Lessons From a Warehouse Modernization Project With John Naylor From Trew and Scott Davis From JD Finish Line - Unboxing Logistics Ep. 82

Lessons From a Warehouse Modernization Project With John Naylor From Trew and Scott Davis From JD Finish Line - Unboxing Logistics Ep. 82

From Unboxing Logistics by EasyPost

February 25, 2026 · 45 min · Season 6 · Episode 82

About this episode

John Naylor and Scott Davis discuss their experiences in modernizing a distribution center while it remained operational.

John Naylor from Trew and Scott Davis from JD Finish Line teamed up to transform a distribution center from mostly manual to automated and efficient—while the center was still operational! In a recent session at RILA, they shared the details of the project with Lori Boyer, discussing everything from the initial planning stages to the final results and ROI. If you weren’t able to make it to the session, no worries. We’ve turned the recording into a special episode of Unboxing Logistics. Listen to learn how John and Scott got leadership buy-in, helped employees adopt the new technology, and dealt with unexpected roadblocks. Choosing technology with the future in mind Throughout the session, a common thread was the need for careful planning. When choosing technology, John and Scott considered two things: whether it would be worth the investment, and how it would hold up to future business growth. John says, “It really becomes a fairly simple black-and-white math exercise. It's an ROI. Do we invest the money? What is the payback on that?” He continues, “Are we future proof? Have we painted ourselves into a corner? If our business needs change, or … acquisitions happen, will this be…

People in this episode

Host: Lori Boyer

Guests: John Naylor, Scott Davis

Topics covered

  • warehouse modernization
  • automation
  • operational efficiency
  • technology adoption
  • leadership buy-in
  • ROI
  • contingency planning

Keywords

  • warehouse
  • automation
  • efficiency
  • technology
  • planning
  • ROI
  • contingencies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Trew, JD Finish Line, RILA

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