WES

Interest in supply chain management (SCM) software accelerates as more companies replace their legacy systems and look for new ways to offset ongoing supply chain challenges.

Inventory control at the warehouse level is simple, right? Follow WMS processes, set some minimum SKU levels, be diligent about scan verifications to track consumption, and you’ve nailed it. While that worked 20 years ago, in today’s more complicated world with automated storage and fulfillment systems that hold inventory, you may need WES capabilities.

The days of LMS being used as a narrow measuring stick are over. Today’s warehouse labor management software is highly mobile and provides metrics to change performance as work unfolds. The integration of LMS and WES is nascent and may vary by solution specifics, but it is a frontier to watch.

Best known for its ability to identify and track inventory, data capture technologies of all types are being swept into a far more powerful information web. The idea is to use the technology to improve processes through improved deployment of people and assets.

The ability to automate DC operations by employing AI technologies that include a closer convergence of WCS, WES and WMS solutions is on the horizon. Designing touchless operations that reduce the dependence on traditional labor sources will better position supply chains in their quest to provide an uninterrupted flow of goods and improved resiliency.

Just like WES, robot operating systems are undergoing a transformation that may change the way we manage distribution centers.

Company officials said that this new WES, which was developed by UPS and Softeon, a provider of supply chain technology services, is geared towards enabling faster intake and fulfillment for customers, notably those with fluctuating order patterns, are able to get products on time.

The first generation of warehouse execution systems (WES) brought a new level of orchestration to automated warehouses. The next generation promises to bring a new level of optimization and productivity to the conventional warehouse. Get ready for WES 2.0.

Warehouse execution system (WES) software is becoming more important to automated warehouses that need to manage machines, people and inventory resources against a high-velocity stream of orders and tight delivery commitments. WES can be more than a one-function solution for orchestrating zones “inside the four walls,” and can instead operate as a complex hybrid that paces work to logistics events.

With the growth of e-commerce, the technology stack for distribution centers is expanding. We explore why WES/WCS software is gaining prominence and share how operations are expanding their use of data science.

WMS vendors are stepping up to the plate and developing functionalities and solutions that meet the complex needs of today’s companies. Our top analysts take a peek into these developments and discuss the DC of the future and the software that will support it.

WMS makes its case in a waveless world.

Warehouse execution system (WEC) suppliers are offering higher-level functionality—such as waveless order processing, performance analytics and mobile apps—turning WES into a configurable platform for warehouse operations management.