Logistics consulting firm IWL AG recently surveyed 16 providers and over one hundred users of warehouse management systems on current trends and developments. The survey revealed that for 75 to 80 percent of users, price was not the deciding factor in their purchase decisions, while around 20 percent of users considering implementing a new system said they would prefer a leasing or rental solution over outright purchase.According to the survey, there is a clear trend in the new implementations segment towards electronic communication support, with suppliers and users both preferring mobile data acquisition and barcode solutions. 31 percent of the users surveyed indicated they would also like to implement pick-by-voice, while 15 percent said they were planning to integrate RFID.According to IWL, 77 percent of companies planning to implement or switch to a new system – and 80 percent of dissatisfied users – want standard software solutions."Users tend to assume that today’s warehouse management systems are for the most part standardized. Many are unaware that their warehouses have highly specialized processes that necessitate extensive customization of standard software packages at time of installation," explains IWL AG CEO Ralph Ehmann. "It’s important not to underestimate these additional costs in the project budget."On the other hand, the survey report says, software providers’ repertoires of standard solutions tend to become increasingly diverse the more projects they implement. This results in a greater number of standard modules for the customer to choose from. (Source: IWL AG/sp).