St Onge

The demands of e-commerce and omni-channel continue to increase, and the need to work smarter and faster is growing. Yet for the first time in years, it looks like companies are taking a step back to rethink their supply chain software investments. Modern Materials Handling Software User Survey, Warehouse Software Survey 2016, WMS Survey 2016

Nearly 35% of the typical WMS installation’s capabilities go unused on a daily basis—a fact that can keep companies from realizing true ROI. Our contributing editor dives into key elements that can no longer be ignored. Warehouse Management Tips, Warehouse Management System Functionality.

Stringent service levels and the pursuit of efficiencies leave no room for downtime, making business continuity essential to operational excellence.

Companies are recognizing the need to marry the interests of stores and distribution centers, but it’s not always easy to determine what is for better or for worse.

Respondents are expanding facility size, experiencing an uptick in technology use and applying more capital expenditures to outfit the added square footage—all positive signs of continued growth.

This one-day WERC educational and networking event will be held at the Grapevine Convention Center in Grapevine outside Dallas on Tuesday, October 13.

Following heavy investment in 2014, many users of supply chain software have backed off from spending as they settle into their new systems. Nonetheless, the software market continues to steadily grow as concerns fall away.

Building on their success in 2013, the Top 20 sustained growth in 2014 and are on track for continued improvement this year.

Though often characterized by feast or famine, this year’s view into warehouse and distribution center spending plans instead strengthens a pattern of deliberate investment. Today, readers are determined to get the most out of every dollar spent.

As inventory visibility advances the art of omni-channel fulfillment, retail stores and distribution centers are driven to develop new skill sets

Though the variations are endless, the right system is best achieved with careful planning toward a goal.

According to our annual survey, cost efficiency is still king. However, respondents tell us that the multi-channel fulfillment challenge is pushing them to make more economical moves focused on process improvement and layout changes—steps our analysts say are very encouraging.

As direct fulfillment volume grows, small adjustments can prevent bottlenecks and postpone large investments.

As customer expectations parallel those in retail, industrial distributors are breaking out of traditional solutions to meet the e-commerce challenge.

With a willingness to change, managers will find how quickly the little things add up.