Can your current systems drive optimal processes?
Most warehouse automation cannot function optimally in a vacuum. It is possible to trigger flexible automation and warehouse robotics based on timing or label scans, but you probably won’t unlock the full efficiency gains without integration.
Most WMS systems are capable of sending data to automation systems, but you might need to consider a WMS like Blue Yonder or a software automation platform like Logistiview if you need complex work optimization and orchestration.
Does your current inventory tracking system manage and drive your processes, or does your workforce manage the system?
Successful operation of a warehouse requires a system or human to take responsibility for several key duties including: PO and order management, inventory tracking, order batching, picking, work optimization, and transportation planning. These duties can all technically be automated to a great degree, but at a cost.
If your current system is not capable of driving real-time processes, for example if it does not track inventory between pick list printing and shipping, you will probably need a new WMS or another layer of work optimization and orchestration.
If your current system is not capable of driving real-time processes, for example if it does not track inventory between pick list printing and shipping, you will probably need a new WMS or another layer of work optimization and orchestration.
Automation vendors often offer this layer as a WES or proprietary optimization module, but these systems are not really intended to drive end-to-end business processes and usually lock you into their hardware ecosystem for future process changes.
Do you have the necessary data capture, visibility, and integration capabilities to orchestrate the optimal processes for your operation?
If your current system does not have a real-time and mobile-friendly interface, your processes will be constrained during any step that requires human interaction. While telnet emulators can facilitate mobile UX on many modern devices, the underlying business logic stays the same. A modern WMS typically offers some measure of process flexibility along with the mobile interface. An alternative is a system-agnostic platform like Logistiview, which can seamlessly integrate with your current systems and provide native mobile experiences with enhanced business logic and work optimization.
So do you need a new WMS? Probably not if you only need work optimization. That logic can be implemented somewhere outside current systems. But if you also need a system to automate key functions and interface with an ERP, it might be worth considering.
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