IDII Software Newsletter
 To assist the professional dealing with software in Warehousing Distribution, Logistics, and the Supply Chain.
July 31 2001 - Vol 2 No 11
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Techniques, Vision, & Educational Thoughts

"Make Vendors Walk The Line"
Ask tough questions, interrogate responses, compare apples-to-apples, and finish it.

Are you in the driver's seat to select software? Then you need to have (1) clear vision of where are we going, (2) resources to make the complete trip, and (3) determination to finish it. Let's assume that the drivers that are pushing the project are qualified and a high quality RFP has been developed. Now it's time to drive the evaluation.

Due Diligence. Evaluate vendors in five areas: functionality, pricing, services, technology, and background. Functionality covers features and detailed functional issues. Pricing is both initial and ongoing maintenance prices - which can be negotiable - especially the software licensing prices. Services are the professional services that the vendor offers - help desk, software upgrades, business reviews, implementation team, ROI calculations, re-warehousing analysis, etc. Will this vendor "commit" to your service level? For some companies, this can be 24x7 for 365 days a year. Technology is about computer hardware architecture, computer software programming languages, and future plans. Background of the company should be investigated by common business tools that are available - credit checks and reference calls. With one of our clients a few years ago, a D&B report revealed that a WMS vendor had an IRS tax lien and we eliminated them based upon that - even though the solution was strong on functionality. So it's worth the time & effort to always do 'due diligence'.

Numbers alone is a problem. Price alone is a problem. When we scorecard our solution providers for functionality - remember that numbers are not enough. Consider the background, pricing, services, functional scorecard, and technology of that solution. You must be happy with ALL of these. Remember that the lowest price is not enough! Many companies that have bought on price by itself, will come back to the buying table in a few years and strongly buy on functionality (the second time around)!

When analyzing the functional responses from vendors, analyze them to see if they are "real" or "over-sold" or "under-sold". After doing many software selections, we have concluded that vendors have a difficult time answering questions. Have an inside sharpshooter look at the responses and re-work any vendor responses. The sharp shooter should investigate, call, verify, change, and notify everyone on the changes made, especially the vendor. In this manner an "apple to apple" comparison is being done. By doing such, we are making the vendor "walk the line".

Go For It. Finish It. In deciding the finalist's short list and the best vendor, make your choices and go forward. Time and emotions are too precious to waste. Make good decisions and move forward.

 Philip Obal, President of Industrial Data & Information Inc. (IDII)


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 Software Company News


  • Lilly Software (ERP, WMS, CRM, MRP) Announces New Features and Enhancements in VISUAL Manufacturing Version 6.2

    Version 6.2 is packed with beneficial tools to help automate business
    processes and streamline workflow. VISUAL Manufacturing now includes the much anticipated MRP by Warehouse capabilities, which allow companies to set different planning policies for separate warehouses by part. Lilly Software also offers a new Plant Maintenance module, which helps companies easily schedule and manage planned and unplanned maintenance activities. Customers who use VISUAL DesignLink( will find support for AutoCAD( 2000 and EDI users will see integration enhancements. Lilly has also developed a new Order Management window that makes it easier to check product availability, and has added improved sorting, linking, and efficiency factors to the
    Scheduling Window(and the Common Sense Throughput Window.

    Committed to addressing customer needs, Lilly Software has included a
    variety of user-requested enhancements including the ability to access a part's purchase history from Part Maintenance, auto-browse functionality for non-key fields, and the ability to update the estimated costs in an Engineering Master with actual costs from a work order.

    Updated costing is also where users will see a big change in VISUAL
    Financials(. VISUAL Financials includes a new Euro conversion utility and a significant number of improvements to Value Added Tax (VAT) capabilities, but the most important addition is that companies can now perform Average Costing. In the past, VISUAL accommodated Standard and Actual Costing methods, but by including Average Costing, also known as Average Inventory Valuation, Lilly can now address the needs of manufacturers who operate within fluctuating price markets.
  • Logility (WMS, TMS, B2B, Nasdaq: LGTY) Announces Version 6.0; Logility Voyager Solutions Version 6.0 expands Logility's Microsoft-centric platform to include SQL Server 2000 and extends its native support of the IBM eServer iSeries (AS/400. Logility Voyager Solutions 6.0 also delivers significant functional enhancements to help trading partners collaborate across both private and public marketplaces increasing supply chain optimization, expanding visibility and providing supply chain event management.
  • Majure Data (WMS, Interface to SAP) and DISC (ERP) integrate cost-effective warehouse management and
    beverage management information systems. The RF Navigator WMS, an intelligent execution system managing material flow and labor from receiving through shipping, will provide complete, real-time information and inventory data to the BMIS. RF Navigator will
    perform instant verification of operator entry to ensure real-time inventory accuracy, increase warehouse efficiency, and improve customer service.

    RF Navigator WMS meets the unique demands of distributors by enabling:

    => Case and bottle picking
    => Automated, real-time, directed replenishment of forward pick locations
    => Verification of materials prior to shipment for improved accuracy
    => More efficient pick strategies
    => Paperless receipts and real-time location management
  • Provia Software (WMS, TMS, 3PL) Releases FourSite 3PL Product Version 4.0 (WMS, 3PL, Oracle, Informix, GUI)


  • Prophet 21 (ERP, WMS, B2B, Nasdaq: PXXI, NT/2000) - Introduces CommerceCenter version 8.5 - Multiple Features Added:

    CommerceCenter v8.5 is equipped with PDA technology for any Palm device with an operating system of 3.1 or higher to create seamless delivery. Distributors who deliver products via their own trucks can download shipping lists onto PDAs. Drivers collect electronic signatures from customers as deliveries are made and upload them to the appropriate electronic file back at the office. This closes the last gap in automating the distribution process, saving time and money. Now once an order is entered into CommerceCenter, information travels through the pipeline without the need for error-prone reentry at each stop.

    Integration of CommerceCenter order entry with Trading Partner Connect allows users to gain valuable price and availability information and place orders directly with trading partners. With this enhancement, distributors who have an insufficient amount of stock to fill a customer order can request stock availability and price information from a set of predefined trading partners. Within seconds of making the request, the distributor should have a response and be able to provide their customer with current and accurate information.

    Lot Costing. CommerceCenter v8.5 also provides lot costing as an alternative costing method. This enables distributors to more accurately report on the profitability of commodity items, such as fasteners.


  • Rensoft - a division of Vertex Interactive, Inc. (ERP, WMS, TMS, NASDAQ:VETX) announces Release 3.3 of RenSoftiWMS (AS/400). The new release offers enhanced pallet tracking with building, splitting and merging functionality; pick to tote/box where items will automatically be assigned to the appropriate tote/box based upon capacity and fill percentage; putaway by cube (maximum quantities based on cube capacity); tracking of product in transit to another location within warehouse via RF; and additional 3PL billing methods including the ability to track the date a product was received into the warehouse.

    RenSoft Interactive ALSO has launched version 3.5 of its JAVA-architected warehouse management system...RenSoftWMS.

    Release v3.5's additional functional benefits target food manufacturers and distributors that require operational management of inventory that includes perishable, refrigerated and frozen food items. The major functions added or enhanced by v3.5 are: flexible item code date tracking; minimum dating requirements; item shelf-life control; distressed product tracking; multiple user-defined QA rules; outbound "catch-weight" processing; enhanced pallet and carton tracking, blast freezer processing control; advanced "dock door" control and putaway rules; dynamic forward pick assignment; repacks; work-queue management, and integration of food functionality to 3PL processing functionality available
    in previous releases.

    Vertex's JAVA-architected WMS is capable of multi-industry/warehouse/facility/owner/ company/division functionality and can be deployed in a manual, RF-based environment, or any combination of both. Vertex's JAVA-architected WMS benefits hasten the enterprise "ROI" by providing solutions that promote active messaging, event driven and web-based processing, real-time visibility of data throughout the enterprise network, integrated order/warehouse/inventory/transportation and "light directed system" functionality.
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Scripture to Ponder

".. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city.."
-- Proverbs 16:32

Quotes to Ponder
  • "One way to evaluate your own reputation is to think about what would be said of you at your eulogy."
    --Brian Koslow.
Websites To Check Out

http://www.adtmag.com/xmlreport - Free newsletter on XML standards and integration.


Good Book

"Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies, and Cases"
David Simchi-Levi See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

Good Book

"The Logic of Logistics: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications for Logistics Managements"
Julien Bramel (Columbia University) and David Simchi-Levi (MIT) See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com


Another Good Book - From IDII

"What To Look For In Warehouse Management System Software"
Obal, Philip See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com

New Software Directory

"Warehouse & Logistics Software Directory"
Obal, Philip See reviews and more information on this book at Amazon.com


Valuable Future Events

LogicTools will be holding its 2nd Annual Symposium: Improving Supply Chain Performance with Tactical Planning on Thursday, September 13th 2001. The symposium is being held in conjunction with the first annual LogicTools User Conference on Friday, September 14th, 2001. See http://www.logic-tools.com/symposium2001/



About This Newsletter - ISSN 1533-435X

We educate and share news on software for warehousing, transportation, shipping, packing, slotting, loading, optimization, and enterprise wide software solutions. This free newsletter is published twice a month. Feel free to forward this newsletter to others that you know. One may quickly subscribe by accessing our website at www.idii.com/esn/index.htm.

To submit information to be considered for inclusion in our newsletter, send any news, events, press releases, research, and newsletters to editor@idii.com. To advertise in the IDII Software Newsletter, see our rate card at www.idii.com/pdf/rate-card.pdf. The current and back issues of our E-Software Newsletters can be accessed at www.idii.com/esn/index.htm.

© 2001 Industrial Data & Information Inc. All Rights Reserved.. Trademarks belong to respective trademark holders. Information accuracy is not guaranteed due to variety of sources.

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