Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/120608
TRENDS AND TIDBITS continued from page 59 Is A Cloud-Based WMS Pie In The Sky? You have probably already heard about the benefits of a warehouse management system (WMS) a million times: Increased productivity, real-time access to information, up to 99+ percent inventory accuracy, faster shipping, and on and on. But perhaps it's time to upgrade your current system, and you're not sure you have the IT resources to install and support the transition, or you're worried about the infrastructure costs. In other words, will the return on investment justify a new WMS? The answer to this, for an increasing number of companies, is in the cloud. Cloud computing for WMS means that your WMS vendor will host the software application and hardware infrastructure for you as an on-demand, scalable and elastic service. It shifts the burden of technology administration to the technology experts. There is no hardware to purchase or maintain, patches and upgrades are done automatically, implementation is dramatically simplified and no capital expenditure is required. You access the WMS via a web browser and gain the functional benefits of a new WMS without the up-front costs and IT drain. In other words, a cloud-based WMS helps you focus entirely on business operations rather than back-office systems, which can result in significant reductions in labor costs or free-up IT resources for customerfacing applications rather than managing a warehouse. Here are more ways using a cloud-based WMS can improve your bottom line and speed up your ROI. Faster implementation: A cloud-based WMS can be up and running much faster than a traditional, on-premise solution. There is no lengthy and confusing installation process to slow your business and tax your resources. Rather than hard-coding customizations to your WMS, the software is configured to your needs, and the software image is ready to be turned on in a fraction of the time it takes to implement a traditional on-premise WMS. Plus, there is no need to worry about applying the latest patches, since ongoing updates are applied automatically and seamlessly. Grow and adapt to your business needs: Because a cloudbased WMS pricing model is subscription-based, you only pay for what you use. And because the cloud is elastic and scalable, you can access more power when you need it for seasonal business changes or spikes in demand. A WMS in the cloud is also particularly helpful for companies operating in highly regulated industries that have constantly shifting demands and requirements. Lighten the IT load: On-premise software requires servers, rack space, electricity, cooling, bandwidth, network hardware and trained IT staff to install the systems and perform upgrades and routine maintenance. Cloud computing removes the maintenance headache of cost and labor, freeing up time for your IT staff to focus on more important, customer-facing initiatives. There is no hardware to purchase or maintain, and you are no longer required to manage hardware vendors, hardware support contracts and carry insurance on your hardware. The shared infrastructure provided by the cloud takes advantage of economies of scale by giving you better hardware utilization and resulting in more computing capacity for your infrastructure dollar. A cloud-based WMS can support a business just as an onpremise solution would, but with more flexibility for optimizing efficiencies and resources. ● www.highjump.com, by Chuck Fuerst, Director of Product Strategy. World of Concrete Edition to Launch in India On the heels of a successful World of Concrete Feb. 5-8 in Las Vegas, Hanley Wood announced it would launch an edition of the concrete industry show in India. World of Concrete India will take place in Hyderabad, India, in October 2013. "This will be a must-attend event for the construction marketplace in this part of the world," says Tom Cindric, group director for Hanley Wood Exhibitions. Hanley Wood officials point out that India's economy, specifically its construction industry, is booming, with infrastructure improvements around the country focusing on highways, bridges, airports, ports and public transportation. Jose Kurian, president of the Indian Concrete Institute, says that as a result of the current building boom in the country, India is starved for both products and information regarding the concrete industry. "This will change the way information on concrete will be accessed," Kurian says. Hanley Wood will launch the show with the support of IDA UNIVERSAL March-April 2013 the Indian Concrete Institute, the primary trade association for the concrete industry in that country, and Inter Ads Exhibitions, an Indian tradeshow organizer. According to Hanley Wood officials, attendance and square footage at the Las Vegas show were both up about five percent. This year's show had 605,681 net square feet and about 55,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors. In 2012, the show had 552,500 net square feet, just over 52,000 attendees and about the same number of exhibitors. Cindric told Expo Magazine that Hanley Wood construction shows were outpacing the construction business in general."When they talk about construction being down, that doesn't translate into the tradeshow business," Cindric says. "At Hanley Wood, we're experiencing 4- to 5-percent growth across the board. People are engaging in face-toface again." ● www.expoweb.com, February, 2013 61