Completed WMS projects
CEVA Logistics GmbH
Detailed information about the comparison of warehouse management systems
Branch
- Logistic service provider industry
- Automotive industry
- Electronics Industry
The team warehouse logistics of the Fraunhofer-Institut für Materialfluss und Logistik (IML) was asked by the company CEVA Logistics GmbH (CEVA) for support during the selection of a WMS systems for a potential new customer. CEVA is a leading provider of contract logistics and specialised in the conceptioning, implementation and operation of complex supply chain management solutions for regional, national medium-sized and large companies. CEVA’s customers are companies from the automotive, electronic and consumer goods industry as well as publication and media companies. CEVA Logistics employs a staff of about 38,000 in 26 countries and operates 567 warehouses with a storage space of more than 7,4 million square meters.
Target
It was the aim of this project to compare two potential WMS under consideration of the current and future customer requirements. By comparing the functions as well as the advantages and disadvantages CEVA should be enabled to select a WMS for its customer. By pointing out the relevant information findings could be made quite faster and a solid basis was set for further decisions.
International Market Survey WMS
The International Market Survey WMS is a questionnaire which is updated once a year and which records the functions of all participating WMS, including the WMS studied in this project. These functions are published on the Internet portal www.warehouse-logistics.com. The detailed database questionnaire contains more than 3,000 single aspects and thus enables a comparison of WMS. Furthermore, the survey gives an overview over still unused potentials and shortfalls within the own system. In order to maintain the topicality and quality of the data provided by the WMS providers they are validated by the team warehouse logistics.
Detailed information
An important task which the team warehouse logistics has to fulfill in the scope of the International Market Survey WMS is to ensure the reliability of the collected data.
For this purpose, the information provided by the WMS providers are validated during one-day workshops. Here, individual processes are simulated, functions presented, forms printed and database models discussed. If information deviate from those given in the questionnaire these are corrected. The studied criteria as well as the brenchmarks are the same for each WMS provider to ensure the comparability of their systems. The neutral and independent validation requires a permanent objectivity and high-quality data. The validation results are put down in a detailed validation document. CEVA uses the know-how bundled in two validation documents to decide on its further internal proceedings and to find the best suitable WMS for its customer. The validation documents allow for the fast and inexpensive provision of information about marketable WMS providers and their systems. The function check also facilitated CEVA’s decision.
Results
These evaluations are completed by:
- significant validation documents of both selected WMS providers
- copy of the data base
- trend-setting evaluation table
- fast, uncomplicated and inexpensive support during the decision finding process
