Omni-Channel Retail Boosting Warehouse Management Solution Sales

Driven largely by the retail's sector push to more closely intertwine its bricks-and-mortar and e-commerce operations, the Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) market experienced 8 percent sales growth in 2012 over the prior year, according to a new report from ARC Advisory Group in Boston. ARC reports that WMS growth was broad-based - occurring in both well established and emerging market segments - and the WMS replacement cycle is responsible for much of the recent growth in the mature segments.

"Omni-channel retailers (those focused on creating a seamless approach to the consumer experience through all available shopping channels) are integrating brick and mortar and e-commerce distribution channels," says Clint Reiser, enterprise software analyst with ARC. "Traditional warehouses are being outfitted with WMS functionality to support the individual item handling requirements of e-commerce fulfillment."

Indeed, from what those immersed in the intersection of multi-channel commerce and Dynamics ERP have written recently (good examples can be found here and here), there appear to be major opportunities for those who can provide solutions that utilize both the WMS and related technology, as well as the retail solutions that connect back end solutions to modern retail technology in areas like more traditional brick and mortar, but also in e-commerce (Magento has become a hot option) and other growing channels like third party marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, Rakuten, etc). 

In most cases, Microsoft Dynamics customers are complementing their existing ERPs with best-of-breed WMS solutions as opposed to relying on their ERPs to provide such functionality. "Whatever ...