Snapshot, compare, and safely promote Blue Yonder WMS configuration.
NARWHAL is a cloud-based web application (independent of Blue Yonder) that helps teams manage configuration across Clients (Tenants), sites, and environments—so you can find what changed (and when) in minutes.
Built for large organisations where security, auditability, and disciplined change are non-negotiable.
Why Teams Adopt NARWHAL
Operations
Minutes, not days
to identify config deltas during incidents
Delivery
Faster release readiness
less manual parity checking across envs
Governance
Traceable change
who changed what, when, and where
Scale
Template rollout
replicate proven setups across sites/clients
A Discrepancy View People Actually Use
Instead of combing through hundreds of configuration pages and keys, NARWHAL highlights differences and lets you drill down quickly.
PROD → DEV Delta
Snapshot: 2024-07-29 14:03 UTC
Wave / Order Release
Cutoff_Time
PROD
19:30
DEV
21:00
Allocation Strategy
Allow_Partial
PROD
false
DEV
true
RF Flow
Pick_Confirm_Mode
PROD
scan
DEV
scan
Location Setup
Replen_Method
PROD
demand
DEV
demand
The Reality of Blue Yonder WMS at Scale
Blue Yonder WMS is highly configurable. That’s why it fits diverse operations—3PL multi-client, retail DCs, e‑commerce fulfillment... It’s also why small setup changes can create big operational impact.
- Configuration drift between DEV / TEST / PROD and across sites.
- Late discovery of changes affecting waves, allocation, and RF flows.
- Incident calls where everyone swears “nothing changed”.
- Release weekends slowed by manual parity checks.
What NARWHAL Changes
NARWHAL makes WMS configuration visible, comparable, and governable. Snapshots become a practical artefact for implementation managers, super users, QA leads, and IT leads.
Capabilities
Built around the day-to-day questions that matter: What changed? Where? When? Is it safe? Can we repeat it?
Snapshots (manual & scheduled)
Capture a complete “implementation snapshot” of configuration that power users manage in Blue Yonder WMS. Baseline it. Repeat it.
Clean diffs
Compare environments, sites, or Clients (Tenants) and get a readable delta—not a forensic exercise.
Find what changed (and when)
Pinpoint changes fast during incidents and escalations, then validate the relevant configuration area immediately.
Guided promotion / rollout
Move proven configuration into a new environment with controlled inputs (e.g., environment/site/client identifiers) and human sign-off.
Designed for super users
Modern UI, sensible navigation, and embedded explanations—so teams can work without being SQL and debug “monsters”.
Enterprise controls
Role-based access, audit trails, and governance-friendly operation aligned with organisational needs and best practice.
How It Works
The Mechanics
NARWHAL is a cloud-based web app that connects to Blue Yonder WMS environments using a pragmatic mix of HTTP requests, UI automation, and (where reasonable and approved) targeted API/data access to achieve completeness and performance.
- Snapshot a baseline per environment/site/Client (Tenant)
- Compare snapshots and drill into discrepancies
- Explain configuration using embedded knowledge pop-ups (what it does, where it is in BY)
- Promote configuration with guided inputs and controlled execution
NARWHAL is designed to support BY WMS estates from approximately 2019+ (compatibility confirmed per build during discovery).
Where it Fits in Delivery & Operations
NARWHAL supports teams across the lifecycle—from implementation to BAU operations:
- Pre go-live: environment parity checks, regression readiness, cutover confidence
- Release weekend: confirm what moved and what didn’t
- Post-change: prove configuration alignment and reduce “he said / she said”
- BAU incidents: find the exact delta that correlates with a process failure
- Scale: reuse working templates when onboarding new sites or Clients (Tenants)
Pilot: Client K (anonymised 3PL)
NARWHAL has been completed as a successful pilot for Client K, a large 3PL operating multiple warehouses and environments. The focus was simple: reduce time-to-truth during configuration-related issues and make environment parity a repeatable discipline.
Impact (Pilot Outcomes)
- 60–80% reduction in incident triage time for configuration-related problems
- 70–90% reduction in manual effort for environment parity checks
- 30–50% faster release readiness by removing repetitive validation
These ranges are presented as pilot outcomes and can be replaced with your verified metrics.
Typical “Wins” in Real Operations
- Stop guessing whether a change hit PROD or stayed in TEST
- Spot drift in high-impact areas (wave release, allocation/tasking logic, RF flows, packing/shipping rules)
- Use scheduled snapshots as a simple, enforceable baseline control
Security & compliance (best-practice aligned)
Large organisations need strong controls around change, access, and traceability. NARWHAL is designed to align with enterprise security expectations and applicable regulations, including GDPR / UK GDPR, and commonly expected security practices (e.g., least privilege, auditability, and segregation of duties).
Controls you can show to IT & audit
- Role-based access: restrict who can snapshot, compare, and promote
- Audit trails: track snapshot/comparison/promotion actions (who/what/when)
- Governance-friendly rollout: semi-automated promotion with explicit inputs and sign-off
- Operational accountability: actions are associated with defined user permissions
Practical approach to data
- Data minimisation: focus on configuration/state needed for change control
- Retention alignment: support retention policies appropriate to your organisation
- Environment isolation: compare environments without weakening change controls
[Press Briefing] iO Consulting introduces NARWHAL for Blue Yonder WMS configuration change control
Date: 2026-01-23 (UTC)
iO Consulting today announced NARWHAL, a cloud-based web application that helps large organisations running Blue Yonder WMS (SaaS and on‑prem installations) capture configuration snapshots, compare environments, and support guided rollout of proven templates.
The challenge
In multi-warehouse and multi-client operations, Blue Yonder WMS configuration can span hundreds of screens, panels, and keys. Small changes can affect waves, allocation behavior, task execution, RF flows, packing and shipping rules, and exception handling. When issues occur, teams often lose time reconstructing what changed across environments and sites.
What NARWHAL delivers
- User-friendly snapshots of configuration maintained via BY power-user interfaces
- Readable, navigable diffs that answer: what changed, where, and when
- Click-to-validate workflow: click a discrepancy and open the relevant BY panel in a separate window (where applicable)
- Embedded explanations via info pop-ups: what a setting does and where it is in BY
- Scheduled monitoring to surface drift early
- Semi-automated guided promotion into new environments with controlled inputs and human approval
Pilot status
NARWHAL has been completed in a successful pilot for Client K (anonymised 3PL), demonstrating meaningful reductions in time spent diagnosing configuration-related incidents and validating parity across environments.
Want to see it on your own environments?
Send a short note with your estate shape (SaaS/on‑prem, number of environments, number of sites, number of Clients (Tenants)). We’ll propose a fast, low-friction call and a next-step plan.