Tuesday, October 21, 2008

SupplyChain IT News

The latest from SupplyChain IT News

[DCVELOCITY] News: big gains for GTM software Top
One sure sign that global supply chains are expanding: Sales of global trade management (GTM) software are on the rise.
[DCVELOCITY] Feature: technology review | Warehouse Control Systems | the go-between Top
In Simon & Schuster's fast-paced distribution operations, the warehouse management system may call the shots. But it's the warehouse control system that makes sure things get done.
[DCVELOCITY] PC-Miler Web Services 22 from ALK Technologies Top
ALK Technologies Inc., a developer of routing, mileage, and mapping software, has released PC-Miler Web Services 22.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain News: Getting Software Embedded in Manufactured Products Right Top
Too Many Manufacturers Use Traditional Engineering Approaches to Embedded Software Engineering; Reducing Complexity
[SCDIGEST] RFID News: Largest RFID Action in Apparel and Asset Management, Latest Baird Report Says Top
Lack of RFID-based Software Still a Barrier to Adoption; Users Still Looking for Better Price-Performance
[ORACLE] WMS and MSCA: Oracle Open World 2008 Top
Its time for Oracle Open World once again. This time its from September 21-25th, 2008 and the venue is the same as last year: Moscone Center in San Francisco. There are several events planned around WMS and MSCA. Here are a few sessions that should be on your agenda: 1. WMS SIG is as usual on Sunday morning before Open World. Let this be the first session to get you started: Date and Time: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 9:45 AM Venue: Meeting Room 3001 Agenda 9:45-9:50 Welcome (SIG Lead) 9:50-10:05 Case Picking in Oracle WMS by (Tyra Crockett, Oracle) 10:05-10:15 Oracle Usability 10:15-10:30 Order Fulfillment Operations Center (Kannan Tarakad, Oracle) 10:30-10:45 Customer Case Study (Niket Tyagi, DAZ) 2. Oracle Warehouse Management Customer Roundtable In this session, a panel consisting of Oracle Warehouse Management customers, field experts, and thought leaders discusses the impact of Oracle Warehouse Management on their logistics and fulfillment Speakers: Aditya Agarkar, Oracle, Rich Barboza, Agilent Technologies, Steve Drucker, Fellowes, Rajeev Gollarhalli, Sanmina, Nir Shoham, Plasson Time: 09/22/2008; 17:30-18:30 Venue: Moscone West, Rm 2001 3. What's Next for Oracle Warehouse Management? Session - Facing more margin pressures? Does each day bring new customer requirements that affect your order fulfillment processes? Are your order lead times shrinking? Are you struggling to bring a demand-driv Speakers: Rajesh Devakumar, Oracle Jennifer Sherman, Oracle Time: 09/25/2008; 12:00-13:00 Venue: Moscone West, Rm 2008 As always there is the WMS and MSCA demo booth where you can come by and get a more detailed information on some of the good things that we are doing in the product. Come by and say hello. Enjoy the conference!
[SCDIGEST] Logistics News: HighJump Software to Utilize Rapid Warehouse Management System Implementation Methodology in New System for Kalmbach Feeds Top
Manufacturer of Animal Feeds to Link Production Lines to DC with WMS Technology, Improve Lot Control
[SCDIGEST] Logistics News: Does a WMS Equal ROI? Top
A Warehouse Management System should be Thought of a Platform for Improvement, not a Discrete Investment
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain News: So What is Inventory Optimization? Top
Is Inventory Optimization A mindset, a strategy, a goal, a software category? Yes, yes, yes and yes. SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore looks at Inventory Management trends and the relatively new category of Inventory Optimization software.
[SCDIGEST] RFID News: Dean Frew of Xterprise on RFID Applications, ROI, Software, and More Top
Wal-Mart Program Did Not Meet Expectations, but Dramatically Drove Technology Forward Anyway; After Stage 1 Rocket Booster, Looking for the Next Source of Power
[SCDIGEST] The End of a Supply Chain Software Era Top
With the announcement this week that JDA Software was buying i2 -- after acquiring Manugistics in 2006 -- it ends a supply chain software era that at one time was dominated by these two leaders. We look back -- and forward. What is happening overall in the software market? Read our discussion.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Trivia of the Week - Dallas-based WMS Company Aligned with i2 in the 90s? Top
What Dallas-based Warehouse Management System Company Strongly Aligned itself with i2 (also of Dallas) in the Late 1990s and was For a Time the Largest Provider in the WMS space, Only to Fall Victim to its Own Missteps and be Ultimately Acquired by SSA (in turn Acquired by Infor) in 2003?
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain by the Numbers: August 13, 2008 Top
This Week: High Oil Prices Slip Sliding Away; JDA Likes i2 Customer Base; Read it and Weep - New World Manufacturing Leader Closing the Gap; No Siesta for Sleepy Mexican Trucking Program
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain News: The Eight Steps of the Forecasting Process Using Demand Planning Software Top
It Ends, Hopefully, with a Single, Consensus Forecast; Technology Advances are Improving the Process
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software News: JDA Shakes up Supply Chain Market with Acquisition of i2 Top
The Goal: Single Supply Chain Planning and Optimization Solution for Entire Manufacturing Market
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain News: IBM Continues Software Push with Plans to Buy ILOG Top
Quietly, IBM Building Supply Chain Software Portfolio
[ORACLE] "Oracle Continues to Execute in WMS"-ARC Advisory Group Top
ARC Advisory Group recently released its study of the WMS market and contains some comments about Oracle WMS (hat tip to Bret Andersen). ARC recently released its study of the WMS market, and Oracle was tied for fourth place in overall market share. At this rate of growth, they will soon be the third largest supplier of WMS solutions. Further, their ability to move up will in part be due to their ability to penetrate new verticals based on a value proposition that includes the integration of a larger set of enterprise applications One of the reasons cited by ARC for the growth in Oracle WMS adoption is usage of warehousing solutions in processes that traditionally have not seen intensive use of a WMS such as aircraft maintenance service providers. In this scenario Oracle WMS has a clear advantage as it can leverage its large integrated solution footprint to offer compelling value to its customers. My comment: One of the other reasons for the growth that ARC did not mention is that Oracle continues to make rapid strides into segments where it had a limited presence until R12. Process manufacturing industries such as Pharmaceuticals, Food and Beverage, Metals and Chemicals are an excellent example of this trend. R12 features that include support in WMS for process manufacturing are the key drivers for this trend.
[SCDIGEST] This Week's Supply Chain Trivia - First WMS in North America to Run Based on RFID Tracking? Top
What is Generally Considered the First Warehouse Management System, in North America at Least, to Run Based on RFID Tracking Rather than Bar Codes?
[ORACLE] Upcoming WMS SIG: July 30th, 2008 10:00 AM PDT Top
Attention all Logistics SIG members and Oracle customers with a WMS interest: Folks sorry for the short notice: Please join our third Logistics SIG web conference with Oracle. The agenda for the meeting is below. We will have a Q&A at the end of the session. The quality of our group is enhanced by each and every person’s participation. Agenda July 30th, 2008 10:00 AM PDT 10:00 AM to 10:05 AM Introductions 10:05 AM to 10:25 AM Falken Tire WMS Case Study, Niket Tyagi 10:25 AM to 10:45 AM Warehouse Planning using Oracle WMS: This interactive session will discuss wave and fulfillment capabilities in Oracle WMS in current and future product releases 10:45 AM to 11:00 AM Q&A and feedback â€" If you are interested in joining this SIG, please send me a note using this link : You will need Oracle Web Conferencing client to be installed on your system. Use the following link for directions: https://conference.oracle.com/imtapp/res/doc/en/wel_getstarted.htm Thanks
[ORACLE] Managing Case Inventory in your Warehouse - Part 2 Top
In the not so recent post on case picking , we discussed the challenges that warehouse users face in implementing case picking. This is Part-2 of the original post that is almost a month late but then there are excuses like..the blog environment was upgraded from Manila to Movable Type. I mentioned earlier that there are two ways cases can be modeled: #1 Cases Stored as LPNs #2 Cases Stored without LPNs In the part-1 of this post, we evaluated under what circumstances, Cases should be stored as LPNs. In this post I will discuss the pros and cons of the scenario where cases are stored in the warehouse bin without a unique License Plate number assigned to it. Thus each case of material is not marked individually with a number such as license plate number or a serial number. How else do you handle cases if not LPNs? The answer is Unit of Measure (UOM). WMS allows you to define unit of measure for standard packing configurations for a single item such as a case. The obvious keyword here is "standard" which is to say that if you have non standard packing e.g. some of your cases have 9 EA and some others have 11 EA, this option is not for you. The other thing to pay attention to is "single item" which essentially means that this option works only if one case has one item. If you pack mixed items into cases and want to use UOM. Sorry! Go back to option 1 and store them as LPNs. Now lets see how UOM behaves in different parts of the warehouse. First thing first, in order to store cases without LPN marking, you need to define your case storage as "Non-LPN" controlled. This way its still possible to manufacture, receive and putaway cases as LPN but not store them as LPNs in storage. Receiving : If you receive cases and lots of it, you can directly receive them as cases by specifying the UOM corresponding to case and entering the case quantity received. You can also save your operators the hassle of multiplying the standard pack quantity with case quantity and then entering the received quantity in primary UOM. Its also a good idea to directly receive and load the cases into a pallet LPN for ease of putaway. Putaway : Once the cases are loaded onto a pallet LPN, the entire pallet can be putaway using the normal WMS putaway functionality. The putaway operator will be suggested to drop individual cases into different locators depending upon capacity or other storage constraints. Its also possible for WMS to suggest a single locator to store the entire pallet. Picks : You get maximum productivity benefits of storing cases without LPN during picking. Especially so if you are picking multiple cases of items. You can also configure the system to suggest pick tasks in Pick UOM or cases e.g. this way if one case contains 12 EA, a task to pick 8 Cases will not show up as 96 EA but in a more user friendly manner as 8 Cases. What if you need case level UCC-128 labels? You can cartonize the tasks such that a shipping label is generated at the time of order release. The drawback of this approach is that operator needs to pick one case at a time.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Graphic of the Week - Supply Chain Software Maturity Curve Top
Forrester Classified 19 Software Applications and Where they are from Creation Stage to Decline
[SCDIGEST] Logistics News: Understanding Warehouse Management System Support for New Order Picking Technologies Top
Ensure you Understand Supporting Software Options and Costs before Deciding on a Technology; Upgrade, Modify, or Interface?
[SCDIGEST] Next Generation of Global Trade Management Software Navigates Complex Trade Rules to Streamline the Import Supply Chain Top
Majority of Companies Still Lack Automation to Management Global Supply Chains
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain News: Supply Chain Software is Getting Top
As the supply chain software industry matures, positive trends are occurring: a greater focus on deployment success and lower implementation costs, better integration between modules, more partnering with customer to achieve value. Read our take after attending several software user conferences.
[SCDIGEST] Logistics News: Is Slotting Optimization Ready for Prime Time? Top
Trends Are Driving Increased Interest, and Software Vendors Making the Tools Easier to Use; McKesson, Vera Bradley, and OReilly Auto Parts Finding Slotting Success
[ORACLE] Managing Case Inventory in your Warehouse - Part 1 Top
I specifically want to cover issues around case inventory in this post. By "Case Inventory", I mean an unopened container containing standard quantity of a single item packed by the vendor or manufacturer. In the past few days I have received a lot of questions about how to perform case picking efficiently. Its quiet Obvious to me that this is an area of big concern for at least some of you. Hopefully you'll find this post to be of some value. The recent mails that I received can be summarized as follows: We scan every LPN at load and then scan them again at drop. This is way too in-efficient. How can we avoid scanning every LPN at drop? We need a UCC-128 label for every carton that we ship to a customer. Our customer requires us to have a pallet level ASN. How can I achieve it? I think the core problem here is how to store a case in your warehouse and how should it be modeled in WMS. As always there are many ways to skin a cat. There are two in this case (no pun intended!): #1 Cases Stored as LPNs This option assumes that cases are stored in the warehouse bin with a unique license plate (LPN) assigned to each Case. #2 Cases Stored without LPNs In this scenario, cases are stored in the warehouse bin without a unique License Plate number assigned to it. Thus each case of material is not marked individually with a number such as license plate number or a serial number. In the part-1 of this post, lets evaluate under what circumstances, Cases should be stored as LPNs. To evaluate this option, its best to consider the impact of this decision on all the warehouse processes. When you should store Cases as LPNs? This option makes sense if you mostly ship full cases from the warehouse and customers require you to have case level markings. If case activity is fairly high, this option will involve high degree of scans to handle cases. Let us also look at the impact of this decision on other functional areas: Manufacturing : If you wish to store cases as LPNs, you better ensure an efficient way to have LPNs assigned to cases. If cases come out of manufacturing line, that is the best place to assign LPNs to cases. WMS allows you to create LPN prepacks based on a standard container item relationship. Confirmation of case completion in Manufacturing can be greatly streamlined by scanning these case LPNs. Receiving : If you receive cases and lots of it, this is not a very good option. Lets face it, receiving, packing and labeling individual cases into LPNs in your receiving area is not the most efficient way of managing the receiving area. Especially so, if the case activity is fairly high. If it all you wish to opt for it, pass the onus of LPN labeling each individual case to your vendor or manufacturer. Trust me your receiving area workers will thank you for it! Bascially you need to ensure the following: Vendor to send pre-labeled cases with LPN marking : To ensure correct scanning of LPN, have a standard label format as well as a standard method to generate unique LPN (e.g. SSCC-18) Vendor to send LPN information in ASN : ASN import from the vendor should have the LPN information to facilitate express receiving. Express receiving of floor loaded cases : The express receive option can greatly speed up the receiving process. All that is needed is to scan each individual case coming off the trailer. If you wish to automate using a fixed mount bar code scanner, that is also possible. If the vendor is incapable of labeling or sending the ASN, there is one more option. This involves bulk pack of received items into LPNs based on a standard container-item relationship. If you choose to go this route, you need to first receive the goods as loose items in inventory and then perform a bulk pack. Bulk pack will create an LPN out of every case and also trigger an LPN label for it. Putaway : Once the cases with LPN labels are received, what is the best way to perform putaway. Once again there are two options: Case Putaway using Pallet : Its possible to load one or more case LPNs for putaway into a single pallet LPN. This can be done using "Manual Load" transaction. If all the cases can fit into a single locator, the entire putaway confirmation can be done using a single transaction instead of confirming cases individually. You also do not want a nested LPN structure at the storage area. Therefore use "Transfer Content" to the destination rather than a "Drop LPN". This way the pallet LPN can be reused multiple times for putaway. Case Putaway using Belt : This involves loading a case LPN on conveyor belt and performing putaway drop at the destination. The load and drop maybe done by different operators. However the putaway confirmation will require an individual confirmation of each case LPN and this could be a potential productivity killer. Picks : Picking case LPNs could have its own set of challenges. For maximum productivity its best to minimize scans of LPNs. Similar to putaway, there are two options: Case Pick using Pallet : Its possible to load one or more case LPNs into a single pallet LPN. This can be done by creating a new transaction with a "Case Pick" flavor. To do that the pick load page should be configured such that confirmation of "Into LPN" is enabled for full LPN picks. This way all case LPNs can be picked into a "Pallet LPN" (entered in field Into LPN ) creating a nested Pallet LPN. The pallet LPN after picking multiple case LPNs can be dropped into the suggested staging area using a single scan. This option avoids scans of each and every case LPN at pick drop. Big productivity saver, no? Case Pick using Belt : This involves loading a case LPN on conveyor belt and performing pick drop at the staging lane or consolidation area. The load and drop maybe done by different operators. This option can be enabled by configuring the pick load page to recognize full LPN picks, enabling Transfer LPN field with no confirmation. This way the entire case LPN can be picked very efficiently. However the pick drop option will require an individual confirmation of each case LPN. The option of deploying fixed mount barcode reader to automatically trigger pick drops for each case coming off the belt can also be explored. Labeling : Customers often have varying requirements for labels. As discussed in an earlier post , the label information on cases and pallets must match the outbound ASN. Therefore if a customer wants a pallet level ASN, each pallet in the delivery must have a UCC-128 label and a SSCC-18 compliant LPN associated with it. If cases have LPNs assigned to them, a pallet "Merge-Up" transaction can destroy the case LPNs and consolidate the content at pallet level. Similarly if the customer requirement is for a case level ASN, each case in the delivery must have a UCC-128 label and a SSCC-18 compliant LPN associated with it. If the outer pallet has an LPNs assigned to it, a pallet "Break-Down" transaction can de-nest the case LPNs from the pallet LPN. In the part-2 of this post, the other option of modeling cases will be explored. Stay tuned until then
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: AMR Research Remains Bullish on Supply Chain Software Spend Top
Uptrend that Began in 2005 should Continue this Year, Driven by Legacy Application Replacement and Interest in Collaborative Technologies; More Companies Going for Custom-Built Solutions?
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software News: HighJump Software Leaves 3M Fold in Sale to Private Equity Firm Top
Company Enjoyed Strong Growth Under 3M, but No Longer Fit 3M Corporate Strategy
[ORACLE] Reva Systems to Deliver Integration of RFID Data with E-Business Suite Top
Reva Systems develops RFID network infrastructure products that enable customers to rapidly deploy scalable solutions in any environment. Unlike other RFID infrastructure providers, Reva has an appliance based approach to handling RFID infrastructure. Reva's TAP appliances facilitate improved system performance, manageability and accuracy while significantly lessening implementation time and complexity. Reva has recently announced the integration of their TAP appliance with Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle WMS in particular. The integration was unveiled at Collaborate 08 conference in Denver and subsequently at RFID Journal Live at Ls Vegas. With this announcement, Oracle WMS customers have a much greater choice for deploying RFID in their operations. Customers can use Reva appliance to manage RFID readers and tags at the edge and Oracle to manage, transact and process the tag data centrally. "The powerful combination of Oracle at the enterprise level and Reva at the edge enables world class companies to harness the value of RFID for process improvement and sustainable competitive advantage across industries, geographies and multiple Oracle Applications" said Jon Chorley, Oracle's vice president of SCM product strategy. "Reva makes implementing RFID simple by supporting a structured interface to Oracle Applications. Reva's technology transforms RFID data into superior asset visibility and supply chain information allowing Oracle users to rely on RFID for every-day operations." For more information about Reva Solution, please visit http://www.revasystems.com .
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software News: What Are the Barriers to Adoption of Inventory Optimization Technology Tools? Top
It is not the ROI, says Jeff Metersky of Chainalytics; Companies Sometimes Lack Clear Vision of Inventory Processes and How Decision-Making will Change
[ORACLE] Replenishment Best Practices Top
This topic was covered in detail at the WMS SIG at Collaborate 08 in Denver. Replenishment plays a key role in the warehouse as it ensures that there is a enough stock in the pick area to cover the expected demand. The replenishment in this context means an intra-warehouse replenishment from a reserver or bulk area that is optimized for storage (Think pallet storage, high bay warehouse etc.) to a small and compact pick area optimized for unit picks (think flow racks, shelving, pick to light systems, etc). This post also covers steps to analyze pick area activity using task history from warehouse control board. A replenishment policy for pick face involves deciding the following factors: Should there be a pick face ? : The answer clearly depends on the business scenario. If the warehouse is involved in distribution activities where it sources or manufactures goods in bulk (think pallets) and fulfills a large number of smaller orders in lower handling units (think cases or each), a pick area can often boost productivity and order velocity significantly. In Oracle WMS world this pick area should be defined as a sub-inventory. What items to stock in the pick face ? : Clearly all items need not exist in pick face at all times. If that were to happen, the resulting bloat in pick face will obliterate any productivity benefits arising from a small and compact pick area. The best practice is to have as many "Fast" moving items stored in pick face. The definition of "fast" moving is important: an item is fast moving if it is picked from pick face at a higher frequency. Therefore its important to analyze the demand from pick area only. It does not matter what is the total pick frequency of the item across the warehouse or what is the value of the item or how much is the average pick quantity. In Oracle WMS world, the item's task history can provide us with insights about how frequently an item is picked from a given sub-inventory on a historic basis. Using this insight, its possible to make a decision about whether to stock an item in pick sub-inventory or not. If the item is stocked in pick area, item sub-inventory relationship needs to be defined in Oracle WMS for the item and pick sub-inventory including the replenishment parameters. Where the item should be slotted ? Should the locator be fixed or floating?: Clearly an item that is picked often in the pick face should be stored in the most optimum location for picking. However if demand profile is seasonal or highly erratic, its possible to have a floating location for an item. This way Putaway rule in Oracle WMS can dynamically slot an item based on certain characteristics e.g. Slot in the golden zone during "High" season or slot in the high season when item is flagged as a "Promotional" item. However if the item has a high steady demand, a dedicated locator can be identified for the item. In oracle WMS, its possible to dedicate a locator for the item using the item-sub inventory relationship. How much quantity to stock in the pick face ?: One of the objectives for having a pick face is to avoid going back to your reserve area often. Therefore a pick face should stock enough to cover 5-10 picks. Therefore the maximum quantity of an item to stock can be 5-10 times an average pick. If you replenish pick face in a standard pack, you can round this quantity to the nearest pack size e.g. 5 cases, 3 boxes, etc. The maximum quantity is also constrained by locator capacity i.e. the maximum quantity to be stored can not exceed the available cubic volume. For this reason, step 3 and 4 are somewhat iterative in nature. When should replenishment be triggered ?: This determines the minimum quantity before a fresh replenishment is triggered. Usually the replenishment should be initiated when the pick area stock has just enough quantity to cover 2-3 picks. Once again the average historical pick quantity can be used to set the replenishment minimum. What should be replenishment lot size ? If you replenish pick face in a standard pack, you should set the standard pack quantity as the replenishment lot size. The replenishment analysis spreadshee t is a tool that can be used to analyze the task information from WMS control board. It allows you to classify items using their pick frequency into "Fast", "Medium" and "Slow" moving. This excel spreadsheet is being provided as-is. Please feel free to use or modify it as you see fit. Note: The Excel Sheet can be used to Analyze only 5000 items. You must extend the Array Formula on item column in the "Frequency Distribution" worksheet beyond A5001 row to include additional items if you are likely to have additional items. The following steps must be taken to perform the Pick Frequency analysis: Copy task history from Oracle WMS Warehouse Control Board : The warehouse control board can be used to get information for a specific sub-inventory e.g. EACH, CASE, BULK, etc. In order to view the task history in control board, you must check the Completed status on the task Tab. In addition the shipping date range can be populated on the outbound tab before you press the "Find" button. The results on the Warehouse Control Board shows the task history for completed tasks. In order to select the tasks and copy the task history to the clipboard, select all the rows (use the square on the top left hand corner of the spreadsheet), use the left mouse click and select "Copy All Rows". This action will copy all the rows to the clipboard. Populate Task Data worksheet : The task information from Warehouse Control Board can be pasted in "Task Data" worksheet using Control+V or using Edit->Paste. (look at the bottom of this Excel window to navigate to this worksheet) Configure Item and Quantity Columns : The columns containing item and quantity needs to be defined. This can be done using Range definition feature in Excel. Use Insert->Name->Define to configure which column on the "Task Data" sheet contains the Item and Pick Quantity information from the tasks. By default the item information is assumed to be in the "A" column (A2:A1500) and Quantity information in the "E" (E2:E1500) column. The column and the range should be modified based on the data. Perform Data Analysis : Press "Analyze Data" button to execute the Excel macro that categorizes the items into Fast, Medium and Slow items. This macro will uniquely identify all the items and count the number of times each item was picked. The macro will sort the items in descending pick frequency and categorize the items based on the "Fast", "Medium" and "Slow" cutoff fences. It will also compute the avaerage quantity per pick for each of the item You can use the resulting analysis to make setup decisions in Oracle WMS.
[ORACLE] Voice Solution for Oracle WMS Top
Voice-Insight recently announced availability of their voice solution for Oracle WMS. The solution was presented at Oracle WMS SIG at Collaborate'08 event in Denver. After the SIG presentation and the voice demo, I had a chat with Rajeev Varshaneya from Voice-Insight . Rajeev is the VP of Business Development at Voice Insight . I took notes from the conversation and here is the transcript from that conversation: AA : Rajeev thank you for participating in WMS SIG. Your presentation and voice demo was very well received. I think this could be of interest to other Oracle WMS customers who could not make it to this event. How can they view this information? RV : Aditya, Thanks for giving us the opportunity to present the Voice Insight Mobile Client targeted for Oracle e-Business Suite and more specifically for the Oracle Warehouse Management System. We will make the presentation given there available to you so that it can be viewed by the larger Oracle WMS user community. AA : Can you tell us a little bit about Voice Insight ? RV : Voice Insigh t creates voice interaction solutions for enterprise/manufacturing/mobile applications. We have been in this business for over 8 years. We have an international presence that spans United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany and The Netherlands. Our current deployments are in the areas of Warehouse Logistics, Mobile Navigation, Inspections and Asset Management. We are specialized in Voice enabling applications with our significant IP portfolio and deep expertise in voice interpretation and processing techniques on mobile devices. AA : Why is voice picking and voice enabled transactions getting so much importance these days? RV : The applications used in the enterprise have been packing an incredible amount of functionality to automate the business operations. This has led to a significant usage complexity and a heavy requirement to constantly train the workforce in its usage and, in addition keeping them up to speed on changing work procedures. By its very nature, voice interface is the most direct and natural form of interaction, cutting through the complex menu-driven logic and getting straight to the function a user needs to execute. The net effect is a significant reduction in cycle times (in order picking for example) and an increase data and performance (e.g. shipping) accuracy. Voice also obviates the need to learn and re-learn changing system features and procedures. At the same time, with the work that we have done and the others have done in the industry to make voice solutions more robust and reliable, there is now wider acceptance that voice interfaces have migrated from being a gimmick to real productivity enhancers. The ease of use, accuracy and productivity gains have been clearly demonstrated and that brings the feeling of confidence in the minds of users as well as IT implementers who are now more seriously looking at this technology. We believe our solutions are ready for prime time and the hands/eyes-free nature of voice is a real advantage in the warehouse situations. AA : What type of voice solutions do you offer to Oracle WMS customers? RV : We offer two distinct approaches to the Oracle customer base: The first one is the mobile client approach, in which we have a software client running only on the mobile terminal with no need for integration to the back-end database or application. This allows data entry on the client device using voice/scanning and fill the defaults. The mobile client is ready to roll in a very quick implementation cycle. It is independent of the releases of Oracle WMS solution or the forms that needs to be voice enabled. The second approach is a traditional Voice Client integration for high-volume, streamlined work-flow processes, whereby we integrate the Voice Insight VQL solution to the WMS and enhance the end to end productivity of the work-flow significantly. Our own voice terminal option is a Windows XP based rugged computer (wearable or mounted on a fork lift if using the wireless headset) that interacts over a TCP/IP network and acts in dual mode (on-line/off-line) with the WMS managing the Warehouse work-flow. External device integration with barcode/RFID scanners and an industrial grade Wireless Headset provide the ultimate performance in mobile work-flow task management (picking, put-away, QA). The integration process with the back-end systems is simplified because of our integration approach. AA : The client based solution that you mentioned is very intriguing. Its very different from the traditional approach to voice enablement where WMS tasks and pick instructions are interfaced to a voice solution server. Can you tell us the benefits of the client based solution to voice enabling WMS? RV : This is a result of a significant collaborative effort between Oracle and Voice Insight engineers. The solution offers a very short implementation cycle and offers appreciable productivity gains in short order. The solution does not require any integration effort with the back end systems and can be applied to any Oracle WMS transaction available on the mobile terminal. A lot of default data can be pre-filled making operator's life relatively simple. We are excited about offering the Oracle WMS user base a solution that is unparalleled in user and system simplicity and ease of deployment. AA: What transactions in Oracle WMS can be voice enabled using the client based approach? RV : Any transaction can be voice enabled. The solution can be easily extended to the entire e-business suite just as well. AA : You mentioned in your presentation that client based solution allows existing devices to be used for voice enabling WMS. Are there any hardware limitations or constraints like memory, blue tooth, etc.? RV : The solution works on the current configurations offered by companies like Symbol and LXE. AA : It seems to me that a client based solution offers tremendous value. Is there any situation where a server based solution makes more sense? RV : If you have complex work-flow logic, a lot of real-time decision making that is done by the WMS, and a high-volume environment with simple streamlined work cycles, it may be better to use a traditional server integrated solution. Our VQL voice server option can also add complementary work flow logic to a WMS where the WMS doesn't allow sufficient flexibility for streamlining or specializing processes to meet local needs on the floor of a given site implementation. AA : Do you have any special offer for Oracle WMS customers? RV : Since this is a new product added to our portfolio, we are looking at candidate companies that might want to try out the benefits this solution offers. We will do the pilots for limited numbers without charge in return, upon successful verification, for they're help in making our message to the market stronger. AA : How can they get in touch with you? RV: You can reach us by e-mail: info@voice-insight.com bret.andersen@voice-insight.com Rajeev.varshneya@voice-insight.com Phone : Bret Andersen: 650-380-3067 Rajeev Varshneya: 408-666-1684 AA : Rajeev, thanks for your time. I am sure our WMS community will find this very useful. I will make arrangements with OAUG to make the presentation available to all those who could not attend the event. Thank you.
[ORACLE] Collaborate 08 at Denver Top
Collaborate 08 got off to a flying start. There was a good turnout for WMS SIG meeting even though it was a Sunday. As usual its always exciting to connect with WMS users in such conferences. The WMS SIG agenda was hopefully useful (the replenishment stuff) and exciting (the voice demo). The replenishment part covered the whole spectrum: Why have a pick area and replenishment? What items should be considered for replenishment? How to analyze the demand profile using the Warehouse Control Board? The current replenishment functionality. The Push Replenishment and Pull Replenishment that is slated for an upcoming release. I know that most of you have seen the physical pushing and pulling of stuff around in the warehouse. The Push and Pull in replenishment context is somewhat intriguing. However I will do a detailed post on it as soon as I get back to HQ. I will also elucidate on the Warehouse Control Board output and Excel macros to analyze the data in more detail. Meanwhile I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Daio Syngkon from Oracle and the Voice-Insight team for hosting a wonderful demo involving voice driven WMS transactions. Voice-Insight solution opens up a lot of exciting possibilities. In fact I had blogged about a radical new approach for voice enablement in one of my previous blog entries ( Mobile Hardware and Software Innovations in a Warehouse Environment) . Its good to see that Voice-Insight has delivered just such a solution for Voice. After WMS SIG session, I sat down with Rajeev Varshaneya from Voice-Insight to have a detailed chat about what it means for Oracle WMS and how customers can benefit from it. I will post the transcripts from this conversation later today. Meanwhile for those of you in Denver attending Collaborate 08, there is one more WMS session planned for Wednesday: Oracle Warehouse Management System and RFID - Integrations, Enhancements and Overview Aditya Agarkar, Oracle; Wednesday; April 16th, 2008; 3:15 PM-4:15 PM Room 201
[ORACLE] Collaborate Logistics SIG session Sun. April 13th @ 2:15pm Top
Those of you who are planning to attend Collaborate in Denver, here is the Agenda for the upcoming Logistics SIG meeting: Location: Colorado Convention Center , room 403 Date and Time: Sunday, April 13th 2:15pm-3:15pm Agenda 2:15pm - 2:20pm Introductions OAUG and Val Avery, SIG Leader 2:20 - 2:50pm Forward Pick Replenishments Aditya Agarkar, Oracle Best practices of replenishment and how to enable replenishments within Oracle WMS 2:50pm - 3:05pm Voice Transactions in Oracle WMS Rajeev Varshney, Voice Insight Voice picking capabilities using Oracle WMS 3:05pm - 3:15pm Q & A
[ORACLE] Pick and Pass using Oracle WMS Top
This questions has been asked a few times and I think it is important enough to receive a blog entry of its own. Pick and Pass is one of the pick strategies that I have covered in detail before (See earlier posts: Pick Strategies in your Warehouse - Part 1 and Pick Strategies in your Warehouse - Part 2 ). So when does a pick and pass strategy makes sense? Typically a pick and pass strategy is good under the following circumstances: Warehouse typically fulfills a large number of orders/day with multiple lines of pick for different items. In addition the demand profile in your warehouse follows a fat tail distribution . Pick area is large and hence requires significant travel time from one end to the other. In addition the order cube is not significantly high and the cubic volume for a typical order does not exceed the pick container capacity. In other words, each order can be completely picked in a carton or a pick pallet. If none of these conditions are applicable, you may want to look at zone picking or order picking options. Pick and pass involves segregating your pick area into pick zones. Pick and pass requires that the pick operators perform picks only in the zones assigned to them. Its t he picking container that travels from one zone to another, thereby reducing the travel time for pickers. In high order volume warehouses, conveyors may link the pick zones to make it even more efficient. Alternatively some warehouses use a picking cart to transfer pick containers from one zone to another. In order to implement pick and pass, a picking container needs to be identified for an order. Which means a picking label that identifies the order or shipment is needed. The picking container is could be either the final shipping carton or container or an intermediate container or a tote. So how does one enable it in Oracle WMS? To enable "Pick and Pass" you need to enable cartonization such that LPN labels for your pick containers are obtained. You also need pick zone defined such that pick operators can sign on to the zones when they sign-on. Define Pick Zones: You need to define sub-inventories for each pick zone. You also need to identify the flow direction of container from one zone to another. The pick sequence for locators can be assigned to minimize travel direction. Enable Cartonization: You need to allow cartonization for each pick zone. Setup Cartonization: Configure cartonization by either doing either "Container Load" relationship or cartonization categories. Please see section on cartonization in WMS implementation guide for more details on how to set up. Enable Label Printing for "Cartonization" business flow. Please see section on label printing in WMS implementation guide for more details on how to set up label printing. At the very minimum, you should enable LPN or LPN Content labels to print at cartonization. You can also generate a "Shipping" label for the carton. The can have the additional benefit of eliminating the pack station by picking directly into the shipping carton. Once the setup is done, WMS will generate LPN labels for picking (using cartonization business flow) at pick release. Cartonization will also suggest an appropriately sized carton that can hold the items as content. From this point onwards, "Pick and Pass" execution requires the following: Task Sign-On: Pick operators need to be assigned to pick zones. Each pick operator need to sign-on to a specific picking zone (sub-inventory). Its also possible to have multiple pick operator in a pick zone. Pick Label Assignment: The pick labels can be manually assigned to the pick operator working in the first pick zone in the pick path. Task Execution: The pick operator scans the pick container label and subsequently WMS dispatches all the tasks for the cartonized LPN and the particular pick zone where operator is signed-on.When the operator is finished in his zone, WMS will inform the operator that group of tasks is complete, indicating that the container should be moved to the next pick zone in the path. The operator in the next pick zone performs the same set of action until the pick container reaches the packing/consolidation area or shipping staging area where a pick drop is done for the LPN.
[ORACLE] WMS Voice Enablement using Wavelink Top
Wavelink recently announced the availability of voice solution that leverages Oracle's Warehouse Management. With this announcement Wavelink becomes the latest partner to support voice mobility solution on Oracle WMS platform. "Through this agreement, Wavelink is providing Speakeasy, with its unique speech-to-text and text-to-speech capability, as a front end to Oracle's supply chain execution suite of products including Oracle Warehouse Management and Oracle Mobile Supply Chain Applications. This allows customers to use voice commands for hands-free data collection, providing increased data accuracy and improved employee productivity. With Speakeasy, customers don't need to worry about acquiring voice-specific mobile devices or modifying their applications said Lamar Van Wagenen, Wavelink president and COO. Essentially, Wavelink enables companies to easily add voice capabilities to their existing applications without all the hurdles and additional costs that have hindered the adoption of voice solutions in the past. Wavelink Speakeasy delivers voice-driven data collection into existing host connectivity applications to increase workforce productivity and fully leverage mobile applications and devices. Administrators can easily add voice to their emulation applications without revising the host application or purchasing additional hardware and software. Speakeasy provides high-quality speech-to-text and text-to-speech functionality and supports multiple languages out of the box." The Wavelink solution involves "text to speech" and "speech to text" transformation on the hand held device and therefore does not require a voice middleware or any other supporting infrastructure. For this reason its cost effective and easy to deploy. For more details about this solution contact Daio Syngkon
[ORACLE] WMS Voice Enablement using Wavelink Top
Wavelink recently announced that the availability of voice solution that leverage Oracle's mobility platform for Oracle's Warehouse Management. With this announcement Wavelink becomes the latest partner to support voice mobility solution on Oracle WMS platform. Through this agreement, Wavelink is providing Speakeasy, with its unique speech-to-text and text-to-speech capability, as a front end to Oracle's supply chain execution suite of products including Oracle Warehouse Management and Oracle Mobile Supply Chain Applications. This allows customers to use voice commands for hands-free data collection, providing increased data accuracy and improved employee productivity. With Speakeasy, customers don't need to worry about acquiring voice-specific mobile devices or modifying their applications said Lamar Van Wagenen, Wavelink president and COO. Essentially, Wavelink enables companies to easily add voice capabilities to their existing applications without all the hurdles and additional costs that have hindered the adoption of voice solutions in the past. Wavelink Speakeasy delivers voice-driven data collection into existing host connectivity applications to increase workforce productivity and fully leverage mobile applications and devices. Administrators can easily add voice to their emulation applications without revising the host application or purchasing additional hardware and software. Speakeasy provides high-quality speech-to-text and text-to-speech functionality and supports multiple languages out of the box. The wavelink solution involves "voice to speech" and "speech to voice" transformation on the hand held device and therefore does not require a voice middleware or any other supporting infrastructure. For this reason its cost effective and easy to deploy. For more details about this solution contact Daio Syngkon
[ORACLE] Selecting a WMS: Start with these 7 questions Top
Modern Material Handling's latest issue has an excellent article on WMS Selection (Hat Tip to Bill Reilly for forwarding the link). The seven questions covered by Bob Trebilcock in this article is a good starting point and should provide a lot of clarity to anyone in the market for WMS. From an Oracle WMS perspective the very first question is the most relevant: Can you get WMS functionality from your ERP system? If you have Oracle Applications installed, can you prove that Oracle WMS won't meet your needs? What this means is that if you are an Oracle Application customer, you need to have a pretty good reason why Oracle WMS should not be chosen for your warehouse needs. You need to consider the savings from an integrated WMS like Oracle vs the incremental benefits from a 3rd party WMS. How can that be done? WMS Solution Factory has all the tools! Take a look at the Integrated WMS value calculator at the WMS solution Factory . Essentially you need to compare the savings from an integrated business like Oracle WMS vs the incremental operational benefits from a bolt-on WMS (if at all they do exist). You can use the WMS value calculator at the WMS solution factory to see if the additional benefits are justified. Besides the 7 questions, the following points are also important: What are you doing now? What are you doing about your current WMS needs? This is important if you want to reuse your existing IT assets and want to limit the learning curve. If your current WMS needs are causing operational issues, the time available to select a WMS is fairly limited. Where do you want to go? You need to have a clear idea about your motivation for a new WMS. An important aspect of WMS selection is to identify the long term goals and objective behind new WMS implementation. A WMS implementation is capital intensive and once deployed not easy to switch. Questions to be asked: How is the future growth impact warehouse operations? Is the WMS vendor financially viable? Is the WMS vendor capable to support your WMS needs for the long term? How do you want to get there? If the number of WMS vendors seem bewildering, here is a suggestion: While a WMS is important, operational success in your warehouse and WMS deployment has less to do with the software and more to do with how its managed. A clear plan for success is important. I have blogged about it in the past at here and here . Do it and you will be fine.
[SCDIGEST] Best New Supply Chain Products of 2007 Top
What were some of the top new hardware and software products in supply chain management and logistics in 2007? SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore reviews the new introductions that caught his eye, including a new visual WMS, a "virtual warehouse" logistics hub, RFID credit card shield and more.
[ORACLE] WMS Solution Factory: Now On-Line! Top
I get a lot of emails from those of you who want to know more about Oracle WMS. An excellent resource for everyone interested in getting a high level overview of Oracle WMS is the WMS Solution Factory . This site is available to all and now available on-line at Oracle.com. The WMS solution factory site has WMS Demo's, Value Calculators, Data Sheets and WMS Brochures. All this is useful information for anyone evaluating Oracle WMS. We plan to constantly add more contents in the future. So check back often.
[SCDIGEST] Using Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) to Support High Performance in Distribution...and Change Top
In Today's Dynamic Environment, WMS Flexibility is an Imperative; You Must Plan for Change
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Graphic of the Week - ERP versus Best-of-Breed Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Top
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of each WMS Option? Both Sides Claim Lower Total Cost of Ownership
[SCDIGEST] Warehouse Management System (WMS) Resource Page Top
Find information, expert insight, vendors solutions, a video overview, case studies and more Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). Includes recent downloadable edition of Supply Chain Digest Letter on WMS.
[SCDIGEST] Thinking About Warehouse Management Top
What are the lastest trends and developments in Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)? We tackle the subject in detail in the latest issue of the Supply Chain Digest Letter. This week, SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore also offers his take, and summarizes what companies need to know about WMS.
[SCDIGEST] Cabela's Uses WMS to Drive DC Efficiency across Distribution Channels Top
Store Replenishment and Consumer Direct in Single Facility; "WMS Light" Manages Store Level Inventory and Floor Replenishment
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Thought Leaders Series: Labor Management in Distribution and Macro Logistics Trends Top
A Variety of Macro Developments in the Logistics Area are Putting Pressure on Costs and Labor Resources. In this Discussion with SCDigest Editor Dan Gilmore, Manhattan Associates Peter Schnorback Discusses the Logistics Environment, and the Key Benefits Labor Management Systems Bring to Help Combat these Operational Pressures
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Digest Supply Chain and Logistics Marketing Newsletter July 11, 2007 Top
Larry Ferrere to JDA Software as CMO; RFID Market Sizing Disconnect; Is Indian IT Getting too Costly? Smart QA Idea and more
[SCDIGEST] This Week's Supply Chain and Logistics Stock Index Top
It was a mostly up week for our Supply Chain and Logistics stock index. Out of 22 stocks, only four recorded losses, with three coming from the software group. Software provider Logility continued its solid performance and, for the second week in a row, posted the week’s strongest gains (up 11.3%). In the hardware group, both Zebra and Intermec netted positive results, up 2.0% and 4.7% respectively. In the transport and logistics group, Prologis emerged with the largest gains (up 5.2%), followed by J.B. Hunt (up 4.7%).
[SCDIGEST] Reader Question: How to Avoid Supply Chain Consulting Bias? Top
We are looking at new supply chain software, as well as a consultant to help us with vendor selection. We are worried about the consultants being biased based on relationships with the vendors we are considering. How do we best ensure we find a consultant who will give us an unbiased recommendation?
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Digest Announces New Product Review Feature Top
SCDigest Editor Mark Fralick to Look at Hardware, Software and other Technology Solutions; First Up, i2’s Business Content Libraries
[SCDIGEST] SOA: Walking the Walk, or Just the Talk? Top
If Supply Chain Software Vendors Use Their Own SOA Tools to Build Functionality, That's a Good Sign; New SCDigest Product Review Feature; On Tap: i2's Business Content Library
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Digest Weekly Newsletter May 24, 2007 Top
The best in Supply Chain News and Opinion. This week, featuring: thoughts from the Supply Chain Road, Marks & Spencer increases RFID spend, Cabela's in store WMS and more.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: InfoWorld Blogger Likes Our SOA Scorecard, Offers His Own Alternative Top
We All Agree the Value Is There, If You Can Get Through the Hype and Misdirection; We’d Deduct Points for a Mug Though
[SCDIGEST] RFID News: Is a Mini-WMS or Real-Time Locator System the Answer to Retail Stock Room Inventory Woes? Top
Retailer Cabela’s Simply Puts WMS into Each Store to Locate, Pick and Deliver Inventory to the Floor with High Levels of Accuracy
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: SOA It Isn't So. . Top
With All the Hype around Service Oriented Architecture, Who Can Tell What's Real in Supply Chain Applications?
[SCDIGEST] Reader Question: Can you Implement Labor Management and WMS Together? Top
We are looking for a new Warehouse Management System and Labor Management System. Can we implement these together, or is it better to always do the WMS by itself first?
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Stocks: Ex-Baseball Star Lenny Dykstra Says i2 Stock is Buy Top
TheStreet.com Analyst says Market Overreacted to Earnings, CEO Retirement News
[SCDIGEST] The RFID-Enabled WMS Videocast Slides Top
A pdf version of the slides from our The RFID-Enabled WMS Videocast. The full Videocast can be viewed under the Events section of the site.
[SCDIGEST] Using RFID in Distribution and Warehouse Management (WMS) Top
At some point, the magic tipping point will be reached, and some consumer goods and other companies will be able to start RFID tagging in manufacturing. That will open a virtual warehouse of opportunities to finally get ROI, but the big question is Will anyone have the WMS software to do it?
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: Will a Mashup Enable Collaborative Transportation Management? Top
Design from Employee at India’s Tata Consulting wins Prize from Microsoft Competition
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Management: What's on top of Supply Chain and Logistics Executives' Priority Lists? Top
Interest in supply chain technology developments is growing, ARC Advisory Group study finds: executives keen to understand emerging software trends, relook at optimization technologies
[SCDIGEST] Is the Expanded Manhattan Associates and IBM Relationship a Bullish Sign for Best-of-Breed Supply Chain Software? Top
IBM to expand resources dedicated to Manhattan planning and logistics solutions worldwide
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: New Application for Making Supplier Managed Inventory Work Top
Sockeye Supply Chain software helps suppliers and customers manage inventory requirements in real time
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Network Optimization and Competitive Advantage Top
Supply chain network planning and optimization tools have been around for years. But can the recent trend by a few leaders like Frito-Lay towards use of the software on a more continuous basis provide these companies with a powerful competitive advantage? Our research suggests the answer may be yes.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain and Logistics Stocks: Performance Update for the Week ending March 9, 2007 Top
Things returned to normal last week on Wall Street after the turbulence of the week before, making it a pretty good week for stock in our index. The biggest winners were supply chain software provider Logility (up 4.2%), and rail carriers CSX (up 4.6%) and Norfolk Southern (up 4.7%).
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: New Integrated Solution from LogicTools Ties Supply Chain Network Design and Inventory Optimization Software Together Top
The supply chain software categories of supply chain network planning and inventory optimization tools are enjoying fairly strong growth. A variety of supply chain and logistics-related dynamics, such as virtualization, offshoring, and increasingly complex networks, are driving demand for both types of software tools. Supply chain software provider LogicTools said this week it has released a new solution that integrated these two application areas, allowing users to move the data from one module to the other very easily.
[SCDIGEST] Procurement News: Procurement and Sourcing Software Spending to Stay Strong, Forrester Says Top
Analyst firm Forrester says the market for ePurchasing software, sometimes called Spend Management, is expected to grow at a rate of 10% from 2003 through 2008.While that may not sound like huge growth, given the flat nature of most software markets these days, that figure is actually quite robust by comparison to most other categories of supply chain and enterprise software.
[SCDIGEST] Is an IBM and SAP Marriage in the Works? Top
The Street.com’s commentator Doug Kass wrote late last week that there were strong rumors right now around Wall Street of merger talks between IBM and software giant SAP. These are just rumors, to be sure, and have been circulating at some level for almost a year
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: i2 Continues its Strong Financial Turnaround Top
Supply Chain software provider i2 saw its stock jump 17% last week, as it once again reported strong financial results, beating analyst expectations and continuing the company’s return to financial health. i2 has a huge customer base, including many of the world’s largest companies, and has a dominant position for supply chain software solutions in verticals like high tech, as well as a strong position in many other industries.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: Oracle’s Vertical Thinking Top
ERP provider Oracle announced this week it was focusing its efforts on building out solutions for specific vertical industries.
[SCDIGEST] Distribution Management: Apparel Retailer Urban Outfitters Gets Specific about Benefits of New WMS Top
We were interested to see the announcement from Manhattan Associates about the benefits apparel retailer Urban Outfitters has seen from its new warehouse management system deployment. Generally, these sorts of announcements are shy on any real details, especially headcount, but this one was quite specific.
[SCDIGEST] Promat 2007 Review and Comment Top
Supply Chain Digest editor Dan Gilmore is just back from ProMat 2007 in Chicago - he finds the crowd bullish on automation, and identifies interesting and innovative new material handling and software products.
[SCDIGEST] Wal-Mart Jumps on In-Store Workforce Optimization Bandwagon, but Move to Reduce Costs Could Cause More Labor Woes Some Say Top
The Wall Street Journal reports this week that Wal-Mart will be the latest in a string of vendors to roll out so called "work force optimization" software to help it reduce in-store labor costs for cashiers and shelf stockers.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain and Logistics Stocks: Performance Update for the Week of January 2, 2007 Top
Looking at year over year performance, however, finds some clear winners and losers. By far the top performer in our index was i2, which continues its strong financial and operational improvement under CEO Mike McGrath, and was up 51% in 2006...
[SCDIGEST] Video: Achieving Excellence in Spare Parts Distribution Top
What are the opportunities for improving distribution processes in spare parts distribution? How are distributors moving beyond WMS to a broader set of execution capabilities. Watch our experts from Ciber and Red Prairie tackle this issue.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain News Bites Top
Microsoft to make up X-box unit losses on volume? BP execs face potential criminal charges for plant maintenance lapses; don't get to comfortable with lower fuel prices - China's oil thirst keeps growing; Wal-Mart's growth takes and hit, as it plans cuts in capital spending
[SCDIGEST] Thoughts on Digital Distribution and More Top
SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore shares some observations on the impact of digital distribution on supply chain professionals, Service Oriented Architecture and potential software license issues for supply chain users, "next generation ERP," a new SCM discipline at global sourcing implementer, and more.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Glitches: What is it with Game Consoles? Top
Sony's stock price took a hit as the company said a shortage of a laser-related component will constrain shipments on its new Play Station 3 game system, though it stuck to projects for total shipments by the end of the first quarter 2007.Follows similar troubles for Microsoft's XBox last year.
[SCDIGEST] Lenovo Hires Dell Exec to Head Global Supply Chain Top
Computer maker Lenovo, the Chinese company that last year acquired IBM's PC business, announced this week that is has hired former Dell executive Gerry Smith to be it new head of Global Supply Chain.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software: i2 Sues SAP over Patents for Supply Chain Optimization Top
Software patent law is murky; impact on SAP if any unclear; fun stuff is the details that emerge as these suits progress; such suits likely to increase, says Gartner analyst Andrew White
[SCDIGEST] Dell Cites Supply Chain Hiccups in Disappointing Financial Results Top
Latest financial miss blamed in part on overestimating demand, procurement problems; can even robust S&OP processes overcome the pressure to forecast to goal? Supply-demand matching is tough even for Dell.
[SCDIGEST] Dell Retools to Get its MoJo Back Top
Dell releases plans to get its financial game back in gear after several consecutive disappointing quarters. Shows no supply chain advantage lasts forever. Innovation and continuous improvement are the only two real competitive advantages.
[SCDIGEST] i2's CEO Outlines "Next Generation" Solutions and What i2 Needs to Do to Succeed Top
At i2's recent user conference, SCD interviewed Mike McGrath, CEO of the supply chain software company, and chief marketing officer John Cummings, to discuss a wide range of issues related to the i2 and its solutions. i2 is aggressively pushing new technology it calls "next generation"supply chain solutions, based on what it calls an Agile Business Process Platform (ABPP).
[SCDIGEST] Thinking about TMS (Transportation Management Systems) Top
Recent mergers and acquisitions in the Transportation Management (TMS) software market, and the supply chain focus on transportation now, have SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore thinking about TMS.
[SCDIGEST] Retail Supply Chain: Aldo Gets WMS, DC Automation Implementation - and Even "Big Bang" Deployment - Just Right Top
Aldo, a leading retailer of footwear and related products, was not only able to implement a new highly automated distribution center and WMS very successfully, it did so while simultaneously implementing a variety of other enterprise technology.
[SCDIGEST] Ten Trends in TMS Software Top
WeÂ're seeing changes in optimization, delivery models, and support for multi-modes, ARC analyst Adrian Gonzalez says
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software Consolidation Continues, as Manugistics is Acquired by JDA Top
Manugistics agreed this week to be acquired by JDA, a software company focused on retail applications. Manugustics was a pioneer in the supply chain planning software market and one of the most prominent solution providers in the industry, but had experienced financial challenges for several years. The move is yet another in the steady stream of supply chain software industry mergers and acquisitions, as slower overall market growth and changing customer buying patterns put financial pressure on many providers.
[SCDIGEST] Procurement Strategies: Procurement Outsourcing Trend Continues, as Colgate-Palmolive Turns Over Many Purchasing Functions to IBM Top
Colgate-Palmolive announced it had signed a major procurement outsourcing contract with IBM for indirect and certain packaging materials. Procurement is the latest function to be subject to corporate outsourcing. Though still a relatively rare, most experts believe it is gaining momentum and will see rapid growth in coming years. The primary action thus far has been in indirect (non-manufacturing) materials. A big question is how effectively the practice can also work for direct materials.
[SCDIGEST] Motes Continue to Gain Attention, as Venture Capital Interest Heats Up Top
Technology firm Arch Rock received $5 million in funding to build software for wireless sensors called Â"motes." Motes technology is starting to develop the ecosystem necessary to take it to mainstream business and industrial applications.
[SCDIGEST] I2 Acquires RiverOne, Highlighting On-Going Supply Chain Software Trends Top
Supply chain software vendor i2 acquires the assets of RiverOne, an ecommerce and collaboration software provider for the contract electronics market. The deal highlights four key supply chain software market themes: continued consolidation, emergence of the on-demand model, focus on multi-tier optimization, and i2Â's continued recovery.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Software Total Cost of Ownership Top
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is important to consider closely when evaluating supply chain software alternatives for several reasons.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Digest Releases New Warehouse Management System (WMS) Total Cost of Ownership Calculator Top
Supply Chain Digest has released its 2006 Warehouse Management System (WMS) Total Cost of Ownership calculator. The spreadsheet model is free for registered and new subscribers to Supply Chain Digest. It will allow users to easily calculate the TCO for a general warehouse management system project, or to compare the TCO of WMS systems between vendors. This is a critical step in WMS vendor selection and evaluation.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain News and Views: When Selecting Supply Chain Software, Be Sure to Understand Third-Party Software Requirements Top
Companies often fail to fully evaluate the cost and other impacts of third-party software required to run an application vendor's solution.
[SCDIGEST] Supply Chain Execution: Supply Chain/Warehouse Management Industry Continues Consolidation as RedPrairie Announces the Acquisition of MARC Global Top
Supply chain execution (SCE) vendor RedPrairie announced it was acquiring MARC Global, another player in the SCE market. Substantial consolidation continues in the supply chain software market, especially among providers in the warehouse management systems area. Companies need to consider likely further consolidation when selecting providers, and make smart choices in evaluation and negotiation.
[SCDIGEST] Inventory Management: Body Shop Hits Supply Chain Snags Top
Health and beauty retail the Body Shop cited supply chain problems in America - specifically, lack of inventory of key items in the stores - as a key factor in disappointing 2005 Christmas season sales. CEO Pete Saunders says "action plans" are being put in place to address the Supply Chain problems.
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