Project Manhattan

A leading UK pharmaceutical distributor partnered with Nine Feet Tall (9FT) to transform its culture, aligning its people with a Five-Year Strategic Plan and at the same time implementing a new warehouse management system (WMS) rollout across 12 sites.

Historically focused on operational efficiency, the organisation’s long tenured and diverse workforce is now developing greater change readiness, with an aim to strengthen collaboration, enhance training, and foster a more adaptive mindset. 9FT’s people-led transformation empowers employees to lead change from the shop floor up.

9FT’s Change Capability Programme trained over 150 Change Champions (non-managerial warehouse staff) through four interactive modules, creating a shared language of change and practical skills. Multi-lingual materials, comms hubs, and site visits addressed cultural diversity and digital access challenges. Senior leaders, coached through a sponsor group, reinforced the movement.

The results were transformative: engagement scores increased from 14% to 68% in one warehouse, adoption rates by 25%, and operational efficiency improved, with service levels hitting 90.7% and pick accuracy at 99.85%. Employees shifted from resisting change to driving it, forming a network of change leaders and advocates.

This cultural shift not only supported the WMS rollout (5 of 12 sites were completed in 2024) but also built a foundation for long-term agility. By empowering its people, the organisation turned a traditional workforce into a collaborative, adaptable team, delivering measurable results - all without disrupting critical 24/7 operations.