techwatch
open source comes to the warehouse
AS THE OPEN SOURCE MOVEMENT SWEEPS THROUGH THE
world of software development, business applications based on open
code are popping up all over. So it comes as no surprise that open
source versions of specialized apps like warehouse management software (WMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are
starting to show up.
The open source approach, first popularized by the Linux operating
system, represents a sharp contrast to the traditional software model,
where vendors develop proprietary systems and license them to users
for a hefty fee. With open source, the developer licenses the software
under a general public license (like the GNU GPL) that allows others to
use the program as well as to view and modify the source code for free
(or for a modest fee). Modifications generally must be
shared with other users.
One of the first open source warehousing apps to
appear on the market was “myWMS,” a program
developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material
Flow and Logistics (IML), a consulting firm based in
Dortmund, Germany. Fraunhofer, which began
developing the application in 2001, says the current
version can support bar-code scanners and mobile
devices in a warehouse setting. Olaf Krause of
Fraunhofer IML told me that my WMS is available
both under a general public license and through a
commercial license that includes support (for a fee).
As appealing as that might sound, there’s a catch.
Right now, the software is only available in Europe.
But that doesn’t mean U.S. companies have been shut out of the
market altogether. Last fall, Compiere Inc. of Redwood Shores, Calif.,
introduced Compiere Warehouse Management, which was developed
on an open source platform. Although it’s an open source application,
this WMS isn’t free. It is only available as an add-on module to the
professional or “cloud” edition of Compiere’s open source ERP application, for which the company charges a fee. (Compiere also offers a
community edition of its open source ERP application at no cost.)
Compiere designed the WMS in collaboration with the European
eyewear retailer Specsavers Optical Group, which uses Compiere’s
open source ERP system. The developer says its WMS automates
inbound and outbound logistics activities within a warehouse or distribution center and improves visibility into the operation. For use of
its WMS, Compiere charges a fee of several thousand dollars per
warehouse—a fee the company describes as a fraction of the amount
charged for traditional WMS software licenses.
As appealing as that price point may be, the open source route is not
for everyone. For one thing, there’s the problem of technical support. A company that takes
this approach should be prepared to blaze its
own trail, handling everything from installation to software modifications on its own. In
this regard, open source is very different from
the traditional proprietary software model,
where new users can often find support and
guidance from existing customers or seek help
from a systems integrator
affiliated with the vendor.
The question of technical
support is a particular concern with WMS installations,
according to one software
expert. These projects tend to
be unusually demanding
from a programming perspective because of all the systems integration work
involved. “WMS is extremely
complicated because you
have to interface to so many
things,” says Phil Obal, president of Industrial
Data and Information Inc., an independent
software research company based in Tulsa,
Okla. “Because of the complexity, I would shy
away from open source unless you have a
heavy IT group willing to partner with the
open source group.”
As an alternative to open source, Obal suggests that companies consider asking their
existing WMS vendors to provide them with
the source code, which their in-house IT people can then modify to meet their needs. “Why
not partner with a top vendor and get source
code?” he says. “That way, you promise to stay
on the upgrade path, and you can make modifications carefully. If you have a savvy IT team
with the time and know-how, I would look at
the source code from a vendor.”
