Which WMS software to choose?

FINDING THE RIGHT WMS SOFTWARE IS NOT EASY…

It is indeed necessary :

The 10 main WMS software suppliers in France offer relatively similar products.

 

So, how to make the difference and be sure to make the right choice?

What are the criteria that will make the difference for your company and its organization, to take into account in your choice?

 

HERE ARE 3 WAYS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE YOUR FUTURE WMS

1 – FORMALIZING YOUR (GOOD) NEEDS TO CHOOSE YOUR WMS 

It is not uncommon to hear that in 100% of the cases of WMS project failures, the specifications did not exist.

Given that it represents a large volume of documents to produce (between 30 and 80 pages depending on the case, for about 10 to 30 days of time to be spent on it), it can indeed be tempting to want to do without it….

And yet, it is essential to define one’s needs and not to constrain oneself and lock oneself into solutions. 

But how to define the functional scope of the future WMS and the constraints of its environment?

Examples of specifications can be found freely on the web but with more than 250 typical functional requirements, it will be difficult to find the perfect model for your organization. To make matters worse, some of these requirements are particularly difficult to understand if the logistics concepts underlying each WMS are not mastered: logistics attributes of an item, picking control, importance or not of having real time, consequences of a partial shipment, difference between kitting and manufacturing, dimensions and pre-packing…

 

SEE OUR 3 TIPS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE A WMS

2 – THE QUALITY OF THE FUNCTIONAL COVERAGE TO KEEP ITS WMS AS LONG AS POSSIBLE 

When choosing a WMS, it is essential to think about the durability and evolution of the solution.

Once installed in the warehouse, it is not easy to change the WMS, when it reaches the limit of its functionalities…

Indeed, a WMS software is at the heart of the company’s flows:

It orchestrates the incoming, internal and outgoing physical flows,

It pilots operations under constraints thanks to thousands of algorithms,

It manipulates a huge amount of information in real time, allowing, for example, to validate the conformity of a reception, to know the exact stocks and in a localized way, to inform the sales administration of a critical shipment, or to launch an invoicing to a customer.

The WMS therefore manages a great complexity of intertwined physical and information flows with, at the same time, an impact on the financial flows!

It is therefore important to ensure that the WMS can adapt to new legislation, the arrival of a new product range, a new customer, or new distribution channels.

 

SEE OUR 3 TIPS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE A WMS

3 – THE ABILITY TO “BLEND” INTO THE COMPANY’S TECHNICAL AND IT ENVIRONMENT 

One of the most complex points of any WMS project is its integration into the company’s environment.

This is “a project within a project” and often the critical path of WMS implementation, and several pitfalls and obstacles can arise on the road to success!

The work that needs to be done, for example, to create a VPN (Virtual Personal Network), to equip a warehouse with WIFI, to interface with an existing ERP (mapping) or with a Carrier EDI should not be underestimated.

Concerning, for example, the IT service provider who will be mandated to develop the interfaces

 

Is its workload schedule compatible with that of the WMS project?

Has it already interfaced with a WMS software?

Is it capable of offering on-call services during the first days of the project?

For future exchanges between an ERP and a WMS, are the data already present of good quality (accuracy or completeness)?

Are their formats compatible with the WMS?

 

SEE OUR 3 TIPS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE A WMS

If you have difficulties in forming an opinion because you are not a specialist and you need advice, contact the SITACI team!