WBSRocks: Business Growth with Enterprise Software and Digital Transformation

Send us a textThere are two types of chaos. You have a manageable chaos that can be planned easily. And then you have organized chaos that requires you to shift gears all the time as the planning variables change. If there is one function that can challenge any planning model, it would be logistics. There are so many variables, such as labor, traffic, third-party carriers, geopolitical conditions, and macroeconomic factors. As a logistics executive, you not only need to make sure that you have timely delivery, but you also need to do it in a cost-effective manner.In today's episode, our guest, John Hantzis, discusses why connecting the dots among strategy, operations, and execution is critical for the Supply Chain function. He also discusses why communication and collaboration are key, even among the same supply chain function covering different regions, to find operational synergies. Finally, he discussed why ops is all about shifting the gears on the fly and describes concepts such as cross-docking, FTZ, reclassification of tariff codes, moving supply chain due to geopolitical issues and a lot more.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textThe picking function is all about KPIs. The larger the facility, the more fine-tuned your picking process needs to be. More errors during picking mean inferior customer experience and slower operations. Picking proceses might also vary based on the product type and industry. The manufacturing may have different picking processes from retail or distribution. So which are the KPIs most relevant for picking operations and pickers?In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for Pickers. We discussed nuances of the picking function, including the performance incentives, issues due to warehouse integration, and picking efficiencies gained by modern picking strategies. We also discussed the pros and cons of real time vs batch connection and how that might impact picking KPIs and efficiencies, as well as how politics and biases may influence the architecture, leading to issues and variances in the warehouse function.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textThe warehouse has been the receiver of most automation technologies. Now so much hardware is available that you can automate your entire warehouse, including picking, packing, sorting, loading, or unloading. There are also various categories of software available, ranging from WMS, TMS, WCS, S&OP, and a lot more. The software is segmented depending on the complexity of warehouse operations. So where does Logiwa stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with the other supply chain software? In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Logiwa WMS capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strengths with eCommerce and DTC fulfillment capabilities. We also covered the architectural issues with business models where either they might be overcommitting their capabilities or overstretching themselves.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. 

Send us a textMost people underestimate the importance of country-specific expertise when it comes to ERP systems. For them, what difference could it make as it’s just pure tech? France and Europe are especially unique when it comes to their localization requirements. But the culture plays a huge role as well. So what can companies do if they want to penetrate the French market? And why is culture such as huge issue when it comes to ERP implementation?In today's episode, our guest, Wassim Sayerh, discusses why local expertise is critical for ERP consultants. He also discusses the specific nuances of the France market and what consultants need to know to be successful in this market. Finally, he shares several stories to illustrate the cultural differences and how they might affect the outcome of the ERP projects.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textThe warehouse should be renamed as the KPIhouse. That's where most KPIs live. Most warehouse operators have very slim margins, and they not only need to be efficient with the transactions to reduce the costs. But they also need to ensure timely delivery to maintain the customer experience metrics. So which are the KPIs warehouse managers should care for the most?In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for Warehouse Managers. We discussed the role of warehouse managers and how that might affect their KPIs. We also discussed the role of AI, the introduction of robots, and the importance of user feedback to understand the critical KPIs for warehouse managers.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textWhere do you draw the line with supply chain software? There are various flavors. Some are more transactional processing systems, while others excel at planning. Some integrate several layers, including TMS, WMS, OMS, and planning. While planning is super critical, integrating transactional systems is always harder than most people would think. One of the most critical components of the supply chain software would always be the POS layer, especially for retail organizations, which need to process millions of transactions. So where does Manhattan Associates stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with the other supply chain software?In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Manhattan Associates' capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strengths with enterprise WMS, TMS, and OMS capabilities, as well as their unique positioning of an integrated POS. We also covered the architectural issues in industries outside of retail where companies need to be careful in overusing Manhattan.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. 

Send us a textEach industry has its own nuances. The chemicals industry is particularly very challenging because of its supply chain issues. The black swan events, such as winter storms or macroeconomic changes, can shake any model, regardless of how sophisticated it might be. But the more information you have about your operations, regardless of whether internal or external supply chain, the more prepared you are likely to be for such events. And even if you are not prepared, the data will help create the playbook and minimize the risks caused by these disruptions.In today's episode, our guest, Beth Schlitt, discusses the supply chain issues of the chemical industry. She shares several stories of recent disruptions and what supply chain leaders need to do to plan the risks. Finally, she shares her insights into how to plan for data governance in larger organizations and why companies must invest in modern technologies such as AI and machine learning.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textThe innovation projects could be perceived as risky. It might also be harder for operational and financial executives to assess the ROI of such initiatives. But done right, companies can not only improve the customer experience while converting them into digitally native culture, they could also increase the enterprise value of such companies by 2x.In today's episode, our guest, Chris Stegner, discusses how to transform a company into a digital. He also discusses cultural issues such as politics and how they could be barriers to innovation-driven culture. Finally, he shares several stories of companies where he was able to increase the enterprise value of companies purely by transforming their customer and user experience.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textThe inventory manager's role is very interesting. Sometimes it might be clubbed with an operations manager. Other times it might be the responsibility of an S&OP or materials manager. But without a solid inventory manager, your customer experience is likely to be fragmented. Or they would be overstocking to eat up all your margins and cash. So what are the KPIs relevant for an inventory manager?In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for Inventory Managers. We discussed how the role of the inventory manager could drive their KPIs. We also discussed several inventory KPIs, such as inventory turns, ABC, excess inventory, and more.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textOnce positioned to reduce the overall software spend, SaaS has become one of the highest spend categories for companies. A company could use as many as 1600 apps across the software categories. The spend might even be more for software companies that are buying someone else’s software to manage their own infrastructure. Industrial companies might struggle to understand why building custom software might not be the smartest idea because of the amount of software required to manage the software infrastructure.In today's episode, our guest, Indus Khaitan, discusses the strategies for centralizing and controlling SaaS spend. He also discusses the difference between other similar technologies such as P-card, corporate credit cards, and the technology he developed. Finally, he discusses other features, such as why it's important to control the spend before it actually occurs and blacklisting the spend categories.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.