Art Eldred is a seasoned Supply Chain Executive with over 20 years of expertise, specializing in eCommerce fulfillment solutions. He adeptly leads cross-functional teams, including consultants, mechanical, controls, and software engineers. Art's early career with a startup electromechanical software company provided invaluable insights into highly successful software organizations. His management approach emphasizes creativity while delivering robust solutions. His extensive knowledge of material handling technologies, coupled with software integration, leads to innovative, replicable solutions. Art serves as a trusted advisor to numerous supply chain C-level executives, offering insights on best practices, new technologies, and software integration. His designs are constantly recognized for their impact, often featured in industry publications and conferences, delivering speed, efficiency, and simplicity to his clients.

SHOW SUMMARY

In this episode of eCom Logistics Podcast, Art Eldred, Vice President and Growth Officer at Vargo, discusses warehouse execution systems (WES). He explains that a WES is a system that executes tasks and flows within a fulfillment operation, managing the workflow and synchronizing and sequencing work tasks. Art emphasizes the importance of decoupling processes and leveraging technology to optimize workflows. He also highlights the need for clear definitions and understanding of WES, as many companies market solutions that are simply dashboarding systems. Art, Dan, and Ninaad discuss the evolution of automation in the industry, including the accessibility of technology and the emergence of robotic solutions. They stress the importance of aligning different departments within an organization and the value of integrating various technologies to achieve efficiency and productivity.

HIGHLIGHTS

[00:01:17] Art's background and professional journey in e-commerce fulfillment
[00:03:11] Art's passion for bringing together software and hardware in logistics
[00:08:55] Definition of a warehouse execution system (WES)
[00:15:16] Successful implementation of a WES project
[00:20:25] The trade-off between expediency and efficiency
[00:25:06] When to consider implementing a warehouse execution system
[00:30:01] The evolving role of automation in warehousing
[00:34:07] Importance of integrating different capabilities and not leaving them in silos
[00:36:06] Excitement about the accessibility of automation technology
[00:40:13] The difference between a warehouse execution system (WES) and a warehouse management system (WMS)

QUOTES

[00:03:12] "My passion isn't one or the other, it's bringing it all together." - Art Eldred
[00:04:51] "The warehouse execution system sits below the warehouse management system and it's managing the workflow." - Art Eldred
[00:14:10] "The warehouse execution system can really unleash the capabilities of both the software element and the hardware and technology world." - Art Eldred

Find out more about Art Eldred in the link below:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arteldred/

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