Howard Turner, director of supply chain systems at St. Onge Company, was recently quoted in an article about automation for Supply Chain Management Review. He argues that the lines between WMS, WES and WCS are increasingly blurred as warehouses adopt more automation and robotics. He explains that while WCS traditionally controlled individual pieces of equipment, today’s systems need to connect inventory, equipment and people in real time while integrating with broader warehouse systems. Howard also cautions against adopting WES simply because it is a popular industry buzzword, emphasizing that companies should focus on what their operation actually needs.
“What was envisioned for a WES, at least in my opinion, has really not come to fruition for a number of reasons. WCS has always existed as long as we’ve had any type of automation. It was the software that controlled that piece of automation, and out of that spurred this concept of a WES.”
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