Selecting a warehouse management system (WMS)

One of the key questions we get asked when helping a client select a WMS is ‘Which Tier of WMS should we consider?’ or ‘Which WMS Tier is most suited for us?’.

Although the lines are getting blurred (highly customisable, cloud-based WMS are in trend), Warehouse Management Systems can traditionally be divided into three tiers.

What are the WMS tiers?

Tier 1 – can be fully integrated within MRP, ERP, accounting, ecommerce software systems and automation

Tier 2 – all tier 3 functionality plus advanced functionality including automation and voice/RF integration

Tier 3 – basic WMS functionality to manage material flow in manual warehouses and on conveyors

Functionality by Tier?

Functionality
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Inbound operations
G
G
A
Put away
G
A
A
Inventory management
G
A
A
Picking
G
A
A
Outbound operations
G
G
A
Warehouse optimisation
G
A
R
Labour / task management & allocation
G
A
R
Technology integration (voice, vision, RFID)
G
A
A
Integration with WCS, ERP, TMS etc.
G
A
A

Key advice

Before selecting a new WMS, our consultants advise a thorough understanding of the ‘as-is’ and ‘to-be’ processes to understand your required functionality. This will help identify the most appropriate WMS providers to work with.

To learn how to select the right WMS for your operation or for implementation support, contact our expert consulting team at enquiries@box-logic.co.uk

wms selection infographic

INSIGHTS