Completed WMS projects
Thüringer Verlagsauslieferung Langenscheidt KG
Consulting a selection of a WMS
Branch
- Logistic service provider industry
- Publishing industry
- Mail order industry
The team warehouse logstics was charged by the company Thüringer Verlagsauslieferung Langenscheidt KG (TVA) with the selection of a warehouse management system (WMS) for its logistic center in Gotha. TVA’s motto is “Competent distribution of media and logistic services from the center of Germany”. The subsidiary of Langenscheidt Verlagsgruppe in Munich and the Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG in Mannheim is an independent logistic service provider offering its logistic knowhow also to other companies and branches. Each year 15 million books, software, devices and marketing material from an assortment of about 7,000 articles leave Gotha to be distributed throughout Germany and the whole world. About 1,000 employees ensure the smooth distribution of 500,000 parcels a year.
Intention and goal
The old WMS, which is difficult to maintain and extend, should be replaced as soon as possible by a tested sustainable new system.
The goal of this project was to develop a functional performance specification which describes the performance requirements and to make out a list of potential WMS suppliers. On the one hand, it should ensure that the WMS will meet the present functional requirements as well as future IT requirements. On the other hand, it should be guaranteed that the potential WMS supplier is suitable for TVA.
TVA’s major intent was to get a complete IT support by a WMS.
Definition of requirements
TVA set great value on integrating the strategies of the old system in the target concept. For this purpose at first the strategies had to be summarised in a uniform form. Since the preparation of a target concept is based on an overview of the actual strategies the rough target concept was developed during a workshop to find out to which extent the existing actual strategies fit the target concept. Then, the requirements of the different departments were determined in detail during workshops at TVA and Fraunhofer IML. The team warehouse logistics summarised these requirements in an overall concept which was formally recorded in the requirement specification.
A special feature of the new WMS is that the user can almost independently configure and parameterise changes and new requirements of the client.
International Market Survey WMS
The requirement specification set the basis for the software requirement profile which was evaluated together with the TVA staff. The International Market Survey Warehouse Management Systems, which was developed by Fraunhofer IML, was used to find potential WMS suppliers. With more than 70 WMS and 4,000 single aspects this survey gives a comprehensive overview over the WMS market. In a workshop together with the team warehouse logistics the suppliers were put “to the acid test”:
- The scope of functions of each WMS was compared in detail, weak and strong points were pointed out
- The suppliers were compared with regard to company size, number of employees, references, etc.
The data evaluation revealed 5 potential WMS suppliers which met the requirements and should participate in the call for bids.
Preparation of the call for bids
The team warehouse logistics prepared the tender documents for the remaining 5 potential WMS suppliers. Thanks to their clear style the offers could be evaluated quickly and efficiently.
Result
The results of this project are:
- a functional performance specification which describes all requirements in a form fit for a call for bids
- tender documents which allow for an efficient comparison and
- a list of suppliers who meet TVA’s requirements regarding their WMS and company structure
