david morahan, director - defy logics
Tell us who you are.
I am David Morahan, Director of Defy Logics, an independent boutique consultancy. I specialise in intralogistics and operations, bringing more than 20 years of experience in warehouse automation, warehouse design, and operational improvement.
What is your primary market in ANZ?
Defy Logics offers a distinctive value proposition to the ANZ market, delivering specialist consulting services across three core service lines:
1. Direct engagement with end clients
2. Subject‑matter expertise supporting other consulting firms
3. Technical and strategic support for automation vendors
What is the most significant macro-level shift or challenge (e.g., supply chain resilience, labour shortages) that is currently driving customer investment?
Over the past 12 months, the availability of skilled labour has become a significant challenge, particularly for organisations operating in regional areas. As a result, many businesses are accelerating their investment in automation to future proof their operations.
How does your company help them to overcome it?
In this environment, selecting the right automation solution is critical; the business case alone is not the sole deciding factor. Scalability and system supportability must be central to the decision‑making process.
How is your company deploying or preparing for the integration of AI-driven solutions in industrial automation?
AI presents an exciting opportunity for the industry, and Defy Logics is already leveraging it to enhance analytical capability. However, AI cannot yet replace the deep operational understanding required to design effective intralogistics solutions. An automated system may appear viable by numbers alone, but without considering broader operational constraints, it would not be the correct choice for the clients operation.
Beyond existing product roadmaps, what transformative technology or concept do you believe will have the greatest disruptive impact on the Australian and New Zealand industrial sector in the next five years?
With the rapid development of AI across the industry, I expect to see widespread adoption of AI driven orchestration software, either as standalone platforms or integrated directly into WMS solutions.
For this technology to be effective, every warehouse process must be digitally mapped and assigned clear performance parameters. This enables the AI engine to understand task durations and make highly granular, real‑time decisions to keep operations running without interruption.
e.g. If the system identifies that an order requires a SKU replenishment and knows the operator’s typical task speed, it can determine whether the order is at risk of missing its SLA. The AI can then automatically reprioritise the work, by reassigning tasks to other operators or elevating them in the task queue. This will ensure service levels are maintained. These decisions can be made thousands of times per second, far beyond human capability.
How does your company culture support innovation and adaptability in such a rapidly evolving industry?
Staying at the forefront of emerging technology is essential for Defy Logics. We take a proactive approach by organising dedicated education sessions with all automation vendors, giving them a platform to showcase their latest innovations and share key solution design considerations.
What strategies have you found most effective in attracting and retaining top talent?
As an ever evolving industry that demands both technical expertise and deep warehouse operational knowledge, finding talent with this combined skill set is a significant challenge. Most candidates bring strength in one area or the other, but rarely both. When you add the people and project management capabilities required for consulting, the talent pool narrows even further.
My core strategy is to identify candidates who excel in people and project skills and possess expertise in at least one of the two technical domains, then develop the missing capability through targeted training. Continuous education and frequent structured feedback are essential to retaining top talent.
What's your long-term vision for the role of automation in your sector?
As an advocate for automation, my long term vision is for every implemented solution to succeed and fully deliver on its business case commitments. This is critical not just for individual organisations, but for the health and credibility of the industry as a whole. While we are experienced in supporting rescue and recovery projects, our strong preference is to be engaged early, which enables us to shape the right foundations and ensure project success from the outset.
As a leader in a field defined by constant technological advancement, what is the most important principle or philosophy that guides your decision-making and long-term planning?
My guiding principle is that automation must create measurable operational value. At Defy Logics, we focus on clarity, data driven design, and early engagement to ensure automation delivers on its promises.
What's one thing you know now that you wish you'd known when you first started in this field?
The most operationally robust automation solutions are developed not just through data analysis, but by having boots on the ground, engaging directly with operators, supervisors, and stakeholders to fully understand the requirements and nuances of the business.
