Stanley Chew, director of international operations with HighJump Software, offers these "little-known secrets" of warehouse management systems (WMS):
- The WMS business is not about products -- it's about services. While in the past companies were looking for technology, according to Chew, today's business expectations are upgrades and autonomy.
- The "Fit to Requirements" evaluation process doesn't work. "Implementing a WMS is the toughest software implementation there is," Chew asserts. Companies need to adopt a technology strategy and stick to it, and make sure the WMS vendor aligns to that strategy as well.
- Your WMS must be good enough to maximize return on investment. Logistics managers are typically interested in two things, Chew says: the product is delivered on time and in full to the customer, and the product is delivered at the lowest possible cost to the operation. Most WMS systems get modified at some point, with some projections being as high as 98%, so make sure you have a WMS whose features and functions will meet those two criteria, Chew recommends.
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About the Author
Dave Blanchard
Senior Director of Content
Focus: Supply Chain
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During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. He also serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its second edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.