Choosing a warehouse management system most likely involves turning from home-grown IT to an expert external vendor, streamlining legacy technology, and expanding the business portfolio, says Sean Moore, chief information officer with CJ Logistics Americas.

Many warehouse operators are currently looking to upgrade and replace their legacy warehouse management technology, or seeking a WMS that will accommodate expanding business opportunities. That means an opportunity to explore systems that operate in the cloud, and to opt for upgraded security as well, Moore says. 

“There’s definitely multiple industries and customers out there that are using legacy technology, whether it’s AS/400 or mainframe,” says Moore. Those technologies, he adds, are becoming somewhat obsolete, and it’s often a stretch to find the resources and technical know-how to support them internally – what Moore refers to as “technical debt.” That makes it all the more urgent to consider finding a new system.

Moving away from homegrown WMS and turning instead to a third-party vendor means better, more frequent software updates. There are also advantages in terms of scalability and getting expert technical support.

Moore says the expanding need for cold chain warehousing, as more and more U.S. foods are frozen, brings with it an increased need to monitor and track goods as they pass through a warehouse. Post COVID-19, third-party logistics providers are finding their customers are seeking assurances that their service providers have good security protocols, and that means having software with high security standards, such as Systems and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2). 

“What we find is that many companies internally struggle with trying to get that certification with their existing software,” Moore says. “So one of our critical requirements was looking for a vendor that had more security certifications and industry expertise.”