WMS Magic Quadrant identifies fast movers

He said: “The WMS market is at a crossroads as it is a very mature market, with the first commercial applications in the 1980s. In some cases, firms now have 4th generation solutions.

“That said, there are many developments, with European players such as Reply and SSI Schaefer making inroads into the market. “Synergy Logistics (with its Snapfulfil WMS) is doing some fantastic stuff in the cloud, and growing rapidly on both sides of the pond, although cloud is becoming less of a differentiator.”

Klappich added that adaptability and customisability has grown to be the third most important factor in choosing WMS for end users, behind depth and breadth of core functionality.

This is hardly surprising as many logistics operations are in flux, particularly with the continuing growth of online retail and the push and pull of outsourcing and near-shoring.

The Magic Quadrant identified Oracle and SAP as leaders in terms of track record of WMS implementations achieved. It highlighted JDA and Manhattan as being among those with the deepest functionality.

Klappich said: “There are differences in how deep you go into the technology. Some WMS might support 15 picking methodologies, another might support four. But those four might cover 90% of installations.”