the window,” he says.
Babel also notes that companies may be
able to simplify communications among
multiple pieces of equipment by “
elevating the WCS or warehouse execution system” into an integration layer between the
different equipment’s controllers and the
WMS.
5Prepare to be disrupted. Consider yourself forewarned: In most cases,
it’s impossible to integrate a new piece
of equipment without disrupting existing operations to some degree, says Greg
Meyne, design manager for the systems
integrator and consulting firm enVista.
“As early as possible, the integrator and
the end user should go through a step-by-step scheduling process that covers when
and where a particular disruption is going
to happen and what needs to be done to
adjust to it,” he advises.
One area that’s particularly prone to disruption is a facility’s storage area, Meyne
says. Many times, the new equipment will
be placed in a section of the DC that
previously was used for storage. In such
cases, the customer should have a plan for
where to house those stored goods during
the project as well as how to access them
during that period.
Disruption is also likely to occur when
the new equipment is connected to the
old equipment. To reduce the impact of
that disruption, the connection can be
scheduled for off-shift hours, such as on a
weekend or a holiday, Meyne says.
Disruptions and delays may also arise if
an installer accidentally damages equipment during the “cut-in,” or insertion,
process. For this reason, Brandt recommends having spare parts on hand for both
the old and new equipment.
6Beware of the vague test plan. Drafting a comprehensive test plan that lays out
specific steps, defines metrics for success,
and identifies a fallback solution in case
the new equipment doesn’t run to specifi-
cation can lead to a smoother implementa-
tion. According to Meyne, it is wise to first
run a virtual test of the software. “Have
the WCS and WMS communicate to a
virtual server to make sure all communica-
tion protocols are working prior to going
on-site,” he suggests.
Next, Meyne recommends run-
ning a site test of just the mechan-
ical equipment to make sure that
items are being inducted, merged,
sorted, and stored correctly. Only
then should you marry the two
pieces together.
Brandt suggests running at least
one test shift that simulates conditions at full volume with all, or
close to all, personnel present. This
will reveal any flaws and give you a
chance to correct them before the
system goes live.
7Don’t send your integrator home too early. Finally, just because
you’ve had several successful test
runs, don’t assume that you can go
live without a hitch. According to
Brandt, some quirks may not show
up until after a system starts to run
at full volume. For this reason, it’s
important for your integrator to
stick around after the implemen-
tation. For less complex jobs, the
integration staff may only need to
be there for a shift or two. More
complex integrations may require
the team to remain on the site for a
couple of weeks.
Brandt has one other piece of
advice: “An additional thing to con-
sider if you’re a retailer and doing a
mid-summer implementation is to
bring back your integrator on Black
Friday when volumes peak.”
While it may seem wasteful to
pay the integrator for a couple of
extra days or weeks, Brandt says
there can be value in doing so, even
if the implementation turns out to
be flawless. Instead of troubleshoot-
ing, the integration team could be
put to work training your staff on
the system’s new functionalities and
offering tips that can help them
make better, smarter use of the new
equipment.
