticulous attention to data flow, governance, and the operational nuances that define success. Our expertise spans both the technical architecture and the real-world processes.
- Data normalisation and transformation
- EDI and API integration strategy
- System-of-record reconciliation
- Inter-system workflow mapping
- Error handling and alerting design
- Performance and scalability planning
Data Governance
Defining ownership and fidelity
Process Orchestration
Choreographing complex flows
Ecosystem Health
End-to-end operational visibility
Scalable Data Foundation
Adaptive Workflows
Predictive Analytics
AI-Driven Optimisation
Future-Ready Operations
Preparing GXO for the next scale
The partnership with GXO should evolve with your business. We advise on structuring your operations and data to accommodate accelerated growth, new sales channels, global expansion, and the adoption of advanced automation within the warehouse.
This involves strategic forecasting of future data requirements, assessing the potential for new GXO service offerings, and ensuring your internal systems remain agile enough to adapt without significant re-platforming.
Knowledge Base
Frequently Asked Questions
Engagement & Strategy
What kind of GXO issues do you typically advise on?
We focus on operational misalignments, data discrepancies, workflow bottlenecks, and commercial reconciliation issues. This includes optimising inventory management, ensuring invoice accuracy, and improving exception handling between your systems and GXO.
How do you define 'operational confidence' with GXO?
Operational confidence means having real-time visibility into your fulfilment, knowing stock is accurate, understanding the true cost of operations, and having robust processes to quickly resolve exceptions, allowing you to focus on strategy instead of fire-fighting.
Can you help renegotiate our GXO contract?
While we don't directly perform legal renegotiations, we provide the commercial and operational data analysis required to inform your negotiation strategy, identify areas of overspend, and define clearer service level agreements.
Technical & Data
Our GXO integration is constantly having issues. Can you help?
Yes, we diagnose integration failures from an operational perspective, identifying root causes that might be data format inconsistencies, sequencing errors, or process breaks that manifest as integration issues. We then advise on corrective actions and governance.
How do we get better visibility into GXO's daily operations?
We design and implement custom reporting and alerting frameworks, pulling data from GXO's systems (often via secure APIs or SFTP) and consolidating it with your internal data to provide a unified, actionable view of fulfilment performance and exceptions.
Working Together
Engagement Models
GXO Performance Audit
A deep dive into your current GXO operations, identifying bottlenecks, cost inefficiencies, and areas for strategic improvement.
Intelligence & Monitoring
Establish proactive data collection and AI-driven monitoring to detect GXO operational anomalies before they escalate.
Ongoing Operations Advisory
Strategic guidance and expert support for your team, ensuring continuous optimisation and long-term success with GXO.
Transform your GXO partnership
Move from managing GXO challenges to leading your fulfilment operations with confidence. Our advisory helps you build a robust, intelligent ecosystem.
Services
GXO services
Cogent2 offers a range of operator-led consulting and advisory services specifically tailored for retailers using GXO.
Audit
Assess GXO operational performance, identify improvement areas, and ensure alignment with retailer expectations and service level agreements.
Project Rescue
Our experts diagnose and resolve critical GXO project failures, re-establishing control and delivering operational stability.
Strategy
Define the long-term strategic role GXO plays in your fulfilment network and broader commerce ecosystem.
Solution Design
Architect optimal operational flows and system configurations for GXO within your retail environment.
Implementation
Advise and oversee GXO WMS implementations, ensuring smooth go-lives and minimal operational disruption.
Integration
Connect GXO cleanly with your OMS, ERP, Ecommerce platform, and other critical retail systems.
Data Migration
Safely and accurately transfer critical operational and inventory data into or out of GXO systems.
Expansion
Plan and execute GXO-supported network growth, supporting new markets, channels, or product categories.
Optimisation
Fine-tune GXO operational processes and configurations to enhance throughput, accuracy, and cost-efficiency continually.
Support
Provide ongoing operational and technical assistance for your GXO environment, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations and issue resolution.
Training
Empower your teams with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage and optimise GXO operations.
