Selecting, Buying, Installing and Using A Modern Warehouse Management System

On completion of this course you should be able to:

• Determine the purpose of warehouse management systems and a description of their costs and benefits.
• Discuss the build-versus-buy choice is discussed.
• Define the organizational impact and describe the short and long-term effect.
• Understand how to buy a WMS, the project team that must be assembled, the marketplace for commercial systems.
• List the types of systems available and how to go about choosing among them, the creation of a Request for Proposal and the evaluation of responses.
• Apply a methodology for justifying/funding a system for installation, as well as an ongoing operation and maintenance.

COURSE OUTLINE

Warehouse Management Systems

• Purpose
• Core Function
• Core data
• Basic processes and Functions
• Additional processes and Functions
• Industry-Specific Function and Feature
• Features and Functions Not Included

WMS Costs and Benefits

• ERP Systems vs. Best-of-Breed
• Hardware and Infrastructure Costs
• Software and Infrastructure Costs
• Software costs
• Other project costs
• Ongoing operating costs
• Benefits
• Calculating ROI
• WMS Weaknesses
• Organizational Impact
• Who Should Have a WMS?

The WMS Project

• First Time vs. Reinstallation
• Make vs. Buy
• Timeline Expectations
• Achieving Success
• Project Staff Turnover
• User-Supplier Relations

Commercially Available Systems

• Brief Industry History
• Major Product Options
• Dealing in the Market Today

Buying a WMS

• Identify concept
• Form Project Team
• Identify Needs
• Contact Suppliers and Select Initial Group
• Create and Issue RFI
• Select Short List
• Create and Issue RFQ
• Final Supplier Selection
• Contract Negotiation

The Installation Project

• Before Installing
• Kickoff Meeting
• Conference Room Pilot
• Modification and Preparation
• Installation
• Mock Go-Live
• Final Review
• Go-Live

Ongoing Operation

• Monitoring
• Maintaining
• Extending Value
• Upgrades
• Maintaining Supplier Relations

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.