The WMS of the future
By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 3/1/2000
What, then, might the WMS system of the future look like? In some respects it will resemble the WMS of the past. Warehouse management systems will continue to manage inventory from the time it's received at the dock until it's picked, packed, and shipped to the end user. Given the huge number of companies that have yet to implement their first supply chain solution, the market for traditional WMS solutions will probably not go away for years.But as the pace of business continues to increase, the WMS of the future is likely to perform those traditional functions with a Web-enabled system that is tightly integrated with the rest of the execution and planning systems in your enterprise. This will bring together transportation and order management systems as well as supply chain planning software.
Finally, the WMS of the future will be more able than ever to share the wealth of information created by the WMS with other departments in your enterprise, and with your trading partners across the enterprise. Moreover, as technology improves, it will share that information in real time.
"As we move towards higher transaction volumes, order execution and fulfillment will continue to be the focus of our efforts to reduce costs," predicts Dave Reifsnyder, senior vice president of strategic business development for Descartes Systems Group. "The transformation of business will result in a transformation of warehouse and distribution models. Today, we understand more than ever that inventory isn't static. It's in continuous movement, from the ability to produce to the ability to consume."
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