quickly adaptable to changing needs and environments. “Providing faster service times at a lower operating cost is a given requirement for any supply chain solution,” says Greg Laycock, vice president of software engineering for PathGuide Technologies. “The right technology stack meets this requirement but also allows for customizing solutions tailored speci cally to company and industry needs, improving the overall customer experience,” he adds. SHOULD YOU BUILD OR BUY? One of the rst steps for companies putting together a supply chain tech stack is to determine their main challenges and whether they will build or buy their solutions. “Deciding between buying technology, building technology, or a hybrid of the two is a critical business decision,” Barnes says. “The decision comes down to technology support, total cost of ownership, and operational complexity. “For example, it’s common for 3PLs to own their WMS since they need to be agile and less dependent on a software HOW AI ENHANCES WMS AND TMS FUNCTIONALITY Within the modern tech stack, arti cial intelligence plays a key role in today’s WMS and TMS solutions. “In a TMS, key AI components are being used within last-mile delivery to help measure and monitor real-time traf c patterns and delays,” says Jim Barnes, CEO of enVista. “Machine learning is being used in WMS order pro les to release work within a distribution center operation to meet service-level agreements.” Since a company’s order pro le does not remain constant throughout the year—or even sometimes through
A warehouse management system (WMS) is a core building block for the modern tech stack, helping to improve performance inside the four walls. The Latitude WMS from PathGuide Technologies, for example, oers real-time tracking, intuitive dashboards, and scalable features that enable users to streamline inventory control and boost accuracy.
“It is hard to predict what is coming around the bend, as the past 10 years have shown us, but it is important to anticipate the next three to ve years,” Lillevik says. “It is also important to take another step back to look at the underlying processes the technology supports.
vendor for code changes,” he says. “It’s also common for software vendors to allow for extensions, enabling the third- party software vendor to develop and license core system architecture.” Companies should also document their current requirements and what challenges they are likely to face in order to evaluate which solutions best t their needs. the day—AI solutions that can auto con gure or adapt to changing conditions will be necessary to ensure optimal throughput for the warehouse. “A solution that can allocate labor to appropriate tasks without manual intervention will be key to running a ‘manage by exception’ type of warehouse,” says Suneel Krishnaswamy, CTO of enVista, citing as examples AI’s ability to automatically prioritize cycle count or re-warehouse tasks when order volume is low. AI also helps warehouse and transportation systems predict and adapt in real time, thereby making those systems smarter. “In WMS, AI can help with dynamic
“If there is a logical reason to streamline, shorten, or reduce
slotting, demand forecasting, and inventory optimization,” says Anders Lillevik, founder and CEO of Focal Point. “In TMS, it can improve route planning, identify delays, and recommend better carrier choices. “The real value comes from turning massive volumes of data into actionable insights,” he says. “Instead of relying on spreadsheets or lagging reports, teams can make decisions based on live conditions.” AI does not replace human judgment, but it absolutely improves it, Lillevik adds: “It helps identify patterns and opportunities that would be easy to miss otherwise. That makes operations more responsive, resilient, and cost-effective.”
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