DC Velocity - January 2012

sight together with a formal governance structure have been key factors in the project’s success. At the top is a national WMS oversight team that’s responsible for activities that are “global” rather than site-specific. That team is made up of representatives from Loblaw, Manhattan Associates, and related vendors, such as the voice system provider Vocollect. Participants include functional and technical experts in WMS and labor management software, industrial engineers, data and business analysts, reporting specialists, warehouse slotting specialists, and quality-assurance experts. Among their responsibilities are system design, environment management (ensuring the new software doesn’t compromise other areas’ performance), code base/release management (tracking code versions and release timing to ensure consistency), and defect management.

may be necessary to accommodate differences in building size, number of stock-keeping units, material handling configurations, magnitude of a DC’s IT and facility infrastructure upgrade, and training requirements. As the project has progressed, the teams have made changes based on what they’ve learned. For example, the makeup of the teams evolved over time to reflect the many functions that are affected by an implementation. “We recognized that we need to approach [the project] from a holistic view,” Markwell says.

Loblaw made managing risk a priority for the WMS rollout. For example, operational risk and contingency options influence the order in which warehouses are chosen to implement the new WMS. (Other factors include the line of business serviced by the DCs and alignment with other delivery programs Loblaw has under way.)

Another example is “regression testing,” or running scenarios in the new software against existing functionality “to make sure everything else still does what it’s supposed to do,” Markwell explains. In addition, he says, the implementation teams always have a live copy of the production database, so if needed, they could shift production over to another site with minimal downtime.

For all its technological precision, the WMS project’s success also depends on individuals’ expertise and sense of ownership. Loblaw’s regional vice presidents and the sites’ general managers are deeply involved in change management and training at the facilities. Some DCs have engaged in friendly competition, vying to be the first to meet operational goals.

Markwell says a positive attitude and desire to work collaboratively are among the reasons why the WMS rollout exceeded expectations in its very first month. There were a few glitches early on, and the teams have encountered a bit of resistance here and there, but he has no doubt that there’s smooth sailing ahead. “Everyone has come to understand that we should leverage this tool that we’ve been given to improve our performance,” he says. ;