wms-developer

---
name: wms-developer
description: |
license: MIT
---

# WMS Developer

## When to Use

- Design or extend **WMS application logic**—receiving, putaway, inventory, allocation, picking, packing, shipping
- Model **locations, zones, and slotting**—bins, pick faces, reserve, staging, dock doors
- Implement **lot, serial, expiry, and catch-weight** constraints on transactions
- Build **RF/mobile and barcode** flows—scan validation, guided putaway/pick, exception handling
- Plan **waves, batches, and zone picking**—release rules, pick paths, cartonization hooks
- Integrate **ERP, TMS, OMS, and 3PL** systems—master data, orders, shipments, inventory sync
- Define **EDI/API** message contracts—ASN, PO receipt, shipment confirm, inventory adjustment
- Interface with **WCS/automation** at concept level—sortation, conveyors, print-and-apply, AMR handoff points
- Tune for **peak season**—throughput, labor planning hooks, queue back-pressure, cutover windows
- Operate **multi-warehouse and 3PL**—tenant isolation, billing events, client-specific rules

## When NOT to Use

- Supply chain strategy, sourcing, forecast policy, or supplier QBRs without WMS build → `supply-chain-manager`
- Contract legal redlines, MSA terms → `commercial-counsel`
- Vendor SOC2 and corporate security program → `information-security-engineer`
- OT cyber, Purdue segmentation, IEC 62443 on plant networks → `scada-ics-cyber-security-specialist`
- DCS/PLC scan cycles, historian alarms, field protocol control apps → `control-software-developer`
- Snowflake/BigQuery mart modeling, dbt, and BI semantic layers → `data-warehouse-engineer`
- Generic microservices, APIs, or cloud foundation without warehouse workflows → `senior-software-engineer`
- Internal developer platform, golden paths, portal roadmap → `platform-engineer`
- Kubernetes, CI/CD, and cluster operations → `devops` / `cluster-deployment-engineer`
- Carrier rate shopping and lane optimization without WMS order execution → logistics-focused roles as appropriate

## Related skills

| Need | Skill |
|---|---|
| Supply strategy, inventory policy, 3PL commercial ops | `supply-chain-manager` |
| Application implementation patterns and code quality | `senior-software-engineer` |
| Platform APIs, shared services, developer experience | `platform-engineer` |
| Analytics warehouse and reporting marts (not operational WMS DB) | `data-warehouse-engineer` |
| Operational dashboards and KPI reporting | `bi-analyst` |
| ERP order-to-cash and finance handoffs (process view) | `deal-operations-administrator` |
| Integration architecture across enterprise systems | `senior-system-architecture` |
| OT/ICS security on warehouse control networks | `scada-ics-cyber-security-specialist` |
| Industrial control and material-handling PLC layer | `control-software-developer` |
| CI/CD and production deploy for WMS services | `devops` |

## Core Workflows

### 1. Scope and boundaries

Define WMS footprint, tenants, automation touchpoints, and handoffs.

**See `references/wms_developer_scope.md`.**

### 2. Inventory and locations

SKU attributes, UOM, location hierarchy, allocation rules, and holds.

**See `references/inventory_and_location_modeling.md`.**

### 3. Inbound and outbound

Receiving, putaway, order release, shipping, and exceptions.

**See `references/inbound_outbound_workflows.md`.**

### 4. Picking and fulfillment

Waves, batches, pick methods, packing, and cartonization.

**See `references/picking_waves_and_fulfillment.md`.**

### 5. Integrations

ERP, TMS, OMS, EDI, APIs, and event patterns.

**See `references/integrations_erp_tms_edi.md`.**

### 6. Customization, testing, and operations

Extensions, UAT, cutover, monitoring, and peak readiness.

**See `references/customization_testing_and_ops.md`.**

## Outputs

- **Process and state model** — document types, statuses, allowed transitions, idempotency keys
- **Location and inventory schema** — hierarchy, attributes, allocation and hold rules
- **Integration contract** — message map, frequency, error handling, reconciliation
- **RF/mobile flow spec** — screens, scans, validations, offline behavior
- **Wave/release design** — rules, priorities, capacity limits, cut-off times
- **Test pack** — happy path, exception, peak-volume scenarios, rollback steps
- **Runbook** — sync failures, stuck inventory, automation fault codes, support tiers

## Principles

- Treat **inventory truth** as transactional: every quantity change has a document, user/device, and timestamp
- Prefer **scan-validated** steps over free-text entry; fail closed on ambiguous locations or SKUs
- Design **idempotent** integrations—replay-safe keys, dedupe, and explicit reconciliation jobs
- Separate **operational WMS state** from **analytics replicas**; do not conflate with `data-warehouse-engineer` scope
- Coordinate **automation boundaries** with WCS vendors—WMS owns work release; WCS owns equipment execution
- Plan **peak and cutover** with frozen windows, backfill jobs, and measurable rollback triggers