I want to thank ALL of our readers who took the time to provide feedback and offer suggestions for successful WMS implementations. We’ll hopefully be adding a “from our readers” section to the next edition of the paper. In the meantime, I wanted to re-print a few reader suggestions here under the title of “WMS Implementation Keys to Success”:
- Manage Scope: “We see teams get excited by the bells and whistles they see in product demos and expand the footprint of their implementation. With additional scope comes additional risk. Is that risk really worth it for you?” [Jennifer Sherman, Senior Director, Oracle]
- Data Quality: “Many of the space and labor-saving features that a WMS brings are dependent on accurate data, specifically weight and cube. A pick-to-carton operation could blow up if there is poor dimensional data integrity…many operations who are not on a sophisticated WMS have abysmal data integrity/data completeness.” [Steve Wilson, Sr. Director, Solutions Engineering, Greatwide Logistics]
- Invest in the Process: “We had a very successful implementation because we jointly spent a LOT of time on the project plan before we started. “ [Arthur Barrett, CEO, Barrett Distribution]
- Vet the IMPLEMENTER: “We often ask vendors to provide references that speak to their product’s fit for the industry or use case but do we do the same for the implementer? Can they speak to implementations they have done of the product you have selected? Are they providing resources that have used the product before or is the team going to be learning the software on your time?” [Jennifer Sherman, Senior Director, Oracle]
If you’d like to read the whitepaper, you can download it by clicking here: 6 Tips to Avoid a Failed WMS Implementation.