Why keep your warehouse execution system up-to-date?
By: Chris Chappell, software developer, Westfalia Technologies, Inc.
A warehouse execution system (WES) software package, like any large software application, is a constantly evolving collection of programs and control libraries. Over time, the difference between an installed base and the latest version of an application can become quite substantial.
Updating your WES requires a thorough evaluation of the functionality that the latest version is targeting and how to test it in a separate environment. Additionally, a metric of what indicates a successful test should be created to allow for an educated go/no go decision. The scope of work and the level of risk involved in an update gets larger with each successive update that goes by without being applied.
Finally, the underlying technology that the WES is built on can change over time as well. For example, a database connectivity module can be updated to take advantage of a new driver that improves performance and reliability. Without updating the WES, an operation will not be able benefit from those incremental improvements.
In summary, working with your WES vendor to remain informed of what has been updated and what is coming up, should be a part of any scheduled application maintenance plan in order to keep your WES functioning at peak performance.