Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Warehouse Solutions Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

A Warehouse Solutions Consultant designs, configures, implements and optimizes warehouse management system (WMS) solutions and related supply chain technologies to improve operational efficiency, inventory accuracy, throughput and cost-to-serve. This role combines deep functional warehouse process expertise (receiving, put-away, picking, replenishment, shipping, returns) with technical skills in WMS configuration, ERP integration, data analysis and change management. The Warehouse Solutions Consultant partners with clients, sales teams, engineers and operations to translate business requirements into scalable WMS solutions, lead implementation phases from discovery through go-live, and drive continuous improvement post-deployment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

WMS Functional Analyst / WMS Support Analyst
Supply Chain Analyst / Logistics Analyst
Materials Handling Engineer / Operations Supervisor

Advancement To:

Senior Warehouse Solutions Consultant / Principal Consultant
WMS Practice Lead / Solutions Architect
Supply Chain Transformation Manager / Director of Logistics

Lateral Moves:

ERP Functional Consultant (SAP MM/SD or Oracle SCM)
Implementation Project Manager
Supply Chain Optimization / Process Improvement Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead end-to-end WMS implementation projects, from initial discovery and requirements gathering through design, configuration, testing, cutover planning and post-go-live stabilization, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery.
Conduct comprehensive business requirements workshops with stakeholders (operations, inventory control, IT, finance) to document use cases, current-state process maps and target-state workflows for receiving, put-away, wave/pick strategies, replenishment and shipping.
Translate business requirements into detailed functional specifications and configuration workstreams for WMS and supporting systems (ERP, TMS, OMS), including data models, master data needs, and integration points.
Architect and configure WMS solutions (e.g., Blue Yonder, Manhattan, Oracle WMS, SAP EWM, Infor) to support client-specific processes such as directed put-away, cross-docking, multi-warehouse rules, zone/rate picking and yard management.
Design and implement integrations using EDI, APIs, middleware and batch interfaces to ensure seamless data flows between WMS, ERP, TMS, carrier systems and third-party logistics providers.
Create and execute detailed test plans (unit, system integration testing, regression) and lead user acceptance testing (UAT), documenting test cases, defects, remediation and test evidence to meet quality standards.
Develop go-live and cutover plans including data migration strategies, reconciliation procedures, scripts for initial inventory load, and rollback contingencies to minimize operational disruption.
Provide on-site and remote go-live support, hypercare ticket triage and root-cause analysis to rapidly resolve incidents, optimize system parameters and stabilize day-to-day operations post-deployment.
Lead process improvement initiatives using Lean and Six Sigma principles to reduce picking cycle times, improve put-away accuracy, optimize slotting and lower labor costs through technology and layout changes.
Design and deliver operator training, training materials, simulation scripts and SOPs for warehouse staff and supervisors, ensuring high adoption rates and consistent operational performance.
Collaborate with sales and pre-sales teams to scope proposals, estimate implementation effort, build statements of work (SOWs), and develop solution demonstrations and ROI/cost-benefit analyses.
Configure and optimize mobile device workflows, RF scanning logic, barcode and RFID strategies, label templates and device management policies to support efficient shop-floor execution.
Implement labor management and task interleaving features within WMS to measure and improve workforce productivity, track KPIs and align incentive programs with performance.
Create custom reports, dashboards and analytics (Power BI, Tableau) to surface inventory accuracy, order fill rates, labor metrics and throughput trends for operations and executive stakeholders.
Advise and lead pilots for new automation technologies (conveyors, sortation, AS/RS, robotics, pick-to-light/voice) and define integration touchpoints between automation controllers and WMS.
Perform inventory reconciliation processes and root-cause investigations for chronic discrepancies, designing corrective actions including cycle count strategies and replenishment policy changes.
Manage change control and release management for WMS enhancements, prioritizing backlog items, coordinating regression testing and communicating release impacts to business stakeholders.
Drive vendor management and coordination with 3PLs, integrators, hardware vendors and cloud providers to validate requirements, negotiate technical scopes and ensure quality deliverables.
Build and maintain a knowledge base of best practices, configuration templates, implementation accelerators and lessons learned to accelerate future engagements.
Provide thought leadership and strategic recommendations on warehouse network design, slotting optimization, SKU rationalization and inventory placement strategies to balance service levels and working capital.
Mentor and coach junior consultants and analysts on functional design, testing discipline, client communication and industry best practices to strengthen team delivery capability.
Monitor and enforce operational SLAs and KPIs (order accuracy, on-time shipments, inventory turns), and lead continuous improvement cycles with cross-functional teams to meet or exceed performance targets.
Support contract renewals and upsell opportunities by identifying additional modules, automation or analytics that deliver measurable operational value.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Provide technical input to RFP responses and participate in solution demos for prospective clients.
Assist operations teams with periodic process audits, cycle count programs and compliance checks.
Help define security and access models for WMS users and ensure segregation of duties and auditability.
Maintain up-to-date documentation of system configurations, test evidence and operational runbooks.
Coordinate with IT for network, mobile device management, barcode printer and scanner provisioning and troubleshooting.
Track project risks and issues, escalate appropriately and implement mitigation plans to protect project timelines and client operations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep functional expertise in Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) — implementation, configuration and optimization for vendors such as Blue Yonder (JDA), Manhattan Associates, Oracle WMS, SAP EWM, Infor WMS.
Strong understanding of core warehouse processes: receiving, put-away, replenishment, picking strategies (batch, wave, zone, cluster), packing, shipping, returns, and yard management.
Experience integrating WMS with ERP/TMS/OMS platforms using EDI, REST/SOAP APIs, middleware (e.g., Dell Boomi, MuleSoft), and file-based exchanges.
Proficiency with data migration, master data modeling, inventory reconciliation, CSV/XML transformations and data validation tools.
Hands-on ability to develop or guide custom reports and dashboards using Power BI, Tableau or native WMS reporting engines to deliver actionable KPIs.
Familiarity with RF/mobile device configuration, barcode/RFID encoding, label designer tools and wireless network considerations for warehouse environments.
Knowledge of automation integration and controls for conveyors, sorters, AS/RS, AMRs/AGVs and robotics, including PLC/SCADA interface basics.
Strong SQL skills for data interrogation, root cause analysis and building extracts for testing and reconciliation.
Practical experience with project delivery methodologies (Waterfall and Agile), project planning tools (MS Project, Jira) and change management best practices.
Understanding of labor management, slotting algorithms, inventory optimization techniques and demand-driven replenishment strategies.
Experience with scripting or light programming (Python, shell) for data manipulation, automation of repetitive tasks or report generation is a plus.
Awareness of compliance, safety and regulatory requirements in warehousing (OSHA, FDA/FSMA where applicable) and ability to embed controls into system design.

Soft Skills

Excellent client-facing and stakeholder management skills with the ability to run workshops, influence decision makers and build trust across operations and IT.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with an aptitude for turning complex operational challenges into practical, measurable solutions.
Clear verbal and written communication, capable of producing concise functional specifications, executive summaries and training documents.
Facilitation and negotiation skills to align cross-functional teams on scope, priorities and trade-offs during implementations.
Coaching and mentoring capability to develop junior team members and transfer knowledge to client teams.
Adaptability and resilience when supporting high-pressure go-live events and rapid problem resolution.
Detail-oriented with strong documentation discipline to ensure reproducible configurations and audit readiness.
Project leadership and time-management skills to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and deliverables.
Business acumen to connect technical decisions to operational KPIs, cost impacts and ROI considerations.
Continuous improvement mindset with curiosity for emerging warehouse technologies and industry best practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, Information Systems, Business Administration or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, MBA, or equivalent advanced certification.
Professional certifications such as APICS CPIM/CSCP, PMP, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt) or vendor-specific WMS certifications.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Logistics & Transportation
Industrial / Systems Engineering
Information Technology / Computer Science
Business Administration / Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 4–10+ years of combined functional and technical experience in warehouse operations, WMS implementations and supply chain consulting.

Preferred:

5+ years implementing commercial WMS solutions across multiple industries (retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, 3PL).
Demonstrated track record leading at least 3 full lifecycle WMS implementations from discovery to go-live.
Experience working with cloud-based SaaS WMS solutions and knowledge of managed services and support models.
Prior exposure to automation integration, robotics, or large-scale distribution center transformations.
Proven experience interfacing with C-suite, operations leadership and IT stakeholders to deliver strategic supply chain outcomes.