|
IDII Software Newsletter June 8th 2005 - Volume 6 Number 7 For PROFESSIONALS in Software for Warehousing, Logistics, and Supply Chain.  |
|
YOU KNOW YOUR WMS IMPLEMENTATION... IS GOING -BAD- ... WHEN.... Over the years I have been involved with so many WMS installations I actually stopped counting. Whether I was there in the beginning or called in when all hell was breaking loose, one thing I have noticed is that with every implementation there are signs. Sometimes humorous (after the fact) and sometimes not, signs that tell you whether the implementation is going as expected. Now because I am an avid note taker, I rummaged through my notes to find the signs and pass them along to you. Believe it or not, every one of these have come from an actual implementation. YOU KNOW YOUR WMS IMPLEMENTATION IS GOING BAD WHEN: 17. Your CFO wants to know what is going on with the inventory and who is making adjustments! Because someone adjusted in $100k of an item! Then adjusted it the same item back out! Then adjusted it back in! Then back out again! All on the same day and all by the same person. 18. You realize Sunday night during your startup physical you are not going to finish the initial inventory. So you decide to “SWAG” the quantities of the items not counted. 19. You realize on Go-Live none of your location labels will scan. Later you find out why. They were printed in test which assigned different tracking numbers than production. 20. You ask your software vendor how does the system handle a change to a Reserved Order and your software vendor responds by asking, “What is a Reserved Order?” 21. Two months after your Go-Live, one of the consultants you hired to help with the installation asks you if it is okay for them to schedule a vacation. 22. The fastest picker you have is the consultant you hired to help with the implementation. 23. One of the consultants you hired to help begins crying in front of one of your terminals. 24. You have a meeting with all of the employees to see how things are going and when you asks, no one has anything to say. Mainly because they are afraid they will get fired if they really told you. 25. Your warehouse supervisor tells you the orders are not printing. Every time he try’s to reprint an order nothing happens. After you stop laughing you tell them you are picking with RF devices so the orders now go directly to the RF devices and prints upon shipping. 26. You have to send someone into the bathroom to get your “Super-User” to come out and talk to you. They have been in the bathroom crying for over an hour by the time you realized it. 27. Your family is unhappy because of all the time you spend at the office and you use that as an excuse to take some time off. 28. You want to know who is making so many adjustments to inventory, and after further investigation: you, the CFO and the CEO find out it is “You who has been making the adjustments.” You are also the one doing most of the picking and a majority of the receiving. At least that’s what the system shows because you have been giving out your sign-on to so many different people because they can’t remember theirs. 29. You stress to your employees the value of the RF devices and not to just lay them down. Only to have to go around later checking the serial numbers because you can’t seem to find yours. 30. You wake up one morning and while searching for your shoes under the bed, you find the RF device you’ve been looking for all week. 31. You go home early only to find you can’t get in your house because the chain has been put on the door. 32. You are forced to climb through the window of your house, because the locks have been changed. Then you get chased right back out of the house by your dog. 33. Your warehouse supervisor quits so he can get some time off to go to his son’s soccer game. As humorous as these may be, these are a testament to the: drive, desire, compassion and will to win of warehouse people all across the country. They will and do, “Make It Happen” every single day no matter what they are faced with. These reflections have been brought to you by: Full White Paper on this is at http:www.idii.com/wp/AhnBadWmsImplementation.pdf These reflections have been brought to you by: Rene' Jones - AHN Corporation - (888) 807-0958 - info@ahninc.com - http://www.ahninc.com |
. |
|
Reach over 9,000 Professionals NOW... Call or Review Advertising Rate Card.
IDII News
New! Just Released!!! How To Optimize Your Warehouse Operations by Art Liebeskind. Excellent content covering 150 time tested tips to reduce handling & increase productivity. 127 pages. March 2005. $59.95. Published by IDII.
Educational - Books - Videos
Books - Popular Business Books, - Six Sigma, - Internal Theft & Loss Control, and a section on - Dictionaries & Glossaries. NEW Video Section - J.J. Keller Safety Videos
Personal - Romance - Romance with Action Videos
New White Papers - White Paper Index -Suggest A White Paper
19 Steps to Maintain an Accurate Inventory! - Rene' Jones - ExcellentWMS Market 2004 Report Now - Jeroen van den Berg Consulting - Excellent
Steps to Success With Your WMS Implementation - enVista - Very good insights
Technology & Software Product News
CMS Consultants, Inc. released version 5.2.0 for WorldLink, its flagshipmiddleware enterprise shipping solution. The release enhances functionality for BestWay rating shopping, Custom Reports, and Ship Via shipping groups. Additionally, the new release broadens support for carrier rating engines available through ConnectShip Toolkit™, including USPS, DHL, Menlo Worldwide Logistics (formerly Emery), and BAX Global.
Custom reporting from external data sources: The enhancement allows companies to extract information from an external data sources to include in WorldLink-generated custom reports, giving them more flexibility to generate more detailed shipping operations reports.
BestWay shopping via select Ship Via subgroups: The enhancement extends WorldLink’s BestWay rate shopping capabilities. It allows companies to create Ship Via subgroups of selected carriers and shop against them for the best rates by cost and delivery timeframes. The change will give customers more flexibility to shop against carriers of choice.
Ship Via groups by organization: The enhancement allows customers to set up Ship Via groups by Organization, as well as to continue setting them up by Sites. The change simplifies shipping groups across organizations and will help avoid mistakenly selecting a carrier unavailable to a particular organization.
Expanded support for ConnectShip carrier modules: To meet customer demand for a broader array of parcel carriers, WorldLink now supports the ConnectShip carrier modules for USPS, DHL, Menlo WorldLink Logistics (formerly Emery), and BAX Global. The enhancement gives customers two sources for these carrier rating engines – ConnectShip and SPSS.
FinalMove Software introduced its SCORE Supply Chain Execution Suite. The SCORE Suite includes Warehouse Management Software (WMS), Shipping Logistics (SHIP), Work Order Processing (WO), Productivity Measurement (PM), and Third Party Logistics Modules (3PL). SCORE has been integrated into several leading accounting and financial packages, as well as AGI’s VizTrack (Enterprise Visibility) and RTLS (Real Time Location System) applications, which have been implemented at some of the world’s most sophisticated Retailers and 3PL organizations.
FinalMove Software can support customers with systems ranging in size from Pentium PC’s to RISC processorbased systems. Written in Java and using UNIX, Linux, or Windows 2000/NT as an operating platform and Oracle, Informix, and MS-SQL relational databases,
GEOCOMtms announced new product A.MAZE Enterprise, an advanced distribution planning and execution solution for organizations with complex pickup and delivery networks. Functionality helps to:
* Analyze existing distribution networks using real world business constraints and “what if” scenarios
* Evaluate the impact on distribution costs of operating a private fleet, contracting with dedicated owner-operators, or outsourcing to a third-party logistics provider
* Design territory plans and route structures that align customer needs and the needs of the business
* Optimize sequencing, scheduling, and routing of customer orders using only the resources that are required and no more
* Create tactical pickup and delivery plans that can be executed in the field
* Monitor key performance indicators to ensure that daily activities are in synch with strategic objectives
HighJump Software Extends Offering With Introduction of Low-Cost RFID Compliance Solution. HighJump developed Compliance Advantage Select, which uses Globeranger for middleware and supports both Gen 1 and Gen 2. By combining a faster implementation methodology with a focused set of the most common workflows, this offering helps companies meet their RFID requirements quickly and within budget.
With a total price starting at $70,000, HighJump’s Compliance Advantage Select features everything needed for full electronic product code (EPC) compliance, including: software, RFID reader and printer hardware, implementation services, product testing and training.
HighJump Software Accelerates International Growth; Leveraging 3M's Global Infrastructure Will Help HighJump Offer Supply Chain Execution Solutions in Strategic Markets. Through these relationships, HighJump's Supply Chain Advantage suite has been implemented for more than 40 premier customers, including Rosebys in the United Kingdom, Tel Sell in the Netherlands, CitySuper in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Comerical Mexicana in Mexico, Alimentos y Frutos in Chile, and Pan Emirates Furniture in the United Arab Emirates.
During this phase of global expansion, HighJump will add localized sales, services and support for its entire SCE suite through offices in Latin America, Australia, Asia and Europe.
Intellitrack WMS Has API for ERP integration. A new application interface (API) is now available from IntelliTrack Inc., the leading manufacturer of affordable bar code and RFID tracking software. IntelliTrack API integrates IntelliTrack products with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and accounting packages, to provide barcode scanning, barcode printing, inventory control and wireless mobility.
“We have added our Inventory Shipping, Receiving and Picking (ISRP) program to Quickbooks. You can have a real strong inventory control system for a small business that does not cost a lot of money,” said James Budniakiewicz, president of IntelliTrack. “You can also use API to integrate our Warehouse Management System (WMS) Professional edition with robust ERP and MRP systems, such as Datapro, Great Plains, MAS200, or SAP.” Budniakiewicz said. “You can even integrate IntelliTrack WMS Professional with Oracle Small Business Suite or Oracle Manufacturing.”
IntelliTrack ISRP is a scaled down version of IntelliTrack WMS. Both systems help companies large and small to keep track of their warehouse inventory. ISRP and WMS use a SQL database to manage data collected from mobile computers and handheld terminals. With ISRP, data is collected in batch mode, and synchronized with the database when the handheld device is returned to its serial or Ethernet cradle. WMS Professional provides real time communication via a wireless (Wi-Fi) network between the mobile devices and central database. Both products provide the ability to scan and print barcode labels, and perform inventory transactions such as shipping, receiving, picking and putting away.
Next Generation Logistics introduces FreightMaster AMS™ Appointment Management System. Overview: Directly interfaced with our TMS System, FreightMaster AMS™ allows users to schedule inbound and outbound appointments with the ease of "drag and drop" onto a Microsoft Outlook® type calendar.
The user simply clicks on the load that needs an appointment and "drags" that load to the desired date and time slot. All the information related to the load automatically displays on the screen and the user can assign the load to a specific dock type (i.e. frozen, cooler, dry) which are color enabled for ease of use. A color coded calendar display visually shows the user which days are open, reaching capacity, or fully booked. Capacities can be set by a range of days or specific days of the week. Users can also set alert messages to notify parties as to the status of the shipment.
Behind the scenes, the system automatically checks for compliance to pre-specified appointment rules and displays these messages to the user for action. FreightMaster AMS™ runs as an add-on module to FreightMaster TMS™ with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows 2000, 2003 or XP. It is available for local and wide area networks on Server 2000, Server 2003 as well as desktop versions for single users or server versions for multiple users. The database manager is Microsoft's SQL 2000 Server.
Prophesy Transportation Solutions introduces ShipperSelectTM, providing users with a middle tier solution for their shipping needs. Companies can take advantage of comprehensive rating and carrier selection, while still benefiting from the company’s industry leading mapping and load consolidation. “ShipperSelectTM is a natural progression for the product line” said Len Solimene, Director of Corporate Sales. “By combining our advanced rating system with visual display and drag-and-drop technology, we can lower costs and save time for our clients and partners.”
In many organizations, the process of choosing least-cost carriers and managing LTL costs is paramount to success, and yet is often overlooked. Our easy to use software helps users by consolidating orders, rating all their carriers, and displaying routes on a full-color map. Using intuitive screens, changes to orders and loads are easily identified.
QSSI announced that Worldwide Warehousing and Distribution, a Chicago based Third Party Logistics operation, has selected PowerHouse/WMS to replace their existing warehouse management solution.
Swisslog announces new release of its software suite WarehouseManager™. The release includes new functionality such as labor optimization, cockpit functions and voice picking. Furthermore, in the latest release of WarehouseManager, Swisslog's material flow control module for automated warehouses and distribution centers, AutomationManager™, is fully integrated with improved performances and flexibility for two main purposes. First, the seamless integration into WarehouseManager and second the connectivity to third party warehouse management systems (WMS).
HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS is out! New book! See http://www.idii.com
Scripture to Ponder - List of Scriptures to Ponder from prior issues.
"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak..." Romans 15:1Famous Quotes to Ponder - List of Quotes to Ponder from prior issues.
"Men are born to succeed, not fail."
- Henry David Thoreau
Websites To Check Out
SAPtips Journal - Ideas and Tips to Assist SAP UsersCarRentals.com - A low cost way to locate LOW cost car rentals!
Proposal
Development
(Responding to a RFP, RFI, or RFQ) |
||
On
A Personal Note:
|
||
| Romance Movies with Action |
Valuable Future Events - Event Calendar is online!
Subscribe to the Supply Chain Event Newsletter - Educational Events - Free!
| Contact
Us |
Feedback |
More Information |
| This newsletter (ISSN 1533-435X) is published twice a month by I.D.I.I. - a research & consulting firm. Free Subscription. Tell-a-Friend I.D.I.I. Advertise:
advertise@idii.com |
We appreciate your valuable input. Send us your suggestions, ideas, short articles, white papers, and useful websites -and- we will review it. Our goal is to educate and inform professionals involved in software & the supply chain. Feel free to send your input to us! Editor: editor@idii.com |
Hundreds of technical white papers to assist your knowledge, whether it is a WMS, TMS, or other supply chain project. An extensive book catalog covers a large number of software, project management, warehousing, and supply chain areas. Additional resources at the IDII.com web portal include lists of trade associations, research, RFPs, educational newsletters & publications, valuable websites, and much more! Check it out! |
|
©
2004 Industrial Data & Information Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Trademarks belong to respective trademark holders. Information accuracy is not guaranteed due to variety of sources. |