December-January 20166 logisticstechoutlook.comCIOReview's circulation is audited and certified by BPA International (Audit Pending). Copyright © 2015 Valley Media Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the magazine and accordingly, no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof.DECEMBER-JANUARY- 2016Mailing AddressValley Media Inc.44790 S. Grimmer Blvd Suite 202, Fremont, CA 94538T:510 230 0396, F:510-894-8405 December-January 2016, volume 01 - 12 Published by Valley Media Inc. To subscribe to Logistics Tech OutlookVisit www.logisticstechoutlook.com Managing EditorLinda JamesEditorial StaffSalesAaron PeterMatthew JacobGeorge ThomasMerlin Watson Shirley FaithTony FernandesVisualizerStephen ThomasAngela ParkerRay William ray@logisticstechoutlook.com510-974-2083Jennifer Stephenjennifer.stephen@logisticstechoutlook.com 510 556 2641EditorialLinda James Managing Editoreditor@logisticstechoutlook.comWarehouse management processes are becoming more complicated, and require increased strategic solutions that allow for efficient operations. This has forced Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) to evolve over the years to become a strategic component of today's supply chain. Early warehouse management systems could only provide simple storage location functionality. However, today's WMS applications are highly sophisticated, data intensive and integrate features like tracking and routing technologies for facilitating operations.No matter how complex or simple the application is, the goal of a WMS remains the same--to provide the stakeholders with the required information to efficiently control movement of materials within a warehouse. Helping managers with the tools necessary to analyze stock and make plans for inventory movement or replenishment, a WMS ensures that the products are picked and put away in a productive and expedient manner. The growth rate of worldwide WMS market has been extremely volatile over the last few years. However, today, the rise of omni-channel paradigms and Ecommerce is propelling WMS sales. Ecommerce fulfillment generates the need for WMS to support piece picking, packing, returns management, and other processes. Meanwhile, the increased use of goods to person automation is placing a premium on warehouse automation interoperability. Going forward, these factors will propel WMS vendors to integrate more functionality into their softwares.In this scenario, buyers need to decide if they want to purchase a fully-fledged WMS or an integrated suite of applications that can manage other parts of the business as well, along with the warehouse. Systems that can truly offer the most advanced functionality, optional features for specific vertical markets, configurable architecture and competitive cost of ownership will have the greatest chance of winning over buyers.On that note, this edition of Logistics Tech Outlook focuses on Warehouse Management Systems. Flipping through the pages will give you an insight into various challenges present in this space, along with stories on what the selected vendors are doing for their clients.WMS: Maximizing the Logistics Performance
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