RedPrairie Releases Dispatcher-WMS 8.4 To Reinforce Leading Global Market Position
RedPrairie has launched a new version of Dispatcher-WMS (Version 8.4), a leading warehouse management system. Besides offering more features for management of advanced warehouse operations, the new version has also been integrated with a customs module, a labor management module and a billing module. Version 8.4 can be used with a Windows user interface, as well as a browser user interface. The browser interface greatly increases visibility and accessibility. It is compatible with Borland's application server and IBM's WebSphere.
Customs Module
Dispatcher-WMS now offers a completely integrated customs module. This concludes the incorporation of Online Duty & Logistics' DutyMaster into the product suite. In October 2003, RedPrairie acquired Online Duty & Logistics, a specialist provider of solutions for excise and customs warehousing. The functional integration of the products is the starting point for rollout to current and future global customers. Since customers have already ordered this module, accreditation procedures in different countries will start soon.
Billing Module
ActivityBilling allows companies to attach a cost to all services delivered by the warehouse. Third party logistics and public warehousing providers can accurately track activity for multiple clients within a single warehouse and manage complex, invoicing contracts on a client-by-client basis. ActivityBilling is entirely web-enabled. The flexibility of the module has been enthusiastically welcomed by the industry.
Labor Management Module
Labor Management is another module to enrich the Dispatcher-WMS product suite. It allows the calculation of the estimated time that a task should take before that task is started. The calculated times take into account the routes that operators should follow, the time to access the locations, the nature of the materials handled and other operational parameters. The Labor Management module allows objective comparison between the calculated time for tasks and the actual time it took to carry out the task.
Strengthened commitment to Dispatcher-WMS development
Release 8.4 also marks the arrival of advanced functionality for warehouse operations. Product substitution, container replenishment and staging of pallets are just some of the added functionality. Beam management allows for more efficient storage utilization. The system takes into account the widths of pallets and the available space on a beam. Value added services are very important to some of RedPrairie's industries. Dispatcher-WMS now includes a system-directed tracking and tracing of value added activities.
Many of the added functions are market-driven and show the commitment of RedPrairie to the development of Dispatcher-WMS. The objective is to remain ahead of the market in terms of flexibility and functionality.
Voice-driven operations are another demand from the market. Dispatcher-WMS 8.4 integrates voice supported warehouse operations such as receiving, putaway, picking, container picking, stock checking and others. RedPrairie has deliberately chosen not to use a middleware solution because of the real-time nature of the system.
The Merger with LIS proves its value
The merger of RedPrairie with LIS is already proving its value for customers. The development of Dispatcher-WMS, which has a leading market position in Europe, has been reinforced. Release 8.4 clearly shows the strong vision behind the development roadmap. Future releases will show integration with existent RedPrairie modules, such as labor management and RFID applications. The merger of LIS has clearly taken RedPrairie to a higher level in the global market.