You’ve been given the monumental task of finding a new WMS, and you need it fast, but where do you begin? The first thing to do is slow down! WMS selection is not a process you can rush, it requires research, planning, and a whole lot of thought. Finding the right WMS means finding a system with the functionality you need, from a vendor you can trust, who aligns with your company and can deliver against your goals.

In an effort to gain an understanding of best practices when it comes to finding the right WMS, we collaborated with our partner Made4net and several other industry experts to compile a set of best practices to help you find the right WMS. The resulting framework includes five steps:

STEP #1: CREATE AN INTERNAL RESOURCE PLAN

Step #1 is all about securing a commitment to the endeavor. To do so, you’ll need to create an internal resource plan and get commitment from the entire business that your WMS project will be staffed accordingly.

STEP #2: BUILD A BUSINESS CASE

Step #2 involves building a Business Case for the WMS project that enables you to establish key metrics for measuring results, a budget, and the cost/benefit ratio of the project.

STEP #3: DEFINE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

In Step #3, you’ll create an RFX that outlines and matches both your short and long-term goals. This means defining all functional requirements, including all traditional WMS functions from inside the warehouse, plus activities related to yard management, dock scheduling, labor reporting, different picking activities, shipment processing activities, etc.

STEP #4: FIND VENDORS

During Step #4, you’ll conduct general research on 5-8 vendors. You’ll examine functionality, costs, and services to get a high-level idea of fit. From there, you’ll be able to narrow down a short list of vendors to engage with.

STEP #5: DIVE INTO THE SELECTION PROCESS

A new WMS involves a long-term partnership with a software vendor. In Step 5, you’ll step through a series of activities including site visits, demonstrations, customer visits, and more to be sure you choose the vendor that fits you to a tee.

Finding the right WMS takes careful planning, research, and strong leadership throughout the process. If you’re interested in learning more about best practices to help you find the right WMS, download a copy of:  Ask the Experts: Tips to Getting the WMS Selection Right.

Implementing a new WMS is probably something you will only do once in your career, and it’s a massive undertaking. While you know the ins and outs of your operation like the back of your hand, selecting and implementing a new WMS may be a task you need outside help with. If that’s the case, feel free to reach out to Team Alpine. We have 100+ WMS implementations under our belt, and we’d be happy to share what we’ve learned with you!