Configuration vs Customization

Running a 3PL is one of the hardest jobs in the world. If you have 100 different clients each with 100 different products and each product requires its own process flow, the complexity is close to out of control. That’s why we don’t write customer one-offs for specific requirements.

Configuration vs Customization

Ramp is Configuration Driven vs Code Driven.

We have a single code base for all of our customers. We never customize it for specific customer needs. The product is built to provide, out of the box, industry 3PL specific capabilities that allows an infinite number of configurations to meet precise processing requirements. This extensibility allows for new relationships to other systems, products and trading partners without specific code changes.

Instead, we make 100% of all attributes (date codes, pallet IDs, SKUs, etc.) infinitely configurable. Required changes are made at the server or client (hand-held device) levels. This gives us and you the ability to change specific item/order process flow to meet just about any requirement or circumstance without changing the source code.

No matter what a particular request is, our answer is always ‘yes’. This includes dynamic reporting…you can make reports (like BOLs) appear just as prefered with a few, simple alterations to RF devices or your server. It can be different for every customer, product or service. No limitations.

While all 3PL WMS Systems say they are flexible and adaptable to the varying and changing demands of multiple shippers. So is Ramp. But Ramp’s is completed with configurations, not custom code.

Configuration provides the best option to meet business requirements, control costs, and ensure long-term viability of software solutions.

• Customize: “Write new code (programs, class files, scripts) in the software that meet specific requirements.” This requires separate code and code support which adds time and money to maintain the system.
• Configure: “To use tools in the application to meet specific requirements without the use of custom code or by making changes the code base.”

What are the costs of customization?

So why not customize your WMS and ERP software?

Custom projects are expensive in both money and time. It takes time to define functional changes, more time to build and test and even more time and money when it’s time to upgrade to new core versions of the system. Significant custom project can often extend over months and even years.

Every customization requires its own care and feeding. The entire system is dependent on making custom code fit in. It becomes more inflexible and burdensome as time goes on. The system also suffers a loss of value because every new client is subject to running and supporting the custom code along with the core software.

Professionals Are Always Available for Configuration Tasks

The Ramp professional services team is always available to make configuration changes quickly. This team has a deep familiarity and understanding of the software and the 3PL processing environment. And we respond promptly. Changes are usually made less than a day or a week.

Onboarding new customers is also easily accomplished usually in a matter of days or weeks because of Ramp’s extensibility.