Author - Ryan Johnson Published: 22 October 2026

Manual processes to connected fulfilment: Manual processes to connected fulfillment: Polti’s operational transformation

Supported in:

99.7% SLA across the first eight months
Automated order processing through SAP integration
Lower costs with a bespoke fulfillment model

+72%

increase in orders, first two months vs. most recent two months

99.5%

SLA performance since launch, 100% over last seven months

70%

subscriber retention rate after first six months of trading

Introduction

Polti is an established Italian household appliance brand with a history of innovation dating back to 1978.

Best known for its steam-powered cleaning and ironing technology, Polti has spent decades developing products that make everyday household tasks easier, from steam cleaners and irons to vacuum cleaners and other home appliances.

With an established UK operation serving both direct-to-consumer (DTC) customers and retail partners, Polti needed a fulfillment setup capable of supporting its day-to-day requirements while adapting to changes across the business.

After a difficult period with its previous logistics provider, Polti turned to fulfilmentcrowd for a more connected, responsive and tech-first approach.

DTC fulfillment

Reliable fulfillment for Polti's UK eCommerce orders, backed by a 99.7% SLA

B2B fulfillment

Supporting retail partner orders alongside DTC through one connected operation

SAP integration

Automated order flow from Polti's website into fulfillment, replacing manual processes

Order and inventory visibility

Daily access to our platform for clearer oversight of orders, stock and fulfillment activity

Dedicated operational support

Clear communication and rapid problem-solving by a team familiar with Polti's processes

Seamless onboarding

A smooth transition from Polti's previous provider during a period of significant business change

Tailored fulfillment solution

A more adaptable, cost-effective setup designed around Polti's specific operational requirements

The initial challenge

For Polti, the need to change fulfillment providers had been building for some time.

Its previous logistics operation relied heavily on manual processes, with limited integration between systems and little visibility over day-to-day activity.

Routine tasks, such as processing stock and making it available for orders, could sometimes take days once it had reached the warehouse.

The existing setup was also heavily geared towards B2B fulfillment, often leaving Polti lacking the flexibility required to serve both retail partners and DTC customers effectively.

Costs were another consideration. Polti needed a solution that better reflected its operational needs, rather than a fixed service model.

On top of these issues, when problems did arise, slow response times meant queries could be left unanswered for long periods of time, often preventing Polti from being able to provide a positive experience to its customers.

These challenges all came during a single period for the UK business. Over the course of 18 months, Polti navigated a warehouse move, a company restructure, two office relocations and a major systems integration project.

With so much changing internally, the business needed a fulfillment partner that could simplify its operations in multiple areas.

The solution

Polti partnered with fulfilmentcrowd at the beginning of 2026, replacing its traditional logistics setup with a more integrated fulfillment operation.

The transition began with our onboarding process, supported by close collaboration between the Polti team and fulfilmentcrowd.

A key part of the project was connecting Polti’s SAP system with the fulfilmentcrowd platform.

With Polti leading the integration work, and technical support from our team throughout, the two systems were connected to automate the movement of orders into fulfillment.

Today, orders placed on Polti’s website flow automatically into fulfillment via the fulfilmentcrowd platform, removing manual steps from the order processing journey.

Polti has also transformed the way it manages its operation.

Rather than relying on manual updates and chasing information, the team uses the fulfilmentcrowd platform every day to stay connected with fulfillment activity and maintain visibility over orders and stock.

For a business managing DTC and B2B requirements, that accessibility is particularly valuable.

Our operation supports Polti’s existing channel mix from one platform, with DTC, B2B and integrations all feeding into a single system.

Crucially, the service is now more closely aligned to Polti’s operational reality, providing a more adaptable and cost-effective alternative to its previous arrangements.

Having that personal relationship is really important to me. I wanted a fulfilment partner that was local enough for me to visit the warehouse and meet the people handling our products. Being able to work directly with the team gives me confidence that they understand our business and care about the customer experience as much as we do.

Simon Swan, Founder, Uthful

A more connected way of working

Beyond technology, one of the biggest changes for Polti has been the support received from our team.

Under its previous arrangement, resolving operational queries could involve lengthy waits for responses, making it difficult for the team to tackle issues quickly and stay on top of fulfillment activity.

With fulfilmentcrowd, Polti now benefits from more responsive communication and direct access to a team that understands its operation.

Issues are infrequent, but when something does need attention, the Polti team can get the answers they need and resolve problems much more quickly.

Combined with the additional visibility available through our real-time platform, that responsiveness has given Polti greater confidence and control over its day-to-day fulfillment.

With warehouse, office and systems changes taking place, having a reliable fulfillment operation has helped provide much-needed consistency.

And with the onboarding process completed smoothly, Polti has been able to focus on its wider priorities without the burden of fulfillment issues.

The difference since moving to fulfilmentcrowd has been night and day. Now, we’ve got much better visibility through the platform, orders are processed automatically and the support is more responsive. It’s made a huge difference to how we manage fulfillment day to day.

Daniel Birch, Customer Service and Operations Manager, Polti

The results

Since moving to fulfilmentcrowd, Polti has achieved strong service performance alongside improvements in operational visibility and responsiveness.

99.7% SLA over the first eight months of full operations
Automated order processing via SAP integration
Lower costs with bespoke fulfillment model and fewer issues

Looking ahead to the next phase of growth

With its new fulfillment setup now well established, Polti is well placed to support its UK customers and grow the business.

For fulfilmentcrowd, that means continuing to provide the tech and operational reliability to support Polti’s cross-channel goals from a single platform and supplier relationship.