Supply Chain News Bites - Only from SCDigest  
         
   

- Nov. 13, 2014 -

   
         
   

Supply Chain Graphic of the Week: Levels of Distribution Center Complexity

 

Gartner DC Model Points to Level of WMS Functionality Required, Comes with Complimentary Report for Completing 8th Annual Gartner-SCDigest Supply Chain Survey

   
         
   

By SCDigest Editorial Staff

   
   

 

As SCDigest readers may have seen, this week we kicked off our 8th annual supply chain study in partnership with Gartner, an effort that has become one of this most followed and important pieces of supply chain and logistics research in the industry.

 

As always, SCDigest readers who complete the survey receive a complimentary copy of one of two recent Gartner research notes:

 

The Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2014
Supply Chain Management Vendor Guide 2014

 

Both are fine pieces of work, worth some $500 to non-Gartner clients just for taking the survey, but we would recommend the Supply Chain Management Vendor Guide as the more valuable note. It contains detailed commentary on trends in numerous categories of supply chain software, along with lists for each category of relevent vendors. This can save you a lot of time.

 

It is very nice to have. Take the 2014 Survey now and download when complete.

 

Under the Warehouse Management System section comes a discussion of just how much WMS functionality a company really needs. That of course depends on the complexity of a given DC.

 

While SCDigest has developed its own DC Complexity calculator, we also like the diagnostic developed by Gartner's Dwight Klappich, which provides a sort of maturity model for levels of DC compexity across several operational attributes, as shown in the table below

 

Gartner WMS Stratification Model 2014

 


The purpose of this framework of course is that by identifying where a company is or is likely to be in terms DC complexity, it points that company in the direction of how sophisticated a WMS it needs in terms of functionality.

 

SCDigest has provided that chart from Garnter research note here, but you can receive the full, very valuable Supply Chain Management Vendor Guide 2014 just for completing the 10-15 minute survey.

 

You will find it here.

 

Any Feedback on our Supply Chain Graphic of the Week? Let us know your thoughts at the Feedback section below.

   
   
 
     
 

Recent Feedback

 

No Feedback on this article yet

 

 
.