If you’ve been researching Körber WMS, you may have noticed some confusion around the name. The product has a layered history: it started life as HighJump WMS, became K.Motion WMS under Körber Supply Chain, and in March 2025 rebranded again as Infios following a corporate restructure. The core warehouse management system remains the same platform, but the name has changed. For businesses evaluating this system today, that context matters. This guide covers what Körber WMS does, how it works, who it suits, and where a purpose-built UK alternative might serve you better.
The global warehouse management system market is on a rapid growth trajectory, forecast to exceed USD 10 billion by 2030 as businesses of all sizes invest in smarter warehouse management solutions. That growth brings more vendor choice, which makes understanding individual platforms more important than ever.
What is Körber WMS and how does it work?
Körber WMS is an enterprise-grade warehouse management system originally developed by HighJump Software and later acquired by Körber AG, a German technology conglomerate. The system sits within the broader Körber Supply Chain software portfolio, which also covers transportation management, order management, and yard management.
At its core, the WMS controls all movement of goods within a warehouse. It directs staff and equipment using rules-based logic: where to store incoming stock, which pick path minimises travel time, how to consolidate orders into efficient pick waves. The system connects to warehouse hardware — barcode scanners, RFID readers, conveyor systems, pick-to-light and voice-directed picking units — and integrates upward with ERP platforms and carrier management software.
Key functional areas of Körber WMS
The platform covers the following warehouse processing layers:
- Inbound receiving: goods receipt by PO, ASN, or blind receiving; label printing; immediate inventory capture at pallet, case, or unit level
- Directed putaway: rule-based putaway strategies that automatically assign stock to locations based on zone, velocity, product family, hazard classification, or available space
- Inventory control: real-time bin-level tracking with lot, serial number, and expiry date management; cycle counting by zone or ABC classification
- Order picking: single-order, batch, zone, and wave picking with support for voice, scan, and pick-to-light direction
- Packing and despatch: packing workstation workflows, cartonisation, carrier label generation, and shipping confirmation
- Labour management: task interleaving, engineered standards, and productivity reporting
- Returns processing: inbound returns assessment, grading, and restocking or quarantine routing
For a full picture of the current product under its new identity, the Infios WMS page covers the platform’s current positioning and capabilities.
Is Körber WMS now called Infios?
Yes. In March 2025, Körber Supply Chain Software rebranded as Infios. The rebrand consolidated the Körber supply chain software business — including the WMS, TMS, and OMS products — under a single brand identity independent of the parent Körber AG group. If you encounter references to Körber WMS, K.Motion WMS, or HighJump WMS, they all describe the same product lineage now trading as Infios.
Practically speaking, existing customers on Körber/K.Motion contracts are transitioning to Infios support and licensing structures. Businesses beginning a WMS evaluation now will engage directly with Infios as the vendor. The rebrand does not change the underlying software architecture, but it does signal a strategic move to position the platform as an independent supply chain software business rather than a division of a manufacturing conglomerate.
It’s worth noting this during your evaluation. When you read older reviews, case studies, or analyst reports, the product names Körber, K.Motion, and HighJump all refer to the same lineage. User reviews on platforms such as Capterra span the full naming history of the product, which can make version and feature comparisons tricky.
What is directed putaway in a WMS?
Directed putaway is one of the most valuable features in any warehouse management system, and it’s an area where Körber WMS has historically been strong. Rather than leaving staff to decide where to store incoming stock, the WMS assigns a specific location automatically based on rules you configure.
In practice, those rules might specify: fast-moving items go to ground-level pick-face locations near the despatch area; cold chain products go to refrigerated zones; hazardous goods go to a designated COSHH bay; oversized pallets go to wide-aisle racking. The system evaluates each incoming SKU against the rule set and instructs the operator’s handheld device to take the stock to a precise bin.
The benefits are straightforward. Putaway time falls because operators don’t hunt for space. Pick travel distances drop because fast movers end up where they should be. Inventory accuracy improves because every movement is scanned and confirmed. In a busy 3PL environment handling multiple clients with different product types, directed putaway rules can be configured at the client level, so each client’s stock follows its own storage logic.
If you’re evaluating any WMS platform, understanding warehouse mapping and how it interacts with putaway rules is a good starting point. The layout of your warehouse directly determines the quality of the putaway strategies you can build.
Körber WMS: picking and packing automation features
Order picking is typically the most labour-intensive activity in a warehouse, often accounting for 50–60% of total warehouse operating costs. WMS platforms that reduce unnecessary travel and motion during picking deliver measurable returns. Körber WMS supports a range of picking methods designed to match the picking strategy to the order profile.
Picking methods supported
- Discrete picking: one picker fulfils one order at a time, straightforward and accurate, best for low-volume or specialist pick environments
- Batch picking: one picker fulfils multiple orders in a single pass through the warehouse, reducing travel for simple single-SKU orders
- Zone picking: the warehouse divides into zones and pickers work only within their zone; orders accumulate items as they pass through each zone
- Wave picking: the WMS releases groups of orders simultaneously based on carrier cut-off times, dock door assignments, or order priority, co-ordinating pick, pack, and despatch as a managed flow
- Voice-directed picking: operators receive verbal pick instructions through a headset, leaving both hands free; this is common in high-volume grocery and FMCG environments
- Pick-to-light: light displays on racking bays guide operators to the correct pick location, reducing cognitive load and speeding up repetitive multi-SKU picks
On the packing side, the system supports packing workstation workflows with cartonisation logic — the WMS suggests the right box size based on the items being packed — and generates carrier labels and shipping confirmations automatically. This removes manual steps from the pack bench and reduces the risk of mis-packed shipments.
Automation integrations
Körber WMS connects to automated systems including goods-to-person conveyors, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), and robotic picking arms. For large distribution centres processing tens of thousands of lines per day, these integrations can substantially reduce labour costs. For smaller or mid-sized operations, the complexity and cost of setting up these integrations is a significant consideration.
Körber supply chain solutions overview
Körber (now Infios) sells the WMS as part of a broader supply chain execution suite. The full portfolio includes:
- Warehouse Management System (WMS): the core stock control and warehouse processing platform
- Transportation Management System (TMS): route optimisation, carrier selection, freight cost management, and proof of delivery
- Order Management System (OMS): omnichannel order orchestration, ATP (available to promise) logic, and returns management
- Yard Management System (YMS): inbound trailer scheduling, dock door assignment, and yard inventory visibility
- Distributed Order Management: fulfilment from multiple nodes, including stores, DCs, and third-party locations
For large enterprises running complex, multi-node distribution networks, the appeal of a single vendor covering WMS, TMS, and OMS is clear. However, this breadth also raises the question of whether a business actually needs all of those modules — and whether paying for a platform at that scale makes sense when the requirement is focused warehouse management.
Third-party reviews collected on platforms such as Software Connect and from Körber implementation partners note that the platform performs well in large, complex environments but that smaller businesses frequently find the implementation process lengthy and the ongoing support model oriented toward enterprise accounts.
How does Körber WMS compare to alternatives?
Any honest comparison of Körber WMS against alternatives has to start with scale. This is a platform designed for large, complex distribution operations. It has deep functionality, strong hardware integration options, and the backing of a substantial vendor organisation. For a multi-site enterprise processing millions of order lines per year, it competes credibly with other top-tier WMS platforms.
For UK 3PLs, mid-market distributors, and growing businesses, the picture is different. The implementation timelines for enterprise WMS platforms like Körber tend to run to months rather than weeks. Licence and support costs reflect the enterprise market. Customisation, which Körber’s architecture does support, adds project cost and creates long-term maintenance obligations. When something needs changing, you’re often waiting on a vendor with a large customer queue.
If you’re at the stage of working out how to choose a warehouse management system, scale and fit matter as much as feature lists. The most powerful system isn’t always the right system.
Körber WMS vs purpose-built 3PL systems
| Capability | Körber WMS / Infios | Purpose-built 3PL WMS |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-client warehouse management | Supported, complex configuration | Native — built around client separation |
| 3PL billing and invoicing | Requires customisation or third-party tools | Automated, activity-based billing built in |
| Client portal and self-service | Available at additional licence cost | Included as standard |
| Implementation timeline | Typically 6–18 months for enterprise | Typically 6–12 weeks |
| Target operation size | Large enterprise DCs | UK 3PLs, mid-market warehouses |
| Pricing model | Enterprise licencing, project-based fees | Subscription, transparent pricing |
Understanding the cost of warehousing in the UK is essential context when budgeting for a WMS. Labour, property, and technology costs all interact, and an over-engineered WMS that takes a year to implement carries a real opportunity cost that rarely shows up in vendor proposals.
Who should consider Körber WMS?
Körber WMS (now Infios) is most appropriate for organisations that meet most of the following criteria:
- Large-scale warehouse or distribution centre operations, typically 100,000 sq ft or more with high daily throughput
- Complex product handling requirements, such as FMCG with short shelf life, pharmaceutical cold chain, or high-value serialised goods
- Existing investment in Körber supply chain products, making extension into the WMS a lower-integration-effort option
- A dedicated IT team capable of managing WMS configuration, integration, and ongoing development
- A multi-year WMS roadmap with budget for enterprise licencing, implementation services, and ongoing support contracts
If that doesn’t describe your operation, the platform’s power can become a liability. Enterprise WMS systems built for large DCs carry overhead in complexity, cost, and implementation time that smaller and mid-sized operations simply don’t need.
Clarus WMS: the purpose-built alternative for UK 3PLs
Clarus WMS is built specifically for UK third-party logistics providers and multi-client warehouses. Where platforms like Körber are designed for large enterprise distribution centres and then adapted for 3PL use cases, Clarus starts from the 3PL model and works outward.
That distinction matters in practice. A 3PL management system needs to handle client onboarding quickly, separate inventory and billing by client cleanly, and give each client visibility of their own stock without granting access to other clients’ data. It needs to generate accurate invoices automatically based on warehouse activity — receipts, picks, pallet moves, storage days — because manual billing in a busy 3PL is a recipe for revenue leakage and client disputes.
Clarus handles all of this natively. Client portals, activity-based billing, multi-client inventory separation, and real-time reporting are built into the core system, not bolted on through customisation. For a 3PL that needs to be live within weeks rather than months, the implementation model is a significant advantage.
If you’re unsure whether a specialist 3PL WMS or a broader enterprise platform is right for your operation, it’s worth reading our full guide on what is a warehouse management system — it covers the different system types and how to match them to operational needs.
Clarus has been deployed across a range of UK 3PL environments spanning ambient, chilled, and returns-intensive operations. Prospective clients can review case studies and speak directly with reference customers through the Clarus sales process.