Supply Chain Now

Episode: From Brownfield to Breakthrough: Evolving Your Operations with Retrofits

Date: September 8, 2025
Guests:

• Will “Captain” Mansard, Director, Bastion Solutions
• Ahmed Arif, Vice President of Engineering, Bastion Solutions
• Deborah Dole, Co-host
• Hosted by Scott Luton

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the often-overlooked topic of warehouse retrofits—maximizing gains from existing brownfield facilities rather than building new ones. Industry experts Will Mansard and Ahmed Arif from Bastion Solutions join hosts Scott Luton and Deborah Dole to share practical guidance, candid examples, and innovative strategies for upgrading warehouse operations while minimizing disruption. With a mix of real-world best practices, memorable analogies, and actionable insights, the conversation looks at how orchestration, teamwork, and vision can turn challenges in brownfield sites into breakthrough results.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Retrofits vs. Greenfields: Setting the Stage

• Brownfield vs. Greenfield Explained:
  • Greenfield projects build from scratch—think “open pasture.”
  • Brownfield projects work within the constraints of an existing site—more complex but potentially more rewarding.
    • “Greenfield... you’re gonna build a building from scratch. Less constraints. ...Brownfield... retrofit or an expansion of an existing system. These are the harder projects, these are [the] ones where you gotta really think through it.” —Will Mansard (09:44)
• Industry context: Up to 40% of warehouse space in brownfields is underutilized, often due to outdated layouts and processes.

2. Understanding the Customer’s Challenge and Mindset

• Warehouse leaders are stretched thin—retrofit projects are extra effort on top of their daily firefighting.
• Time and bandwidth (not just money) are often the biggest barriers to upgrades.
• Analogy: Retrofitting is like car maintenance—wait too long and inconvenient repairs become critical.
  • “These warehouse retrofits and upgrades are no different than your car. Drive your car enough, you need to get oil changes... at some point it’s going to be a big enough of an inconvenience where you need to do something about it.” —Will Mansard (13:51)

3. Strategic Approach to Retrofits: Process and Mindset

• Ahmed’s Framework:
  • Understand the existing system (document or reverse-engineer flows).
  • Break the mechanical work into manageable, visual phases.
  • Pre-assemble and quick-connect electrical upgrades.
  • Plan software/controls integration thoroughly (test with emulation first).
  • Always have a contingency plan—orders MUST go out the door.
  • “The heart of any system is really the controls and software... companies are now moving into emulation.” —Ahmed Arif (15:53)
• “Rule number one, make sure orders go out the door. Rule number two, make sure orders go out the door.” —Ahmed Arif (17:16)
• Deborah Dole’s analogy: Retrofitting is like “open heart surgery”—the patient (system) needs to keep running while it’s improved. (19:13)

4. Constructive Dissatisfaction & The ‘Cost of Doing Nothing’

• Focus on the right problem to solve, not just adding technology for technology’s sake.
• Regularly ask: What does it cost us if we leave things as-is for another 18–24 months?
• “It’s not really the cost of doing nothing today. It’s about the cost of doing nothing 18 months or two years from now… If we want to be in a different state two years from now, we’ve got to be thinking about that today.” —Deborah Dole, Key Takeaway (49:22, 50:31)
• “Cost becomes just a necessity to solve the problem... What's the cost of doing nothing?” —Will Mansard (12:26, 49:22)

5. The Art of Orchestration: Integration is Everything

• Orchestration—bringing disparate automation, controls, and IT together—is key to successful retrofits.
• “Orchestration is the secret sauce of automation... It’s all about the equipment, it’s about the software, it’s about the controls and does it seamlessly work together for the client's business. And that's where automation gets a bad rap—you get hiccups... bottlenecks... excessive exception handling.” —Ahmed Arif (20:23)
• Newer buyers want to rush; experienced buyers insist on sweating the details.

6. 4-Step Framework for Retrofit Projects

Will Mansard’s approach:

1. Discovery: Walk the floor, study constraints, collect data, and understand the North Star.
2. Define Objectives: Clarify what a successful outcome looks like.
3. Solutioning: Consider a range of solutions; automation isn’t always the answer.
4. Implementation Plan: Meticulous phasing to avoid disrupting ongoing operations.

• “That implementation plan... requires probably the most thought and the most time... There's going to be some disruption. But we got to make sure we understand what we absolutely must do and we deliver on that.” —Will Mansard (23:00–24:52)

7. Real-World Case Examples

• Case 1: Pharmaceutical Warehouse Overhaul
  • Massive, densely packed warehouse; no space for new systems.
  • Phased project: clear part of the warehouse, build half the automation, switch over, then repeat with the other half.
  • Required temporary product relocation—a multi-year transformation.
  • Result: Became “the lowest cost per unit warehouse in their network, breaking records on throughputs by the week.” —Will Mansard (34:41)
• Case 2: Semiconductor Client (First Automation Experience)
  • Hesitant to implement goods-to-person automation.
  • Built a small, parallel “mini system” as a pilot.
  • Gained experience, reduced risk; later scaled to full solution.
  • “It’s that whole crawl, walk, run approach... ended up a very successful project.” —Will Mansard (38:12)
• Takeaway: True partnership and collaboration—meeting clients where they are—is essential.

8. Enterprise-Level Considerations

• Standardizing automation and especially software across sites brings efficiency.
• Balancing standard (off-the-shelf) vs. custom solutions is key. Simplicity is the goal—but rarely easy.
• “What usually becomes the most complex and challenging part of any integration is the software... If you can standardize... it makes everybody’s lives easier.” —Will Mansard (40:43)
• Companies must be prepared for acquisitions, site-level autonomy, and non-uniform environments.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "What's the cost of doing nothing?" — Will Mansard (00:00; 49:22)
• "Warehouse retrofits and upgrades are no different than your car… At some point it’s going to be a big enough inconvenience where you need to do something about it." — Will Mansard (13:51)
• "Rule number one, make sure orders go out the door. Rule number two, make sure orders go out the door." — Ahmed Arif (17:16)
• "Orchestration is the secret sauce of automation… that’s where automation gets a bad rap. You get hiccups… errors, bottlenecks, excessive exception handling." — Ahmed Arif (20:23)
• "Sometimes, Greenfield, we have too many choices... But sometimes when there’s no possible way this can get done... that's where we thrive as an industry." — Deborah Dole (11:07)
• "The ultimate compliment is when somebody on the customer side comes up to you and says, 'I thought you worked for us.' That is how you know you’re doing a good job.” — Ahmed Arif (30:46)
• “As humans… we can easily leave someone behind. That's a great leadership tip.” — Scott Luton (40:17)
• “It's not really the cost of doing nothing today. It's about the cost of doing nothing 18 months or two years from now… the world has moved around us.” — Deborah Dole (49:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 02:08: Introduction, brownfield/greenfield analogy, episode preview
• 02:08 – 06:26: Guest introductions, building rapport (soccer coaching = leadership, travel lessons)
• 09:44 – 11:53: Brownfield vs. greenfield explained, maximizing brownfield gains
• 12:26 – 14:03: Addressing cost and time concerns; cost of doing nothing
• 15:53 – 17:52: Ahmed’s stepwise retrofit approach; do no harm; contingency planning
• 20:23 – 22:16: The orchestration of technologies and why integration is key
• 23:00 – 24:52: Will’s four-step retrofit framework
• 32:49 – 40:43: Real-world case stories (pharma, semiconductor); partnership/collaboration emphasis
• 40:43 – 44:54: Enterprise customer considerations—software strategy, simplicity vs complexity
• 49:22 – 50:31: Deborah’s Key Takeaway—Cost of doing nothing as guiding principle

Key Takeaways

1. Retrofit Projects Are Logistical Surgery

• Approach them as you would “open heart surgery”—minimal stoppage, maximal planning.

2. Focus on Problem Definition & The Cost of Inaction

• Don’t retrofit for technology’s sake. Know what problem you’re solving and the future cost of not solving it.

3. Orchestration (Integration) Determines Success

• Automation isn’t about parts—it’s how those parts work in unison, with software as the linchpin.

4. Phased, Collaborative, Custom Approaches Win

• Visionary leadership, a willingness to try (pilot, test, learn), and choosing practical over perfect deliver the best outcomes.

5. Enterprise Scale Needs Balance and Standardization

• Consistent software/hardware stacks reduce risk, but some customization is inevitable due to acquisitions and legacy environments.

Resources & How to Connect

• Bastion Solutions: bastionsolutions.com — Submit inquiries directly; Will Mansard and Ahmed Arif see and respond to these.
• Connect on LinkedIn: Both Will and Ahmed are active and share insights regularly.
• Supply Chain Now: Subscribe for further episodes, practical guides, and use cases.

Final Thought

As Deborah Dole highlighted:
"What’s the cost of doing nothing? ... If we want to be in a different state two years from now, we've got to be thinking about that today." (49:22)

For those in global supply chain facing operational bottlenecks or underutilized facilities, this episode delivers a clear, actionable, and inspiring playbook for achieving breakthrough improvements—without breaking ground.