Case Study
N Group: Driving Efficiency and Client Confidence with Warehouse Digital Twins
Background
N Group, a leading 3PL provider, manages a network of facilities serving diverse clients with complex warehousing needs. One of its flagship operations in Lebanon, OH is a multi-client reverse logistics facility—a highly dynamic environment where incoming goods vary widely in condition, packaging, and processing requirements. This variability makes efficient space utilization, labor planning, and workflow design particularly challenging.
The Challenge
N Group faced several operational pain points:
- Dynamic Client Mix – Clients come and go frequently, each with unique layout and process needs.
- High Complexity – Reverse logistics requires additional processing beyond traditional receiving and shipping.
- Costly Trial-and-Error – Physical layout changes are expensive if they prove inefficient after implementation.
- Customer Expectations – Prospective clients expect clear, data-driven evidence of performance and throughput capacity before signing contracts.
The leadership team needed a tool to remove guesswork, reduce startup risks, and provide a compelling advantage in client acquisition.
The Solution: CreateASoft Digital Twin
Working with CreateASoft, N Group deployed a warehouse digital twin of the Lebanon facility. This living, data-driven model allows the team to:
- Validate Layouts Before Launch – Test and refine racking, slotting, and material flow strategies virtually.
- Simulate Complex Scenarios – Model highly variable reverse logistics operations, from receiving through reprocessing and outbound shipments.
- Plan for Automation – Explore AMR/AGV integration and automated material handling without capital risk.
- Real-Time Visibility – Move beyond static simulations to live operational monitoring, ensuring ongoing performance after client onboarding.
- Sales Differentiation – Use 3D simulations to show prospective clients exactly how their inventory will fit, flow, and perform in N Group facilities.
Results
- Optimized Layouts – For a major textile client, the digital twin uncovered inefficiencies in the initial racking plan. The revised layout, validated through simulation, increased efficiency and throughput from day one.
- Reduced Risk and Cost – N Group avoided expensive post-implementation layout changes by testing scenarios in the digital twin first.
- Faster Client Onboarding – Prospective clients could visualize their operations within the facility, reducing hesitation and accelerating the sales cycle..
- Scalable Rollout – Based on success in Lebanon, N Group is expanding the digital twin across multiple high-profile sites
Client Perspective
“For me, it’s a no-brainer. You’re taking the guesswork out and replacing it with science. Our clients love it because they can see exactly how their operations will run before moving in. Internally, it’s helped us plan smarter, execute faster, and continuously improve. We’re rolling it out network-wide.”
— Bob Duron, President & COO, N Group
Key Takeaways
- Two-in-One Value: Simulation for planning + real-time monitoring for ongoing optimization.
- Competitive Differentiator: Strengthened N Group’s sales process with powerful client-facing visuals.
- Future-Ready: Enabled automation validation and long-term scalability across the 3PL network.