A few weeks ago, Bob Trebilcock of Modern Materials Handling (MMH) magazine asked me if I would sit down for an interview on the state of the Warehouse Management Software (WMS) industry which will be published shortly in their November print edition. This was, of course, before the big news on 1 November that one of the biggest Warehouse Management System providers, RedPrairie, was acquiring JDA Software to form what I described as a “super best-of-breed” software company specializing in supply chain planning an execution (see last week’s blog: “What the JDA/Red Prairie Merger Means for You”)
My comments in the MMH interview can be read at the link below. I describe a Warehouse Management Software (WMS) marketplace that has already gone through some major evolutions, with the last few years seeing a renewed interest by large companies in the Warehouse Management Systems from the major ERP providers as these vendors have enhanced their offerings. It will be interesting to see whether the RedPrairie news nudges the pendulum back in the other direction a bit, with large companies favoring best-of-breed providers again. Click here to read the MMH Inteview.
This news is less impactful for small and mid-sized companies who are seeking a more basic set of solutions at a much lower price point. The MMH interview discusses Commonwealth’s views on what options are available for small and mid-sized companies seeking WMS as well.