Big News from RedPrairie’s RedShift 2010 User Conference – Highlights, Announcements, and Implications

Start by implementing RedShift’s analytics now to accelerate value here, across core operations, and align fast with the three major announcements from RedPrairie: travelift-enabled workflows, expanded coverage across more centers, and a dollar-focused ROI framework for leadership.

In the highlights, RedPrairie demonstrated the travelift integration feeding real-time data into demand planning and labor scheduling. Within days pilots in 12 centers reported a 6-8% uptick in order completeness and a 4-6% reduction in overtime, contributing to measurable dollar savings. hit-kody 和 miron shared concrete case studies from across industries, underscoring consistent performance gains and faster value realization.

To translate findings into action, address the first 90 days with a focused plan: pilot in a couple of distribution centers, then scale to more sites. Having committed IT and operations leaders align on data governance will speed adoption. Contact your RedPrairie team to coordinate training and ensure coverage across regions.

The announcements also set expectations for the competition: major retailers are testing the new mobile execution features to shorten travel times and maintain service levels during peak days. With this roadmap, RedShift integrates with existing ERP, enabling smoother data flow and faster decision cycles across centers and hubs.

Looking ahead, teams should build a test-and-learn plan that will start with a half-day workshop for key stakeholders, and then execute a 60-day rollout across a couple of centers. Half of the initial effort should focus on the most active centers to validate assumptions. The plan tracks performance, coverage, and ROI in dollar terms, and includes clear contact points for escalation. This approach addresses the need to move quickly without compromising accuracy.

RedPrairie News Brief

Launch an estores pilot across select farms in guangxi with a black flyer campaign to drive associates’ engagement and boost order volumes across agriculture channels.

The company launched collaboration with regional partners to streamline farm orders, share data, and shorten lead times. Experienced associates lead hands-on training, supported by a concise flyer and standard operating procedures.

Initial results show increases in estores transactions by 14% in the pilot, while stockouts decline and health indicators in the supply chain improve. Using real-time data, the program improves forecasting and helps stabilize margins in the agriculture economy for rural farms.

Delivery days shrink from order to arrival by 3 days on average in guangxi, boosting on-time fulfillment and reducing manual handling. The changes also support farm health by better inventory visibility and more accurate replenishment.

Next steps: deploy in two additional counties over 60 days, align product catalogs for estores, train 2 more cohorts of associates, publish an updated flyer, and track transactions and days to fulfillment weekly. hunt for waste in processes will focus on reducing touchpoints and streamlining approvals, using the common data backbone to connect store, supplier, and farm endpoints.

New WMS capabilities revealed: order-picking, yard management, and slotting improvements

Roll out a 90-day pilot of the new WMS capabilities in two municipal distribution centers and a regional hub to secure continued gains, with measurable targets for order-picking, yard management, and slotting by march.

Order-picking improvements establish wave-based tasking, batch picking, zone picking, and real-time guidance to balance loads across reps. Facilities implementing these upgrades report typical gains of 15-25% in pick velocity and 5-10% improvements in accuracy for parcel flows.

Yard management tightens dock appointments, yard truck routing, and gate checks, reducing dwell time and boosting dock-door utilization by 10-20%, which translates to fewer missed windows and smoother carrier interactions for municipal and regional partners.

Slotting improvements leverage dynamic placement, demand signals, and velocity-based re-slotting to cut travel time between picks by 20-30% and lift fill rates for high-turn SKUs in both commerce and parcel channels.

Coordinate with redprairie reps for a phased rollout, collaborating across nations and municipal networks in inc-wisconsin and Chippewa corridors; this acquisition adds parts and modules to the core WMS. The offer includes an academy-based certification program, digitalogistix analytics, and a smart-card credential that simplifies role-based access for employers and operators during go-live and training periods.

For implementation, map as addition to the current RedShift 2010 suite, align with certification tracks, and prepare a 60-day expansion to cover additional warehouses. The resulting prestig plan thats designed to support ongoing collaboration with distributors, carriers, and retailers, while maintaining compliance through formal certification and partner accreditation. This fuel for momentum will help employers across nations to realize faster gains and stronger commerce outcomes.

Real-time analytics and dashboards: actionable metrics for operations managers

Start with a real-time dashboard that surfaces the top eight metrics and provides role-based views for member on the floor and the following shifts. Use 5-minute refresh cycles and half-hour summaries to balance speed and stability, making it easy for reps to act quickly. Automate alerting and playbooks so decisions are made in minutes, not hours, which promotes faster recovery from bottlenecks.

• Core metrics and targets: Track cycle time (order-to-ship), on-time delivery, throughput (units/hour), inventory turns, and labor/utilization. Aim for cycle-time reductions of 15–25% in 90 days, on-time rates above 98%, and material handling efficiency above 85%. Display half-hourly trends to reveal demand waves and shopping patterns, helping teams anticipate spikes rather than react after the peak. This creates a fantastic, data-driven rhythm that boosts overall efficiency and utility.
• Data sources and integration: Pull data from ERP, WMS, TMS, OMS, POS/shopping feeds, supplier portals, and transportation sensors. Implement a lightweight data layer that validates critical fields within minutes and flags discrepancies for the member and following shifts. Include ausa-compatible feeds where applicable to maintain a clean, unified view without duplications that would erode trust in the metrics.
• Dashboard design and interaction: Design dashboards with clear hierarchy–top-level KPIs for the whole operation, drill-downs for each facility (Dewitt, Minnesota sites, and contracted locations). Use color coding, trend lines, and heat maps to convey status at a glance; enable drill-down by order, route, or rep to pinpoint root causes quickly. A well-structured layout, which promotes quick decision-making, supports both frontline workers and managers in making evidence-based adjustments.
• Automated actions and playbooks: Configure alerts that trigger standard playbooks when thresholds are crossed (e.g., if cycle time spikes, notify reps and supervisors; if on-time drops below target, allocate additional labor from contractors and adjust transportation plans). This approach, implemented around hit-kody radio-style alerts, keeps the team aligned and ready to respond. Over time, these playbooks become a repeatable, fantastic habit for reducing waste and improving service without manual handoffs.
• Operational scenarios and case examples: Use real data to illustrate impact. For example, a Minnesota distribution center used real-time dashboards to cut late shipments by 28% in 60 days, saving 61mio in annualized cost potential and strengthening the heritage of lean practices. In a regional wave during peak season, the system automatically rebalances inventory between Dewitt and nearby supplier hubs, supported by werc insights and transportation data, which reduced idle time for reps and contractors alike. The creation of these dashboards also promoted a culture where contractors and suppliers are offered timely visibility, improving collaboration with agencies like AUSA and ensuring faster decision cycles.
• People, roles, and ownership: Map roles to metrics–member and floor leaders monitor real-time signals; reps manage exceptions; supervisors approve adjustments; contractors receive alerts for external dependencies. This structure, designed for clarity, boosts accountability and speeds decision-making across teams, including those outside the core warehouse function. It also supports a scalable model as new facilities come online in Minnesota or other regions.
• Implementation roadmap and quick wins: Start with 3 facilities (one in dewitt, one in minnesota, one contractor network hub) and a 6-week rollout plan. Build the core dashboard, connect critical data feeds, and test alerts with a small group of reps. By the end of month 2, extend to the full network and add demand signals from shopping data and seasonal promotions. A phased approach helps you realize benefits early and iterate on the design to maximize efficiency and utility.

Offer a clear, measurable value proposition: real-time analytics reduce reaction time, support proactive decisions, and drive a durable improvement trajectory across transportation, fulfillment, and supplier collaboration. When done well, the dashboards become a powerful tool for making smarter allocations, which aligns with the organization’s heritage of disciplined execution and continuous improvement.

Deployment options clarified: SaaS vs on-prem and hybrid scenarios

Adopt a hybrid deployment as the default path: SaaS for customer-facing and non-core modules, on-prem for core ERP, and a shared data layer to connect across sites. This address the needs of a natural, living business with multiple locations, while keeping control over critical data. A deployment panel will map which modules run where and set governance, so everyone understands ownership and timelines.

SaaS delivers much faster value for front-end processes and non-core workloads. Start with a 4–6 week pilot, then expand; expect capex to drop while opex programs scale with usage. For consumer interactions, chargebacks become simpler to track across sites, promotions, and labs, clarifying cost-to-value for each business unit and site.

On-prem holds advantages when data residency, regulatory compliance, or deep customization matter. A full on-prem rollout typically spans 12–20 weeks depending on integrations with financials and storages. Addressing the total cost of ownership requires attention to maintenance, hardware refresh cycles, and long-term grants or incentives that can offset upfront investments. For chemical or other highly sensitive processes, keeping the data and controls on-site often aligns with compliance and audits.

Hybrid patterns work best with clear governance: define data residency, set API-driven sync rules, and assign owners for shared components. Start with a phased plan that prioritizes core capabilities, then expand to labs and field operations. Alliant-led validation helps ensure integrations are robust, and communications with site leaders keep teams aligned as changes roll out. The plan should also cover user training, site-specific configurations, and reliable monitoring to reduce chargebacks surprises for March or other milestone events.

Implementation details matter: John coordinates cross-functional teams, implements phased migrations, and tracks milestones against the plan. Maintain a tight feedback loop with the panel, adjust mappings, and document decisions in the living repository so everyone can reference the deployment status. Include a simple governance model to prevent scope creep and keep the work aligned with business goals, whether the focus is consumer, site operations, or back-office processes.

Looking ahead, align the schedule with a company-wide gala in March to share results, learnings, and next steps. Build a clear communication plan that keeps homes, sites, and labs informed, promotes transparency, and highlights the benefits of a shared data strategy. By starting with a hybrid approach, the company builds resilience for a broader rollout while preserving flexibility for future deployments and customer experiences.

Upgrade and licensing paths for current customers: timelines and steps

Upgrade now to secure predictable pricing and seamless access to the latest features; this upgraded path keeps your enterprise on a steady track and reduces risk during migration. The provider’s team behind the program will provide continued support and a licensing framework that serves thousands of users while you keep existing furniture in place.

Timelines and steps: Start with readiness assessments: in 0-14 days, assess current deployments, confirm module compatibility, and map data needs against federal and enterprise compliance requirements. By thursday of week 2, your decision team should finalize scope and lock pricing for the upgraded path. In days 30-60, execute the upgrade and migrate licenses with drill-down validations by IT and procurement. In days 60-90, complete validation, update documentation, and train admins to ensure continued support.

Licensing options and rationale: Two main paths exist: 1) continued maintenance and license renewal with the current provider; 2) upgraded enterprise licensing with tiered pricing and scalable seats designed for common enterprise needs. For thousands of seats, the enterprise route provides budget predictability and centralized governance, with consolidated reporting and automated renewals. Recent sale momentum in this segment shows advantages for customers pursuing transformations; gassman notes this approach aligns with long-term strategies used by legislators and other regulators.

Next steps for customers: assemble a cross-functional team from IT, Finance, and Legal; review a draft migration plan with the sales team, and confirm decision approvals. Schedule a dedicated briefing on thursday to align on options and deadlines. Collect current license counts, renewal dates, and usage metrics; the provider will supply a refined quote and a migration checklist. The aim is a smooth upgrade within the next quarter, enabling continued operation with minimal disruption and a clear path to future enhancements.

Roadmap implications for customers: upcoming releases, beta programs, and feedback channels

Join the beta program this quarter to shape the next release–start by sending a brief e-mail to the boerner team outlining your current configuration and a high-impact use case.

Upcoming releases will accelerate transformation by tightening integration across warehouse-management, trading, and settlement workflows; there you will see better cross-domain visibility, consolidating order flows from food, freight, and mini-load activities, with support for frozen items and new freight settlement rules. The current roadmap prioritizes greater performance, a closer alignment between managers and directors, and an investment in smaller, more modular features that you can adopt ahead of time.

Beta programs enable hands-on testing of these changes. Sign-ups target a broad base of users–warehouse managers, transportation teams, and providers–through a 6- to 8-week cycle, with there being two cycles per year. To join, map your discipline (for example, warehouse-management, freight, or settlement) to a primary owner and share 3-5 concrete use cases. Beta testers gain early access, direct interaction with product managers, and fast feedback loops that accelerate actions and drive tangible improvements.

Feedback channels keep the journey practical. Use the in-app feedback button, e-mail the director or boerner team, or participate in the monthly customer roundtables. A quarterly contest invites customers to submit ideas for consolidating or new workflows; winners receive small rewards and recognition. Use these channels to flag issues, request enhancements, and validate requirements beyond your immediate needs.

Action plan for managers and directors: align your teams, pick 2–3 small actions to capture voice of the customer, and close the loop within two sprints. Establish a regular touchpoint with union partners and provider networks to compare notes on current vs. planned releases. Track the impact on current operations–especially in food and frozen goods–so you can uphold the duty to provide continuous improvement for the entire supply chain, from supplier to customer. The result is a clearer path ahead, with faster decision cycles and an investment mindset focused on durable wins across warehouse-management, freight, and settlement chains.