Supply Chain Management

Today's WMS is a tightly integrated code between the intrinsic WMS functions like receiving, put away, inventory, picking, packing and shipping, which are the primary functionalities. Any industry related functionality which is acceptable widely gets added to the code base and developed as next version. This makes the code base huge and complicated. This also leads to more time to market for implementation and more number of tests has to be performed to validate everything.  Also it has another flip side - changes or customization in one functionality may break other functionalities.

A better approach would be to have more modular functionalities instead of having everything under one code roof. Although the primary functionalities like receiving, put away, inventory management, picking, packing, shipping has to be tightly coupled to get an effective WMS, the other functionalities like slotting, yard management can lie outside the core code and be called out from the main system. This would give flexibility and benefit to customers.  Effective integrations between them would be required which would facilitate real time transactions.

Taking this thought forward, the new revolution which has already started and benefitting customers is the WMS App Station. The concept is similar to downloading Apps i.e. applications to your iPhone from Apple Store. One of the leading WMS Software provider has pioneered this breakthrough, which is changing the market dynamics of Supply Chain Execution. Many customers who have implemented this software in their shop have benefitted from its architecture.  It gives the customers free hand for doing the configuration.  These Apps can be downloaded and implemented from a day to few minutes. It does away with difficult and costly upgrades, without any risk of source code modification. 

The configurable architecture provides more power to customers to run the software according to their business requirement and add required functionalities instead of doing complex upgrades. Certainly this WMS App has given new dimension in doing the business and implementation to it. The modifications are external to the core code, and hence upgrades and support are not compromised. This lowers total cost of ownership which further helps in supporting the bottom line.

The multiple Apps developed for WMS may benefit various industry segment.  A new functionality developed for existing customer can be developed as part of the App which may also benefit other industry segment customers. This is an interesting and innovative concept. In a way vendor can develop multiple functionalities in the form of App, and customers can select them based on their need.

Slotting, Yard Management, Labor management, transportation management, Returns Management, Reporting, Enhanced Task Interleaving, etc. could form WMS Apps. Could you suggest other tasks or functionality which can form WMS App?