Manufacturing warehouse management extends beyond distribution fulfillment to encompass raw material inventory, production supply, work-in-process tracking, and finished goods distribution. Manufacturing WMS must integrate tightly with production planning and execution to ensure line-side availability while optimizing inventory investment.
Key Manufacturing WMS Requirements
- MES/MRP integration: Coordination with manufacturing execution and planning systems
- Production supply: Line-side replenishment and kanban support
- WIP tracking: Work-in-process inventory visibility across production stages
- Quality management: Hold and inspection lot management
- Component staging: Kit preparation and sequenced delivery to assembly
- Lot and serial tracking: Full traceability from raw materials through finished goods
- Container management: Reusable container tracking for production supply
Top Manufacturing WMS Vendors
- SAP EWM: Deep manufacturing integration within S/4HANA environment
- Oracle WMS: Part of Oracle Manufacturing Cloud suite
- Infor WMS: Industry-specific solutions for discrete and process manufacturing
- Blue Yonder: Unified planning and execution platform
- Plex: Cloud-native ERP with strong WMS for discrete manufacturing
Manufacturing WMS Considerations
- ERP integration depth: How tightly WMS connects with your manufacturing ERP
- Production visibility: Real-time view of material availability and constraints
- Automation support: Integration with AS/RS and AGVs for material movement
- Quality processes: Inspection, hold, and quarantine management
Understand WMS vs ERP considerations or request quotes from manufacturing WMS specialists.