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SOLVO once again classified as a leading WMS-system developer according to Fraunhofer

21.11.2013

SOLVO once again classified as a leading WMS-system developer according to Fraunhofer

Back in June, SOLVO successfully passed yet another validation of its Solvo.WMS system receiving a certificate from the Fraunhofer IML institute in Dortmund, Germany.

The Fraunhofer database is the biggest online catalogue of leading WMS-systems and their developers in the world. The data base was established in 2000 by the German Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics in partnership with the IPL consulting agency.

The Fraunhofer institute monitors new trends on the WMS-systems market and is oftentimes considered as the trend-setter of the given field. In the middle of October, SOLVO specialists participated in the 13th annual conference for clients and associates of Fraunhofer WMS-systems rankings.

SOLVO was the only Russian-based company among the 60 participants (from a ratings list that includes over a hundred WMS-system vendors).

World Café

The annual client conference program included World Café in debate club format. All World Café participants were divided into groups. The event moderator of each group assigned a topic for discussion. Each participant had the option to switch from group to group while exchanging opinions and taking part in various discussions turning the event into a lively conversion among peers and colleagues. Certain topics were discussed, the interest for which has been ever-increasing on the WMS-systems market (VAS (Value Added Services), Returns Management and E-commerce, Lean Warehousing, and Business Intelligence)). New trends and developments in the logistics field were examined with close cooperation from the participants. All participants’ opinions are used by the Fraunhofer IML institute for their analysis and statistical data.

At the end of the conference, the results of the discussion were reviewed and summarized, plans for the future were laid out, and the participants were awarded with certificates affirming the high quality of their WMS-systems along with a 2013-2014 Fraunhofer validation stamp.

How is validation carried out?

In order to be put into the WMS-system database, a questionnaire must be first filled out, which includes more than 3000 items that are divided into several boxes: information about the company, market presence, company forecast, system functionality, current features etc.

Information about a developer’s system is analyzed by a team of Fraunhofer logistics experts. Then, this validated data is used by a company in their WMS-system selection process.

Each year, the database information is checked while questionnaires are updated and expanded. This is done to ensure the highest level of data quality, accuracy and objectivity.
If a system lacks a feature specified in the questionnaire then this certainly encourages its development and improvement.

There are 2 types of inspection-validations: initial validation and annual inspection – verification.

System information is confirmed by an illustrative example (using a live system). This means that the developer demonstrates corresponding system functions using a test case or real-life case to affirm the Fraunhofer team that the declared capabilities and system features have been realized at the warehouse of a particular user.

The given type of inspection is not viable if it is necessary to demonstrate specific optimization strategies, which can be evaluated only during operational usage. In such cases, all of the documentation is reviewed (user guides, project documentation, publications etc.) when performing a data check.
The companies are presented with the inspection results including any deviations from the initial data. All confirmed data can be included in the WMS-systems database of the Fraunhofer IML institute.

A validation stamp is awarded to the developer-companies confirming that the data and functionality in the WMS-systems database have successfully passed inspection by the Fraunhofer commission. Today, this stamp is a symbol of quality on the WMS-system market. Each year, a certificate is also awarded during the participants’ conference, at which SOLVO representatives have taken part.

The features of Solvo.WMS 4.0 have been affirmed by the validation process.

Besides updated system functionality (features such as Multipicking and Put-to-Store, dynamic picking channels, EDI module, Remote warehouse module, support of two voice-technologies – Voxware and Vocollect, an updated gateway interface with the ERP etc.), the Fraunhofer team also paid special attention to the following particularities of Solvo.WMS:

Since configurability is one of the most important aspect of WMS-systems today, the Fraunhofer showed special interest towards the item titled “Configurable user fields.” SOLVO specialists have added the corresponding feature to Solvo.WMS just in time for the conference in Germany, which allows the user to independently select the type and assignment of field rows used in the system.
Yet another feature of Solvo.WMS 4.0, which was hard to overlook, was the ability to work with discounted products. This feature is an important tool for major retailers, which hold regular sales for various products.
Another sought-after tool was the reprocessing of goods items (for example, kitting and kit assembly). The System fully controls this procedure: from assigning the location where the item must go for assembly to specifying how this process must be carried out, to subsequent load putaway management.

Certificate for Solvo.TOS

SOLVO has once again reaffirmed its status as a top-tier developer of automated management systems for warehouses and, this time, for ports as well since Solvo.TOS was likewise certified by the Fraunhofer CML institute alongside Solvo.WMS.

Now, SOLVO can be found among the world ranks of WMS as well as TOS systems.



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