PUBLISHED 17 JUNE 2022

Making Your Mind Up

There are many factors that you will take into consideration before making up your mind and selecting the WMS provider that you wish to work with:

• System features – will the system deliver the functionality that you need?
• Implementation – how easy will it be to implement, and what steps are taken to minimise disruption? Be absolutely certain of one thing – there will be change!
• Understanding – Are you comfortable that the supplier understands what your business requirements are, and has a sound grasp of how you would like to move forward?
• Faith – Are you convinced that, over and above the details conveyed to the supplier, they have the capability to support your investment into the future?
• Tried and tested – what was the response from existing users of the system?
• Personal relationships – although not an obvious factor, this is actually a key issue; will the company work in partnership with you to deliver the right results, and do you think that you will be able to work together? The nightmare scenario is when the sales people leave and the implementation team arrive to ask “what is it you want then?” Trust us when we say we know of this happening first-hand!
• Support – Are there adequate resources from the supplier to ensure that you will be fully supported?

These are all things that we at Clydebuilt Business Solutions have been proven to deliver consistently over the years. Of course, there will be many more variables to be taken into consideration, but most of these should be accounted for along the stages of the decision-making process. Once you have established your need for a new system and start inviting responses from prospective suppliers you will already be forming opinions on both the system on offer and the company supporting the system.

It is easy to get carried away with the marketing hype surrounding some of the product offerings, but it is imperative that you stay close to your project and ensure that you are selecting on a “need to have” basis as opposed to “that looks nice”. Once implemented, a Warehouse Management System is a business-critical piece of software that can have significant benefit to your working operations, and, as such, your decision should be made upon the final result.

It can be daunting delving into the world of choice and, with so many companies making all sorts of claims, it is no surprise that it becomes a difficult decision. The best advice to give is to ensure that you have explored all avenues with your potential supplier and you will find that you will make the right decision based on all of the options above.

Finally, use your common sense, if you understand the needs of your warehouse operationally, you will see if what is offered will work on the ground and help the people there. At the end of the day, the objective is delivery to the end customer, real accuracy, getting it right first time, every time, and improving internal efficiencies so you are avoiding unnecessary costs. In jargon terms, this all equates to adding value to the bottom line!