Cincinnati, OH -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/29/2006 --There is a significant shift between (Warehouse Management Systems) WMS and WCS (Warehouse Control Systems) in the area of merging local data warehouses into enterprise data warehouses.

This convergence is being caused by:

Technology Advancements: The use of open software, relational databases and componentized applications architectures are enabling WMS vendors to provide real-time data management and interface responsibilities of the material handling system.

Functional Enhancements: The WMS has, over time, taken over more of the work handled by the ERP system, in areas such as inventory control, resource scheduling and order management.

New software tools are also enabling continuous monitoring and work flow functionality, thereby providing the means to efficiently and economically operate a warehouse or distribution center.

Consider the WCS a floor general or a traffic cop. Capturing real-time data such as pick rates and pick efficiencies are more geared toward this type of system than to a generic WMS focused on upper level management data.

Manufacturing Journalist Thomas R. Cutler profiled Warehouse Control Systems in Managing Automation. The article can be read in it’s entirety at http://www.managingautomation.com/maonline/exclusive/read/Commentary_Get_Ready_The_Next_Generation_Warehouse_Management_System_is_Coming_12419073.

QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
The solutions provided by QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) enables companies to streamline their warehouse operations with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry ensuring increased corporate profitability. With a commitment to total customer satisfaction QC Software is the obvious choice for warehouse control, order management, and inventory management needs.