London, United Kingdom Oct 2, 2023 (Issuewire.com) - A newly released industry study by STIQ, published by the Mobile Robot Directory, reveals that the rapid adoption of warehouse automation and robots is placing new pressures and demands on critical Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).

The study, which interviewed over 40 senior executives from the warehousing and logistics software sector, finds that as robots and automation proliferate in distribution centers and warehouses globally, organizations must re-assess their WMS strategy and capabilities to optimize increasingly automated operations.

"The robot takeover of the warehouse is well underway. As automation adoption accelerates, driven by factors like supply chain resilience, labor shortages and explosive e-commerce growth, organizations are finding they need more advanced WMS capabilities to control and optimize their complex automated processes," said Emil Hauch Jensen, Co-Founder of the Mobile Robot Directory.

Additional key findings from the STIQ study include:

- Blurring lines between WMS and WES as automation control modules like picking and packing are bundled into core WMS offerings.

- The rise of new specialized software like Warehouse Execution Systems (WES) and Robotic Control Systems (RCS) to orchestrate tasks across heterogeneous robots and automation equipment.

- Looming disruption of traditional WMS pricing models that are based on the number of users as automation reduces headcount needs.

- Continued criticality of on-premise WCS for low latency machine control, even as WMS shifts to the cloud, driving hybrid cloud architectures.

- Accelerated adoption of microservices architecture enabling rapid integration of new automation capabilities into WMS.

- Increased focus from WMS vendors on interoperability with various automation equipment brands.

"The robot takeover of the warehouse is well underway. As automation proliferates, organizations must re-assess their WMS strategy and capabilities to keep pace," Jensen emphasized. "Those that modernize their WMS will be best positioned to optimize their automated warehouse of the future."

About STIQ

STIQ is a boutique research and advisory firm focused on automation, robotics and enterprise software across the warehouse, manufacturing and supply chain sectors. Learn more at www.stiq.ltd

About The Mobile Robot Directory

The Mobile Robot Directory is a free to use online directory of AMR and AGV manufacturers of mobile robots for use in material handling. The website offers industry insights, market reports and advisory services to prospective buyers of factory and warehouse automation solutions. Learn more at www.mobile-robots.com