Warehouse Management Systems Selection & Implementation

The Progress Group has extensive experience in WMS selection and implementation with leading companies in a wide variety of industries, from wholesale and retail, through 3PL providers, to manufacturing. Our services usually fall into one of three principal segments, as outlined below.

WMS Selection
There are many WMS providers in the marketplace, more every day. Their capabilities and product offerings are in a constant state of flux. And, the definition of "best-in-class" changes frequently. Our background, experience, and commitment to this market means that we know who the players are, the differentiating features of their products, their capacities and capabilities, and the suitability of their products to specific industries.
It's not easy to sort out who and what the right solutions might be, and the consequences of picking wrong are significant, often fabulously traumatic and expensive.
TPG can quickly assess the needs of your business, develop documentation of your specific and special needs (features, growth capacity, performance), and identify a short list of appropriate vendors. You can be confident that you are in touch with organizations that are capable, reliable, and on-target. And, you can reach this point with an intelligent balance of time and expense against the need to go into a WMS project with the right partners, and the right objectives.

WMS Planning and Implementation
After selection, there is a significant amount of work to be done that is critical to a successful implementation. The mechanics of project planning and resourcing is only the tip of the iceberg.

The selected supplier has an important role in all this, but realistically has limited resources, and in the end, limited responsibilities. It is seductively easy to underestimate or minimize the role and resource demands of what the customer has to do in implementation. For example, the creation of comprehensive and detailed business scenarios is an often massive task that is vital to the Conference Room Pilot process for determining the precise modifications the vendor's package requires to meet your specified needs.

After the CRP, test data and scenarios need to be developed that will fully demonstrate that the delivered, modified, product works the way it was intended, and promised. Also, you might need to develop and roll out custom training for a diverse community of users.

During implementation, there is a crucial need, not only for disciplined and determined project management, but also for issues management and resolution, to keep progress on-track, and to fly by more than the seat of the pants in making decisions about the project.

Any or all of these prospects can involve a lot of work, and demand a high level of relevant skill and experience. TPG can play a significant role in providing effective resources, and in facilitating project management processes, as an extension of your own organization.

The Progress Group, LLC, 1080 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite 300, Roswell, GA 30076. Tel: 770-804-9920; Fax: 770-804-9925.