Wms warehouse management - Articles - Page 5

Do I Really Need a Tier 1 WMS?

August 3, 2012

Ian Hobkirk, Managing Director, Commonwealth Supply Chain Advisors

Do you really need a Tier 1 WMS? We asked ourselves this question recently and did a little research to confirm some thoughts that Commonwealth has had for a while on the subject. Companies that are undertaking a WMS selection project often assume out of the gate that they need a top-tier WMS system and limit their search to a handful of these providers. Make no mistake - many companies with complex distribution needs and high throughput requirements may require a new WMS from Tier-1 provider. However, for companies with only moderately complex distribution centers, our research showed that the mid-tier WMS providers have been hard at work in recent years, developing features and functionality that can fill these needs.

Measuring DC Performance

July 23, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Performance metrics for warehouses and distribution centers have steadily improved since 2003, when the Warehousing Education and Research Council first conducted its annual "DC Measures" study, says Joe Tillman, senior researcher at Supply Chain Visions and co-author of the study. Moreover, the gap has significantly narrowed between best-in-class companies and those lower on the performance scale, he says.

Warehouse Management Systems Market Continues Robust Expansion

July 23, 2012

ARC Advisory Group

The worldwide market for warehouse management systems grew by more than 10 percent in 2011. Growth was broad-based, occurring in both emerging markets and mature market segments. The high growth in the mature market segments implies that the post-recession market rebound is still active. "Going forward, we expect longer-term user adoption and technology trends to drive growth within the WMS market, as the effects from pent-up demand from the preceding global economic recession diminish. Emerging markets, add-on functionality, and numerous end-user industries are expected to lead the charge," says Clint Reiser, enterprise software analyst and the principal author of ARC's "Warehouse Management Systems Worldwide Outlook."

Voxware Unveils Cloud-Based Voice Management Suite

July 12, 2012

Voxware

Voxware has introduced the Cloud Voice Management Suite (VMS), a voice-based system for distribution and other tasks. Users can receive the ready-to-deploy product upon completion of a questionnaire.

Modern Design Trends for Direct to Consumer Fulfillment

July 11, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Because the DC is an expensive - but indispensable item - the CEO needs to be on top of operations that fulfill directly to customers' homes, says Matt Kulp, director, distribution and fulfillment, St. Onge Company, an engineering services company.

Voice Beyond Multi-Modal

July 10, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

The evolution of voice technology now includes an integration of graphical data visually displayed, says John Reichert, TECSYS marketing director. The combination is quicker and more beneficial than one might think.

Boosting Efficiencies in the Clinical Trials Supply Chain

July 9, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

There has been increased interest in the clinical trials supply chain, according to Michael Wallace, life sciences industry specialist with Oracle Corp., and Arun Cavale, principal with NexInfo.

Integrating Your Cold-Chain Management Systems

July 6, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

It's common practice for companies to view cold-chain management systems for pharmaceutical and bio-technology products as point solutions, whether related to packaging, training or carrier services, says Gary M. Hutchinson, president of Modality Solutions. Integration of all those elements, however, results in a "much more holistic system," he says. "You maintain product quality all the way from manufacturer to point of use. Until you integrate it into one system, you're not tackling it properly."

Where Warehousing and Distribution Are Going

July 3, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Among the ways technology is evolving to bring greater productivity to the DC is in providing ergonomic features to forklifts and other equipment, says Bill Pfleger, president of Yale Distribution.

Keeping Merchandise Moving Through an Acquisition

July 2, 2012

GENCO ATC

Mergers and acquisitions are common in the business world, but each move brings its own set of challenges. As a company buys key competitors or suppliers, it is often left with the task of consolidating very different warehouse management systems.