IDII White Paper Section, WMS Installation. Contains tips on how to have a successful WMS installation.

A Valuable List of WMS Implementation Tips

This case contains 10 practical tips for anyone who becomes involved in a WMS implementation.

Consider the (near) future during the requirements analyses

During the definition of all requirements not only today's operational needs need to be considered. During this phase the company strategy, market development and technologic developments need to be taken into account. The WMS also needs to support the future organization. Dare to discuss the current organization and it's primary processes.

Try not to be misled by demo's

During the orientation phase software suppliers often uses demo's. These demo's often provide a complete view on the primary functionalities of the package, but do not show the flexibility of these functionalities. During this phase not just the functionality of the package should be considered but the flexibility. Can all functionalities be parameterized and therewith flexible or should tailored software realize this flexibility.

Do not just select the package on it's primary functionalities

The final selection of a package is often based on the level in which the package supports the primary process of the organization. However, the package should also be selected based on criteria such as host-interface possibilities, web interface possibilities, the software language, financial support (activity based costing), the road map of the standard package (the project development horizon of the standard package), the organization of the supplier and the service organization of the supplier.

All service aspects should be covered by a contract

The development and implementation of the package is often executed and managed by a project team from the software supplier. After implementation the responsibilities are often transferred to the service department of the supplier. A contact should cover the way how this transfer should be executed and how the supplier will guarantee that all knowledge of the tailored software is maintained within his organization. Service level agreements such as time-to-response and time-to-recovery need to be covered by a contract as well.

Include the right people in the design phase

Try to involve the right people in the design phase (conference room pilot). Both management and operation should be involved. Critical success factor's are the availability of operational staff and the empowerment of a person with decision power.

Minimize tailored software

During the design phase a balance needs to be found between required functionality and available functionality of the standard package. In this phase it should be avoided to create tailor made solutions. Tailored software has a great impact on the development time and the maintenance of the package.

Consider the output of the system

The value of the system will be determined by the physical output of it. Pay attention to the functionality of documents such as a packing list. For both staff and customers this often is the only way to judge the added value of the system.

Freeze the functional design document until after implementation

After the design phase the functional design document needs to be frozen in order to enable all involved parties to start development and implementation based on the same requirements. Especially in the area of interfaces, a change in the functional design has great impact on the overall planning. A frozen functional design document is an absolute critical success factor for realizing the planning.

Reserve sufficient time for testing the package

In both the FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) as the SAT (Site Acceptance Test) the package needs to be compared with the functional design. During FAT the stand-alone performance of the packages needs to be tested, while during SAT the functioning of the package in her new environment (host interface, PLC's, Radio Frequency network) should be tested. During FAT concentrate on subjects such as documents, user interface and functionalities. For both FAT and SAT test protocols should be written. Pay special attention to these subjects which are considered not to give any problems.

Implement a functional user group

Prior to implementation and beneficial use a functional user group should be established which will act as the liaison between user organization and software supplier. Cover issues such as documentation, training, problem logging, escalation for problem reporting and follow up and the follow up on change requests.

Written by Stef de Bont of RoadAir.

About the Author

Stef de Bont (1967) has been working in third party logistics since 1993. At Scansped he was responsible for a.o. implementation of a new warehouse management systems. Since 1998 he has been working with Road Air and has been involved in the implementation of a new distribution center for Rockwell Automation. Within the project he was responsible for a.o. implementation of processes and systems.

IDII White Paper Section

"Ten Practical Tips for a WMS Implementation"