![]() Giant Eagle, based in Pittsburgh, is an example of a chain that is taking a forward-looking view of WMS, particularly as it concerns RFID. These include bioterrorism regulations on product tracking and rules on country-of-origin labeling, revised hours-of-service for truck drivers and Sarbanes-Oxley audit requirements. On top of the technology changes, a whole host of new governmental rules are impacting the distribution center and WMS. Moreover, WMS is increasingly connecting to the Internet to facilitate communications to suppliers and, in the case of wholesalers, with retail customers. ![]() Any warehouse application worth its salt has to seamlessly interface with voice systems from such vendors as Vocollect and Voxware.Īnd now other additions to WMS are taking root in the form of yard management systems that manage the movement of trailers in the warehouse yard (see story, this page) and transportation systems that translate orders into carrier assignments. Warehouse systems have already undergone adjustments to handle the burgeoning interest in voice-recognition applications, used primarily in the product selection process. "In the food industry, Y2K was an earth-shaking event that made people rethink how they did business, and RFID will do the same," said Rik Schrader, vice president, strategy and services, AquiTec, a WMS vendor based in Rosemont, Ill. ![]() Warehouse management systems will need to accommodate the flow of RFID data. For one thing, Wal-Mart is requiring its top 100 suppliers to equip their pallets and cases with RFID tags, and food retailers will undoubtedly follow suit to keep pace with the retail giant. For example, on the technology side, new RFID (radio frequency identification) systems that can track the flow of goods through the supply chain, while in the early stages of development, are expected to have a major impact on distribution centers. Indeed, the traditional WMS, available from a variety of vendors, can help food distributors cut warehouse expenses like inventory and labor costs by 10% to 35%, according to Marc Wulfraat, managing partner, Kom International, Montreal.īut the WMS is changing to reflect a multitude of developments coursing through the food industry. ![]() For many years now most retail distribution warehouses have seen fit to automate the movement of inventory into, inside and out of the facility through the use of warehouse management systems. ![]()
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