Warehouse & Supply Chain Systems That Actually Ship on Time.
Manhattan PKMS and WMS implementations fail not because Manhattan lacks capability — it is the most feature-rich warehouse management platform available — but because implementations are configured for the textbook warehouse rather than the real one: your specific slotting rules, your carrier compliance requirements, your labour productivity models, your RF gun workflows, and your host system integration constraints. On the AS400 side, organisations running IBMi carry decades of mission-critical business logic in RPG, COBOL, and CL that cannot simply be switched off — but can be modernised, extended, and integrated with modern systems without the existential risk of a full rewrite. Sourcemash's supply chain and IBMi practice works at both ends: the Manhattan layer and the AS400 layer, as a single accountable partner.
Manhattan WMS & IBMi. One Accountable Partner.
Sourcemash holds deep expertise across the full Manhattan Associates portfolio — PKMS (Pick, Pack, and Ship), Manhattan WMS for Open Systems, Warehouse Labor Management (WLM), Slotting Optimisation, and the newer Active Omni and WMOS cloud platforms — as well as the full IBMi and AS400 technical stack from RPG ILE and RPG/400 through COBOL, CL/400, DB2 for i, EGL, RPGLE, and green screen modernisation to web and API layers.
We are a supply chain technology partner — not a generalist SI that treats Manhattan as one of thirty platforms it nominally supports. Our team includes Manhattan-certified Architects, Functional Consultants, and IBMi developers who have spent careers in warehouse and distribution environments and understand the difference between a textbook WMS configuration and one that works in a real DC at peak season volumes.
Platform Coverage
Certifications & Expertise Held
Service 01
Manhattan WMS Implementation & Configuration
A Manhattan WMS implementation configured correctly from the start — process-mapped before a single wave template is built, slotting logic designed before a single location type is defined, carrier compliance rules modelled before a single label format is configured — produces fundamentally different operational outcomes from one that starts with out-of-box defaults and expects the distribution centre to adapt to the software. Sourcemash's WMS implementation methodology is operation-first: we begin every engagement by mapping the actual inbound, putaway, replenishment, picking, packing, and outbound processes at your specific DC — your actual SKU velocity distribution, your real carrier compliance requirements, your existing labour model, and your host system data quality constraints — not the textbook warehouse that Manhattan's standard configuration assumes.
We implement Manhattan WMS across the full functional scope — from ASN receipt and directed putaway for inbound, through zone-picking, batch-picking, cluster-picking, and pick-and-pass configurations for outbound, through cartonisation, manifesting, and parcel sortation for shipping. We configure WMS to match your actual operation: your specific slotting rules with velocity-based replenishment triggers, your actual wave release logic with order-type and carrier cut-time constraints, your real RF workflow mapped to your existing scanner hardware — rather than the out-of-box WMS defaults that optimise for the demo warehouse rather than your 300,000-square-foot distribution centre at peak.
What Our WMS Implementations Cover
End-to-end Manhattan WMS functional areas configured and deployed by our team
Inbound & Receiving
ASN-based receiving, blind receiving, PO-based receiving, directed putaway with configurable slotting rules, cross-docking logic, vendor compliance scoring, and damage inspection workflows including quarantine routing and vendor chargeback generation.
Picking & Fulfilment
Zone-picking, batch-picking, cluster-picking, pick-and-pass, pick-to-light, pick-to-voice, and RF-directed picking configurations. Wave management with order-type and carrier cut-time logic, cartonisation rules, and priority order handling for VIP and SLA-constrained orders.
Outbound & Shipping
Packing station configuration, manifesting and carrier label generation, parcel sortation logic, trailer loading and yard management, BOL generation, outbound EDI 856 ASN transmission, and carrier rate shopping integration for multi-carrier operations.
Slotting Optimisation
Velocity-based slotting analysis and location assignment, ergonomics-weighted pick path optimisation, golden zone utilisation, seasonal re-slotting workflows, and Manhattan Slotting Optimisation module configuration with automated re-slot recommendation generation.
Labour Management (WLM)
Manhattan Warehouse Labour Management configuration including engineered labour standards (ELS) per task type, indirect task tracking, associate productivity dashboards, incentive pay calculation, and supervisory visibility tools with real-time pick rate and productivity monitoring.
Replenishment & Inventory
Min/max replenishment, demand-driven replenishment with pick face top-off, cycle counting by location class, ABC analysis-driven count frequency, inventory adjustment workflows with reason code tracking, and LPN (Licence Plate Number) management for pallet and carton tracking.
Service 02
Manhattan PKMS & Specialised Distribution
Manhattan PKMS (Pick, Pack, and Ship) has been the platform of choice for complex distribution operations — particularly in retail, grocery, 3PL, and high-velocity e-commerce fulfilment environments — for decades, and the depth of its PKMS functional layer (custom pick strategies, value-added services, carton content management, store-friendly sequencing, retail compliance packing) means that a PKMS implementation requires a level of functional expertise that generic WMS consultants do not possess. Sourcemash's PKMS practice is built around consultants who have spent years in PKMS implementations for retailers, grocery distributors, and 3PLs operating at scale.
We configure PKMS for the full range of distribution models: store replenishment with store-sequenced pick batches and retail compliance requirements, e-commerce fulfilment with SLA-driven wave release and parcel manifesting, 3PL multi-client configurations with client-specific pick strategies and billing capture, and hybrid omnichannel operations that route the same inventory to both store and direct-to-consumer channels from a shared warehouse without creating inventory conflicts or SLA collisions.
PKMS Capabilities We Configure
Functional areas and technical configuration layers within Manhattan PKMS
icon Custom Pick Strategies
Zone-wave, batch-zone, cluster pick, aisle-sweep, and pick-to-belt strategy configuration with order-type routing rules that direct different order profiles to the appropriate pick strategy automatically based on carrier, SLA tier, and order size.
icon Store-Friendly Fulfilment
Store-sequenced picking batches, compliance packing rules by retailer (Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Kroger), SSCC label generation, pallet configuration per store and trailer position, and ASN transmission that satisfies retailer-specific EDI requirements without manual intervention.
Value-Added Services (VAS)
Kitting and de-kitting workflows, price ticketing by retailer, garment-on-hanger processing, gift wrap and personalisation stations, product labelling and repackaging, and VAS billing capture for 3PL operations that need to charge clients per VAS task performed.
icon Returns Management
RMA receipt and grading workflows, disposition routing by condition (restock, re-pack, salvage, destroy), credit memo generation, donor return integration for donated inventory, and returns analytics dashboards that identify return rate patterns by SKU, carrier, and channel.
Carton Content Management
Mixed-SKU carton building rules, carton type assignment by weight and dimension, carton content label design for retailer compliance, master carton and inner pack tracking through the pick and pack process, and carton-level serialisation for high-value product tracking requirements.
icon 3PL Multi-Client Configuration
Client partitioning at inventory, location, and reporting levels, client-specific pick strategies and branding, packing materials management by client, billing module configuration for per-transaction, per-pick, and per-SKU billing capture, and client portal access to their inventory and order data in real time.
Service 03
AS400 / IBMi Development & Engineering
The IBM AS400 — now the IBM i platform (IBMi) running on IBM Power Systems — is one of the most stable and capable enterprise computing platforms ever built, and organisations that run it carry decades of mission-critical business logic in RPG, COBOL, and CL programs that were written correctly the first time and have run without modification for twenty years because they did not need to be changed. The platform's reliability is a strength — but it also means that development on IBMi requires developers who understand the platform's architecture: the integrated file system (IFS), the DB2 for i database engine, the job scheduler, the message queuing system, the *LIBL (Library List) object model, and the difference between RPG/400, RPG III, RPG IV (RPGLE), and free-format RPG that modern IBMi development uses.
Sourcemash's IBMi development team brings that depth of platform knowledge. We write RPG ILE and free-format RPGLE that uses service programs, activation groups, and binding directories correctly — not RPG that technically compiles but uses deprecated fixed-format RPG patterns that make maintenance difficult. We design DB2/400 physical and logical file structures and SQL views that perform well at volume. We build CL programs and data queues that integrate correctly with the job scheduler and message handling subsystems. And we integrate the AS400 layer with modern host systems through REST APIs, MQ Series message queuing, XML/JSON transformation, and direct database replication — without requiring the IBMi to be replaced.
IBMi / AS400 Development Services We Deliver
The full scope of IBM i platform development work our team performs
RPG ILE & Free-Format RPGLE
New development, enhancements, and legacy RPG conversions to modern RPGLE. Modular service program design using binding directories, subprocedures, and activation group strategies for maintainable enterprise code.
CL Programming & Automation
CL/400, CLP, and CLLE program development for job scheduling, batch automation, operator messaging, subsystem management, and data area manipulation. SBMJOB, WRKJOBSCDE, data queue processing, and complex multi-step batch job stream design with error handling and restart logic.
DB2 for i Database & SQL
Physical file (PF) and logical file (LF) design using DDS, SQL DDL table and view creation, index design for query optimisation, stored procedure and function development, trigger programs for data integrity enforcement, and database monitoring including journal-based change data capture for integration feeds.
Green Screen (DSPF) Development
New DDS display file (DSPF) development for operator-facing green screen applications, including subfile design for list displays, record format definition, indicator logic, and screen navigation. Maintenance and enhancement of existing green screen applications that remain in production without requiring modernisation.
PRTF & Report Development
Printer file (PRTF) and report development using DDS and RPG PRTF overlay techniques, including complex multi-section reports, conditional formatting, bar code printing (Code 128, QR, GS1-128), and ZPL/Zebra label design for warehouse and shipping label output from IBMi.
COBOL & Legacy Maintenance
Maintenance, enhancement, and bug-fixing of existing COBOL, RPG III, and RPG/400 programs that are not candidates for modernisation but require ongoing changes to support business process changes, regulatory updates, or integration with new systems — without introducing regressions into stable production code.
IBMi Technology Stack We Work Across
Our IBMi team works at every layer of the platform — from OS/400 and IBM i operating system commands through the full development tool set including RDi (Rational Developer for i), PDM, SEU, SDA, RLU, and modern SQL tools — and across all IBM Power Systems hardware generations from legacy AS400 9401/9404 through current IBM Power10 LPAR environments.
Service 04
IBMi Modernisation & Web Enablement
IBMi modernisation is one of the most misunderstood areas in enterprise technology. The answer to a green screen interface that users hate is not necessarily a full-platform rewrite that costs ten times as much, takes three times as long as planned, and carries significant business risk — it is almost always possible to modernise the user experience of an IBMi application while retaining the battle-tested business logic in the programs that users interact with, by wrapping the existing program layer with a web or mobile front-end that communicates with the IBMi via service programs or REST APIs.
Sourcemash's IBMi modernisation practice takes a pragmatic approach: we assess each component of the existing IBMi application for its modernisation risk, business logic stability, and user impact, and recommend the minimum-risk path to the desired end state — which is rarely a big-bang replacement. For high-stability business logic that should never change, we wrap it with APIs and keep it running on the IBMi. For green screen interfaces that create operator frustration and training barriers, we build Angular, React, or low-code web interfaces that call the existing programs. For batch processes that need to run faster, we tune the DB2/400 query layer and job schedule rather than replacing the programs. And for genuine platform migrations — to WMOS, Oracle WMS, or cloud ERP — we plan and execute them in phases with parallel running periods that protect the business.
Modernisation Approaches We Execute
The specific modernisation patterns our IBMi architects design and deliver
Green Screen to Browser UI
Replacement of 5250/green screen interfaces with browser-based web UIs built in Angular, React, or IBM's own Open Source tools (Node.js on IBM i), while retaining the underlying RPG business logic — eliminating the training barrier, the terminal emulator cost, and the operator frustration of green screen without the risk of re-implementing battle-tested business logic.
REST API Exposure of RPG Programs
Wrapping existing RPG ILE service programs with REST API interfaces using IBM i's native HTTP server (Apache) and Integrated Web Services, or Node.js/Express running on IFS — enabling modern applications, mobile apps, and integration platforms to call AS400 business logic via standard HTTP/JSON without rewriting the programs themselves.
IBM i Cloud Hosting & LPAR Migration
Migration of on-premises AS400 hardware to cloud-hosted IBM i environments — Skytap on Azure, IBM Cloud Power Virtual Servers, or Connectria managed IBM i hosting — reducing hardware maintenance costs and end-of-life hardware risk while maintaining the IBM i operating environment and all existing programs without modification.
Manhattan PKMS to WMOS Migration
Phased migration from Manhattan PKMS (legacy platform) to Manhattan Active WM (WMOS — cloud-native platform) with parallel running periods, data migration tooling, process re-mapping for the WMOS functional model differences, host system re-integration, and user training. Executed in phases by functional area to reduce go-live risk rather than a big-bang cutover.
Service 05
Integration, EDI & Host System Connectivity
Manhattan WMS and AS400-based warehouse systems do not operate in isolation — they receive orders from ERPs and OMS platforms, they send ASNs and shipping confirmations to retailers and carriers, they exchange inventory updates with procurement systems, and they feed operational data to BI and reporting platforms. The integration layer is where most WMS implementations either succeed or fail: a WMS that receives orders reliably, sends status updates in real time, and handles host system exceptions gracefully is a warehouse that ships accurately; a WMS with unreliable integration is a warehouse that ships late, generates chargebacks, and requires manual order management to compensate for integration failures.
Sourcemash builds WMS and AS400 integration using the approach that fits each specific host system and data exchange requirement — not a one-size-fits-all middleware platform. For EDI trading partner requirements (retailer, carrier, and 3PL EDI), we implement AS2, SFTP, VAN, and direct EDI connections with the specific document standards (850, 856, 810, 940, 943, 944, 945, 997) and mapping requirements of each trading partner. For ERP and OMS integration, we use REST APIs, message queuing (IBM MQ, RabbitMQ), direct DB2/400 triggers, or middleware platforms (MuleSoft, IBM App Connect) depending on the latency, reliability, and bidirectionality requirements of each data flow.
EDI & Integration Connectors We Build
Trading partner and system connectors our WMS integration team has built and maintains
Service 06
WMS Reporting, Analytics & Performance Intelligence
Manhattan WMS and AS400 systems generate an enormous volume of operational data — every pick, every putaway, every label printed, every wave released, every carrier scan — that most organisations are not capturing or analysing at the granularity needed to actually drive DC productivity improvements. Standard WMS reports tell you what happened; warehouse performance intelligence tells you why it happened and what to do about it. A DC Director who can see yesterday's pick rate per associate, per zone, per shift, and per order type — compared against engineered labour standards with variance highlighting — is managing their operation differently from one who sees only a total picks-per-day number.
Sourcemash builds warehouse reporting and analytics on top of Manhattan WMS and AS400 source data using a combination of direct DB2/400 data extraction, Manhattan's native reporting capabilities, and BI platforms (Power BI, Tableau, Looker) for management dashboards. We extract WMS operational data to a data warehouse or reporting database, model it into dimensional schemas that support the specific KPIs warehouse operations require — fill rate, on-time shipment rate, lines per man-hour, dock-to-stock time, order cycle time by carrier, inventory accuracy post-cycle-count — and build dashboards that operations managers, warehouse directors, and supply chain executives can act on without needing to know how to query a DB2/400 database.
Analytics Dashboards & Tools We Build
The specific reporting and analytics capabilities Sourcemash delivers on WMS and IBMi data
icon DC Operations Dashboard
Real-time dashboard showing current wave status, open orders by SLA tier and carrier cut-off, pick rate vs target by zone, dock door assignments, and outbound trailer loading progress — giving operations managers a live view of DC status without having to query the WMS directly.
icon Labour Productivity Analytics
Associate-level productivity reporting showing picks per hour, idle time percentage, task completion rates, and variance from engineered labour standards — with trend lines by shift and associate to support performance management conversations and identify training needs before they become retention problems.
icon Carrier & SLA Performance
On-time shipment rate by carrier, service level, and order type, with trend analysis and carrier scorecard generation for carrier performance reviews. Late shipment root cause classification by WMS processing stage — whether lateness originated in wave release, pick, pack, or manifesting — for targeted operations improvement.
icon Inventory Intelligence
SKU velocity analysis, dead stock identification, inventory accuracy by location class and zone, cycle count compliance rate, shrink tracking by location and product category, and slotting re-assignment recommendations generated automatically based on velocity changes — reducing manual slotting analysis effort.
icon Retailer Compliance Scorecard
Chargeback tracking and root cause analysis for retailer compliance failures — late ASN, wrong label format, non-compliant packing, incorrect carton count — with drill-down to the specific order, packing station, and operator responsible for each chargeback event, enabling targeted compliance improvement rather than broad re-training.
icon IBMi Batch & System Health
AS400 system performance monitoring including job queue depth, long-running query identification, batch job completion time trends, QBATCH job failure alerts, spool file accumulation monitoring, and DB2/400 journal receiver sizing alerts — keeping IBMi system health visible to IT operations without requiring constant manual WRKSYSSTS checks.
Service 07
Manhattan WMS & AS400 Managed Support
A Manhattan WMS installation and an AS400-based warehouse operation are not projects with go-live dates after which they are complete — they are living production systems that require ongoing support, enhancement, and configuration management to remain aligned with the business as carrier networks change, as retailer compliance requirements evolve, as new DCs are opened, and as the product catalogue changes in ways that require slotting adjustments, new cartonisation rules, and updated pack configuration. Organisations that lack dedicated WMS and IBMi expertise either let the systems stagnate, make undocumented configuration changes that create regression incidents, or attempt to maintain their WMS as a secondary responsibility for IT generalists who do not understand the platform deeply enough to make safe changes.
Sourcemash's Managed Support service provides organisations with dedicated Manhattan WMS and IBMi expertise on a monthly retainer basis — a named Sourcemash resource who knows your DC configuration, your host system integration topology, your IBMi library structure, and your operational processes, and provides ongoing support, enhancement delivery, and incident response across your WMS and AS400 environment. Available at three tiers calibrated to the size and complexity of your operation.
What Managed Support Covers
The ongoing WMS and IBMi administration, development, and support services included in our retainers
icon Incident & Break-Fix Response
SLA-backed response and resolution for production WMS and AS400 incidents — wave processing failures, integration errors, print queue failures, EDI transmission rejections, RF device connectivity issues, and IBMi batch job failures — with root cause analysis documentation after each major incident.
icon WMS Configuration & Enhancement
Ongoing WMS configuration changes from your enhancement backlog — new carrier configurations, zone and location updates, wave template adjustments, label format changes for new retailer requirements, new pick strategy configuration, and report additions — delivered in weekly release cycles with change documentation.
icon IBMi Development Capacity
Allocated monthly IBMi development hours for RPG, COBOL, and CL program changes, new interface development, DB2/400 query optimisation, and integration modifications — included in Tier 2 and Tier 3 retainers so that development requests are handled within the retainer rather than requiring separate project engagements for every program change.
icon Integration Monitoring & Maintenance
Proactive monitoring of all EDI and API integration flows — order inbound, ASN outbound, inventory sync, and status update feeds — with automated alerting on failure and same-day resolution for trading partner EDI rejections. Trading partner onboarding for new retailer and carrier connections as part of retainer scope.
icon System Health Monitoring
Proactive AS400 system health monitoring — job queue depths, long-running queries, QBATCH failures, DB2/400 journal management, spool file management, CPU and memory utilisation trends, and storage capacity monitoring — with monthly health reports and proactive recommendations before issues become production incidents.
icon User Training & Knowledge Transfer
Ongoing training for new DC supervisors, WMS administrators, and IBMi operators — covering WMS wave management, RF device troubleshooting, WMS reporting, and basic IBMi operations — so that your internal team's capability grows over time rather than remaining permanently dependent on external support for every operational question.
The Full IBMi & Warehouse Technology Stack
Every technology layer our team works across — from IBM i OS commands through WMS functional configuration to BI and integration platforms.
Our WMS Implementation Methodology
A delivery process designed for distribution centres — not software projects. Every phase produces a working, testable, operations-team-validated output before the next phase begins.
DC Operations Discovery & Process Mapping
On-site engagement at your distribution centre — walking the floor with operations leadership, mapping every inbound and outbound process including exceptions and workarounds, analysing SKU velocity data and slotting, inventorying RF hardware and label printer infrastructure, and reviewing existing WMS configuration gaps that created the current pain points. Produces a functional specification and configuration blueprint before a single WMS parameter is changed.
WMS Configuration & IBMi Development
Configuration of Manhattan WMS parameters, wave templates, zone and pick strategy setup, label format design, and host system interface development in a dedicated development environment. IBMi program development runs in parallel where host system interfaces require new RPG or CL programs. Weekly configuration demos with operations team leads for validation and feedback — no surprises at User Acceptance Testing.
Integration Build & End-to-End Testing
EDI and API integration development and testing against host systems (ERP, OMS, TMS) in the development environment, followed by end-to-end integration testing with real order and inventory data from the host system. EDI trading partner testing with retailer and carrier test environments. Integration failure scenarios tested and exception handling validated before User Acceptance Testing begins.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) & Pilot
Structured UAT with DC operations team leads covering every functional area — receiving, putaway, replenishment, picking, packing, manifesting, and inventory management — using real DC scenarios including peak-volume simulations, exception scenarios (short picks, damaged receipts, carrier label failures), and compliance pack tests for key retail trading partners. Defects triaged and resolved before pilot go-live.
Go-Live & Hypercare
On-site go-live support with Sourcemash team members on the DC floor for the first two to four weeks — supporting RF operators, resolving configuration issues as they arise in live operations, monitoring integration feeds in real time, and providing operations leadership with daily status reports. Hypercare transitions to managed support retainer or reduced engagement model once the DC is operating stably at full volume.
WMS & IBMi by Industry
We have implemented Manhattan WMS and built AS400 solutions across the industries where warehouse and supply chain technology matters most — each with distinct compliance requirements, carrier networks, and operational models that a generalist SI will get wrong.
- Retailer-specific EDI (Walmart, Target, Kroger, Costco)
- SSCC pallet labelling and ASN compliance
- Store-sequenced pick batches for DC-to-store delivery
- Floor-ready merchandise packing and ticketing
- Seasonal peak DC configuration and labour scaling
- Chargeback reduction through compliance automation
- Client partitioning at inventory and location level
- Client-specific pick strategies and branding
- 3PL billing capture per transaction and task type
- Client portal for inventory and order visibility
- Multi-carrier manifesting for client-controlled carriers
- SLA tier management across multiple client contracts
- SLA-driven wave release for next-day and same-day orders
- Carrier rate shopping and label generation at scale
- Returns management and reverse logistics workflows
- Gift wrap, personalisation, and VAS packing stations
- Inventory accuracy for high-SKU assortments
- Shopify, Magento, and OMS integration via REST
- Raw material receipt and quality hold workflows
- JD Edwards and SAP ERP integration for PO receipt
- WIP (Work-in-Progress) inventory tracking
- Finished goods outbound and customer compliance
- Serial number and lot tracking through the WMS layer
- IBMi integration with legacy plant systems
- Lot and expiry tracking for pharmaceutical distribution
- FIFO and FEFO picking enforcement
- Cold-chain temperature zone management
- DEA controlled substance segregation and audit trail
- FDA 21 CFR Part 11 electronic record requirements
- Recall and quarantine workflow configuration
- Legacy RPG and COBOL core banking system support
- IBMi-based claims processing and policy administration
- DB2/400 reporting and regulatory data extraction
- Green screen modernisation for loan origination systems
- AS400-to-cloud integration for digital banking layers
- Mainframe and IBMi co-existence architectures
What Our WMS & IBMi Clients Achieve
Measured operational outcomes from Sourcemash Manhattan WMS and AS400 implementations — not estimates, not marketing claims, but results our clients have reported from live production environments.
What Our WMS & IBMi Clients Say
Sourcemash understood our DC from day one — they walked our floor, watched our operators pick, and designed the wave templates around how we actually work, not around a textbook. Our chargebacks dropped by 40% in the first six months after go-live, which was the single biggest ROI driver in the business case.
We had 30 years of business logic in RPG programs on our AS400 that nobody wanted to touch. Sourcemash's team came in, understood the code, made the changes we needed without breaking anything, and then wrapped the critical programs with REST APIs so our new e-commerce platform could call them directly. Exactly what we needed.
The Manhattan PKMS implementation was the most complex project our DC had ever undertaken — three clients, two pick strategies, and a Walmart EDI certification all on the same timeline. Sourcemash hit every milestone and went live on the original date. The team on the floor during hypercare made the difference.
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