We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » Buying a WMS? Have it your way
techwatch

Buying a WMS? Have it your way

November 14, 2012
James A. Cooke
No Comments

Most distribution centers want it their way when it comes to running their warehouse operations. That's why warehouse management systems (WMS) often have to be modified at the time of installation. Trouble is, that's not cheap. Making changes to a WMS package usually requires custom code, and paying a programmer to write individual lines of code jacks up the cost of software implementation and adds time to the project.

Recent developments in software programming are making it possible for the next generation of WMS vendors to install their solutions faster and more cheaply. By taking advantage of so-called "toolkits" for customization, these vendors avoid the task of writing individual code for each client. "The toolkit helps the vendor create more functionality without any coding or with minimal coding," says Phil Obal, president of IDII, a consulting firm that specializes in supply chain software.

To add the functionality needed for a specific warehouse operation, toolkits take advantage of tables and English-like commands, explains Stephen Pullo, owner of Blue Label Systems Inc., a consulting and systems integration company. For example, if a warehouse wants fish to be put away in the freezer section, as opposed to the refrigerated area, the software programmer can encode those instructions in the table. And it doesn't stop there. The programmer can even add a notation prohibiting fish from being placed next to the ice cream. In the past, Pullo says, incorporating these kinds of restrictions on item placement would have required hundreds of lines of code.

Although some of the larger WMS vendors have begun adopting this approach to implementation, they're not the only players in the game. A couple of lesser-known companies are also taking advantage of these advances in software programming. One vendor offering this type of toolkit solution is Made4net, a supply chain software specialist based in Paramus, N.J. Amit Levy, director of marketing for the Americas at Made4net, says his company's WMS solution allows the user to configure business rules and policies to reflect its own workflows. This capability means, for example, that each distribution center can tailor activities like putaway and picking to its own requirements.

Another vendor that has taken this approach to software customization is Tampa, Fla.-based Datex, which uses the Windows Workflow Foundation from Microsoft to customize its WMS for individual clients. Windows Workflow provides a system to establish rules for specific activities—say, inventory management or putaway—in the WMS. The activities are then joined together. "Basically, you're creating a diagram [of the warehouse operation] with a lot of if/thens," says Laura Olsen, director of sales and marketing for Datex.

Because the use of the workflow engine avoids the need for writing custom code, it cuts implementation time in half. "The result is a WMS installation that is less painful and less expensive," says Derek Armanious, vice president of client services at Datex.

Not only do toolkits speed up project installation, they also make it easier for distribution centers to make changes at a later date—say, if a food warehouse decides to start carrying flowers in addition to produce and meat. That's because with toolkits, it's easy to change the rules that tell the WMS how to handle new products with differing storage, putaway, and picking requirements. "You're not dependent on coding to change the rules on how the warehouse operates," says Pullo.

Technology Warehousing (WMS & WCS & WES)
KEYWORDS Datex Made4net
  • Related Articles

    From the Material Handling industry to our roads, AGV's have come a long way.

    Does your “Data Tank” Have Water In It?

    aisle do it your way

Jamescooke
James Cooke is a principal analyst with Nucleus Research in Boston, covering supply chain planning software. He was previously the editor of CSCMP?s Supply Chain Quarterly and a staff writer for DC Velocity.

Recent Articles by James Cooke

Getting smart about using software intelligence

Where's the payback in software?

R is for "robot": interview with Tom Bonkenburg

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Schneider welcomes first battery-electric truck

  • Fred Smith is not worried about Amazon

  • RJW LOGISTICS GROUP EXPANDS RETAIL LOGISTICS OPERATION TO DALLAS

  • Maersk deploys indoor drones for warehouse inventory counts

  • Outlook 2023: What’s in store for logistics/supply chain?

Now Playing on DCV-TV

5afe63a5 7125 4318 b851 1e5738df1c91

Patterson Fan Co. | HVLS V-Series Ceiling Fan | Staging Area Air Movement

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
The Patterson V-Series is a high-volume, low-speed industrial ceiling fan that is designed to circulate a lot of air at a very low speed. These fans, ranging in diameters of 8’ all the way to 24’, are perfect for large, open spaces such as staging and shipping areas. One 24’ fan can generate a cooling effect of 6 –...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

  • Fulfillment Facility Improved Efficiencies by 4x

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • Reusable Packaging for the New Wave of Supply Chain Automation

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing