Hachette UK Distribution

The technology holding Hachette’s two legacy distribution centers together had long outlived its usefulness.

“We had ageing infrastructure, both software and hardware. We had, basically, a publishing software system that evolved into a warehouse management system. It was probably designed in about 1970.”

In replacing this software, the strategic aim was straightforward: consolidate operations to reduce costs, improve the customer experience, and cut waste. “One of the key deliverables was consolidation. You’re then shipping a single box instead of two. From an environmental point of view, from a cost point of view, and from a customer service point of view, you’re improving on every front.”

The new state-of-the-art facility was built at the Hely Hutchinson Centre (HHC) in Didcot, Oxfordshire—the largest single investment in the history of the UK book distribution industry.

“One of the big drivers for the new super site was bringing in automation we’d never worked with before. We selected SAP for order-to-cash, Blue Yonder for WMS, and TGW for the WCS. The physical build had to match our order profile–it became the highest order-picking solution in Europe by weight.”

Blue Yonder WMS configured for book distribution

“At the time, it was out-of-the-box Blue Yonder. You can take it off the shelf, and it works. We didn’t want to move away from that because otherwise, you end up in the same situation we had before, where you can never patch it, never upgrade it, and pay a fortune to develop it.”

But a system built for general warehouses still needed tuning for the quirks of book distribution. That’s where Blue Yonder partner ModernLogic came in.

“What I’d found difficult with previous partners was that it didn’t matter what we said–they’d tell us to change our process to fit the system. ModernLogic listened to how we worked and then helped design a solution together.”

The difference showed in both pace and quality. “We saw a much better success rate on deployments. And the fix-forward approach was another big one–you weren’t backing things out; you were moving forward.”

Vast catalogue and volatile orders test the WMS daily 

If the build was ambitious, the daily operation is even tougher. Hachette holds an enormous catalogue of 140,000 SKUs and faces unpredictable order volumes–which is handled well by the WMS.

Keeping that flow smooth required constant refinement. Post go-live, the team focused on tightening processes, removing friction, and making sure fixes stuck.

Stabilisation delivered 30% growth and smarter change 

Once the new site and systems were bedded in, around 30% growth in volume of shipments followed quickly.

That growth was fuelled by stabilization and ongoing optimization. But for Hachette and ModernLogic, the focus was not just on fixing problems; it was on creating a model for continuous improvement that did not pile on unnecessary cost.

“How do we work together to streamline the cost from both businesses, to ensure we can continue the improvements and the growth without there being a huge bill on the back of it?”

The answer came in the form of collaboration.

Building a centre of excellence on a true partnership 

The difference with ModernLogic has always been cultural as much as technical.

“I’d like to thank ModernLogic for their patience, for listening to what we’re doing and committing to being a partner, not just a supplier. Because we built the partner relationship, that’s key. We’re partners, and we’ve done it together.”

That mindset now underpins Hachette’s ambitions for the future.

“I want this to be a center of excellence for supply chain,” Marc explained. The goal is to keep building capability, develop people, and draw on ModernLogic’s expertise when it counts.”