Supply Chain Management Systems

SCCG helps businesses select, specify and implement the supply chain systems that run their operations:
Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transport Management Systems (TMS), demand planning and ERP-integrated solutions. As an independent consultancy, SCCG works client-side from requirements definition through to go-live.

Supply chain and logistics systems play a vital role in supply chain and logistics operations, enabling efficient processes, connecting the logistics operation to the rest of the business and the wider world, and providing information to management.

What is a supply chain management system?

A supply chain management system is software that plans, executes and reports on the movement of goods: warehouse management (WMS), transport management (TMS), demand planning and inventory tools. These may be standalone products or modules within a broader ERP. The right combination depends on operational complexity, not company size.

Key systems in logistics and supply chain include Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transport Management Systems (TMS) and systems dedicated to forecasting and demand planning. These may be standalone products or delivered as part of a broader Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.

Every business will have its own unique set of requirements and the best systems are highly configurable to meet these. Understanding your requirements in detail is the first step to a successful systems project.
SCCG can support you from scoping a system to implementation.

What is the difference between WMS, TMS and ERP?

A WMS controls what happens inside the warehouse: receipt, putaway, picking, packing and stock accuracy.

A TMS controls what happens outside it: routing, carrier selection, freight cost and delivery tracking.

An ERP runs the wider business e.g. finance, orders, procurement, and usually holds inventory records but lacks the operational depth of a dedicated WMS or TMS.

System	What it controls	Typical trigger for buying one
WMS – Warehouse Management System	Receipt, putaway, stock locations, picking, packing, despatch, stock accuracy and labour tasking inside the four walls.	Stock accuracy problems, a site move or expansion, manual picking that no longer scales, or automation being introduced.
TMS – Transport Management System	Route planning, load building, carrier selection and rating, delivery tracking, freight cost reconciliation.	Rising freight cost, poor load fill, no visibility of delivery performance, or managing multiple carriers manually.
Demand planning / forecasting	Demand forecasts, replenishment signals, inventory targets by SKU and location.	Persistent forecast error, excess and obsolete stock, or service failures caused by stock-outs.
ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning	Finance, orders, procurement, master data and often basic inventory records across the whole business.	Business-wide system replacement. Usually the question is what the ERP can cover and where a specialist system is still needed.

Most operations run a combination. The question is rarely WMS or ERP, but which functions the ERP can handle adequately and where operational depth genuinely justifies a specialist system.

Book a free consultationBook a free consultation

How can we help?

SCCG has the expertise and experience in helping companies select suitable systems to support their supply chain and logistics operations and in client-side project management of systems implementation, helping to avoid the pitfalls inherent in any significant systems change.

Requirements definition – SCCG documents how your operation actually runs, then translates it into a functional specification written around your processes rather than any vendor’s feature list.
Market evaluation and selection – Longlisting, shortlisting, scripted demonstrations against your own scenarios, and a scored evaluation you can defend to a board.
Client-side implementation management – SCCG manages the vendor to the specification through configuration, data migration, testing and user acceptance.
Go-live and stabilisation – Support through cutover and the period immediately after, when most implementations either embed or unravel.

About SCCG

At The Supply Chain Consulting Group, we understand how much depends on the systems that run a supply chain, and how expensive it is to get the selection wrong. SCCG helps organisations define what they actually need, choose systems that fit, and manage implementation client-side so the result works from day one.

SCCG has completed over 700 projects across more than 50 countries, working with organisations from major corporations to fast-growing SMEs. SCCG is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified, Cyber Essentials accredited, a member of CILT and UKWA, an approved Crown Commercial Service supplier, and a winner at the 2025 Supply Chain Excellence Awards.

Get in touchGet in touch

Why work with SCCG

Independent of software vendors, resellers and implementation partners
Requirements first - a functional specification before any vendor conversation
Director-led projects, with the people who scope the work involved in running it
Client-side project management through configuration, migration, testing and go-live
Experience across WMS, TMS, demand planning, reporting and analytics, and ERP integration
700+ projects delivered across more than 50 countries

700+

Projects completed

400+

Clients

10+

Awards

50+

Countries worked in

Supply Chain Systems FAQs

Do you recommend specific software vendors?

SCCG evaluates the market against your requirements and presents a scored shortlist with a clear recommendation. What SCCG does not do is hold reseller agreements or take commission from any vendor, so the recommendation is based on fit rather than a commercial relationship.

Do you implement the system yourselves?

No. SCCG works client-side, managing the vendor or systems integrator against the agreed specification through configuration, data migration, testing and go-live. That separation is deliberate: it keeps SCCG able to hold the implementer to account.

Can you help if we have already chosen a system?

Yes. SCCG is frequently brought in after selection to write the functional specification, manage the implementation client-side, or recover a project that has drifted.

Can our ERP do this, or do we need a specialist system?

It depends on operational complexity rather than business size. Modern ERPs handle straightforward warehousing and inventory adequately. Where picking is complex, throughput is high, or automation is involved, a dedicated WMS usually earns its cost. SCCG assesses this as part of requirements definition.

What data do you need from us to get started?

Typically process documentation, current system configuration, order and inventory data, and access to the people who actually run the operation. SCCG will tell you early where your data and process definition are solid and where they need work before a system project can succeed.

Our professional UK-based supply chain consultants provide practical insight into system selection, WMS and TMS implementation, and supply chain technology.