Our very own Norm Saenz and Howard Turner were quoted in a recent Logistics Management article about the role of a modern Warehouse Management System. They talked about when to upgrade your WMS, and when all the supply chain management systems will be intertwined. Use the link below to read the article!
“There’s still a high degree of companies with legacy WMS systems, some of which are ‘aging out’ more rapidly than others,” says Norm Saenz, partner and managing director at St. Onge Co. “Because of this, a lot of companies are looking at replacing those aging systems with the newest systems available on the market.”
For example, St. Onge is currently working with several different companies that have had their current WMS in place for 30 years to 40 years (Fun fact: the first WMS was developed and installed by retailer J.C. Penney in 1975), and now need more functionality, advanced technologies and integration capabilities. “They’ve had legacy systems in place for their entire lives and their ‘systems of the day’ can no longer keep up,” Saenz explains. “E-commerce is one of the key drivers behind these changes.”
Other drivers include the desire for better inventory visibility, improved warehouse labor management and to simply have more efficient operations. Saenz says the need to compete effectively within the constraints of a tight labor market is another driver behind companies’ search for new WMS platforms. In an interesting twist, he’s seeing more companies exploring best-of-breed WMS with the goal of moving away from their legacy systems.
“Best-of-breed WMS platforms are available at more attractive rates than in years past, and many of them are cloud-based and come with more options,” says Saenz. “Complex e-commerce fulfillment operations need more automation and integration points to remain competitive. I think this area of WMS will continue growing rapidly.”
Click here to read the article!
