Meet the Ware Force: Bill Vining

As a young company, hiring the right people is crucial to success. We’re proud of the culture we’re building at Ware and want you to meet the people behind our warehouse automation technology. These are the people that make it happen.

In this article, we feature Bill Vining, our Principal Solutions Executive and a core member of our sales team.

Keep reading to learn more about Bill, his experience in the supply chain industry, and to hear his take on what’s next for the supply chain.
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Name: Bill Vining
Role: Principal Solutions Executive
Department: Sales
Location: Roswell, GA
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Q: Can you start by telling us a little bit about your background?

A: I was born and raised in Connecticut, and studied economics at the University of Connecticut (UConn), in Storrs, Connecticut. GO HUSKIES!

My first software sales job after college was at a startup called Rotech, which provided routing and scheduling software. After Rotech, I worked for WMS companies for the majority of my career, including companies like Optum, Manhattan, and BlueYonder (Red Prairie at the time).

Prior to joining Ware, I worked for 6 River Systems, a VC backed start-up based in Boston, MA . I was employee 33 and the company grew to more than 200 employees while I was there. The company was acquired by Shopify in 2019 for $450M.  

‍Q: What attracted you to joining Ware?
A: I think Ware has an amazing solution to the ongoing challenges that warehouses face. Autonomous drones for tracking inventory make perfect sense, and the data and insights we’re able to provide are incredible. It’s a very compelling business case. Not only are there very positive financial reasons for customers to do this (labor savings), we also reduce risk in the warehouse, and make the work environment safer by keeping warehouse associates on the ground. Warehouse drones easily fly to the top of the racking, which means employees don’t need to be 30-40 feet in the air doing inventory counts.

We’re playing a part in making the industry safer and more sustainable, and we’re providing a value add for our customers’ facilities. When you’re passionate about what you’re selling, you enjoy it more.

It’s also exciting to work with such a great team, everyone that we work with is driven to ensure the company continues to grow.

Q: What do you think is next for the supply chain industry?
A: The supply chain industry will continue to automate, they have to.  At a recent demo day that I presented at, they were discussing the top two issues that retailers are struggling with right now; labor shortages and inventory in the warehouse. This is exactly what Ware is helping with. Our solution enables employees to view inventory data and insights from their desk, instead of them having to count boxes on pallets every day.

I also think we’ll see more collaboration between robots and humans. With all the automation, we need to find a way to work together. We need collaboration with each other, as well as with robots.

Q: What do you think people need to know more about Ware?

One thing I don’t think people realize is the sustainability aspect of our automated inventory management solution. In addition to all the other benefits, we also support in reducing carbon footprint within warehouses and distribution centers.

If you think about it, fork trucks and other equipment in the warehouse that run on large batteries have a large carbon footprint. Whereas, warehouse drones are very lightweight, they have a rechargeable battery, which has a much smaller carbon footprint. If the drone is doing all the inventory counting and tracking for a facility, it reduces the need to be using a turret truck or a scissor lift to count inventory.  The better your inventory control the more efficient your operation is, which also lowers your carbon footprint.  

Q: Before we finish up, tell us what you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with friends and family and you can often find me on the lake, or the ocean. My wife and I also enjoy traveling, one of our favorite places to visit is Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Learn more about the value add Ware can bring to your facility and why you should automate your inventory tracking.

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