2. ANALISIS DE LAS CONDICIONES ACTUALES DE LAS
2.1. ANÁLISIS DE LOS ASPECTOS EXTERNOS E INTERNOS
2.1.6 Aspecto tecnológico
Software systems have been used for storage and inventory management for several decades in order to support the logistics development. Originally, WMS were pure
inventory management systems dedicated to managing quantities and storage locations and their relationship to one another, partially supporting the management of transportation systems as well. Since logistics processes and systems have been identified as holders of large savings potential, a transition of functions from pure inventory management to an integrated software system with high-level optimization and management functions can be recognized.
Nowadays, WMS encompass the management, control and optimization of complex systems of warehousing and distribution, comprehensive methods and means for monitoring the system status as well as a variety of operational and optimization strategies, apart from the basic functions of management of quantity and location, conveyance means and disposal. The main task of a standard WMS lies in the management and optimization of internal warehouse systems.
Current trends indicate the appreciation from the customers’ side of an easily understandable graphic user interface, easy adaptability and parameterization, as well as the profound integration of new technologies, esp. in the fields of identification and positioning, and large solutions in general, such as a combined ERP/WMS solution. In general, the functional range of WMS is constantly growing and has started to overlap with the ones of ERP systems and even SCMS since customers sought to realize every savings potential in the warehouse and to use WMS functionality for that. For instance, a complete order processing covering all processes from goods receipt to issue as well as more comprehensive information systems and control centres is a standard part of today’s WMS. To standard WMS belong tasks of route scheduling and routing, vendor managed inventory (VMI), and even value-added services like executing and billing of storage services, too.
Additional features in the form of additional system modules in order to support individual processes like the picking process, e.g. pick-by-light or pick-by-voice, are elements of large WMS. [BVL 2012, p. 12; Hribernik/Hans 2011, p. 14, 15; Krupp et al. 2010, p. 134, 135; LogPrax 2007, p. 76-77, 88-91; LogPrax 2008, p. 72, 73; LogPrax 2011, p. 62-64]
A majority of WMS customers desire an individual standard solution consisting only of those functions that represent their business processes without turning to an expensive customized solution. Therefore, providers adopted a modular structure of their solution allowing for a certain degree of customization with the help of standard (core and additional) functionalities.
The core functionalities of a standard WMS cover goods’ receipt and issue, storage and retrieval operations, order picking and stock control/ slotting. Additionally, order processing and releases, stock-taking and inventory management, and master data management and information control centre (including KPI monitoring) belong to further core functions of a WMS.
Additional features comprise topics like forklift management system, resource planning, returns handling, vendor-managed inventory, lot and batch numbers, hazardous materials management and value added services like billing. Further, shelf- life expiration date (SLED), customs, double or even multiple storage, multi-client
capacity and multi-site management, dock and yard management, and the management of transport means and receptacles, empties and loading devices are addressed in large WMS solutions.
Especially in the case of large solutions with all additional features included, there exist several intersections or even overlaps with neighbouring systems like ERP and SCMS. [BVL 2012, p. 12; Krupp et al. 2010, p. 122-135; LogPrax 2007, p. 77-87]
The providers on the rather stable and consolidated WMS market are manifold due to a high number of established vendors and a relatively even distribution of market shares in the absence of dominant key players. The nearer future trend shows a development towards large suite vendors with a broad functional range. The strongest players on the German and Central European market are large IT companies with a broad portfolio and providers of storage and materials handling equipment.
WMS providers belong to different categories which can be distinguished between pure developers, suite providers and providers of storage and materials handling equipment.
Pure WMS providers frequently are SME and distribute WMS and other warehouse- related software only. They are used to cultivate relations to smaller ERP providers and smaller providers of storage and materials handling equipment in order to mutually complete their product ranges and to realize synergies for customers. Particularly for highly complex (manual and automated) processes with a strong degree of industry dedication, pure WMS vendors are often the best choice since they can offer deep knowledge of both the IT solution and a strong dedication to the respective industry. Suite providers distribute the WMS as part of a larger ICT solution, such as an ERP system or a SCMS solution. Therefore, their solution frequently comprises many modules apart from warehouse management as well, such as purchasing, human resources, financial accounting, controlling. Originally rooted in pure business information systems, warehousing has often been included into the product portfolio lately, so that the marketing addresses the entire suite rather than the WMS solution in particular. Manual and semi-automated warehouses with rather simple logistics processes are the major application area of suite vendors.
Coming from the fields of metal construction, electronics and control technology, providers of storage and materials handling equipment deal with WMS as one element of the scope of their technical product which occasionally leads to a lower-scale solution – compared to the original WMS – focusing on technical control and optimization. This again leads to the integration of such materials handling equipment solutions into a larger standard WMS in which the materials handling-related solution is to take care of the technical control and optimization only. Mostly automated high- performance warehouses are the main application area of providers of storage and materials handling equipment. [BVL 2012, p. 24-26; Krupp et al. 2010, p. 135-137; LogPrax 2007, LogPrax 2008, p. 64-73; LogPrax 2010, p. 62-66]