Do all warehouse management systems to be equal? The WMS programs of the past decade were not as rigidly compartmentalized, and restricted to a particular vertical or industry.

Today is a completely different story. The configuration is the rule of the day.

Effective warehouse management requires more than just simple data. It’s an opportunity to build a comprehensive and personalized collection of solutions to your workflow. It connects teams outside of your warehouse walls, and loops with engineering, sales IT, IT and more , to bring an environment of cooperation and transparency across all departments.

The WMS you have is more than just hitting a key to identify where your materials are kept, it’s about creating and guiding the processes to get the materials there.

And today, you have many integration-friendly, scalable options for a WMS that are capable of the evolution you’ll need as a modern business.

If you select and choose the correct WMS for your company You will enjoy these benefits.

1. Optimized Processes

Selecting the right WMS that is appropriate for your business can allow you to improve the efficiency of your warehouse. This includes not just finding the best processes for your company’s needs and also ones that are compatible with the kinds of products you have to manage.

There are a variety of ways to choose the material that is according to these parameters, and an intelligent selection of WMS can allow you to integrate several algorithms like zone, wave and batch-picking.

A reliable warehouse management system should be able to handle input methods of all kinds and also able to handle barcodes RFID, smart scales or barcodes with the same ease as well as working with automation of equipment.

Process automation eases the burden off your staff to handle outgoing freight which allows them to concentrate on the more complicated aspects of inbound freight as well as the inevitable snags in your own facility that must be resolved.

Through the integration of your WMS with the transportation system (or TMS), your business can create a holistic view that goes beyond the walls and racks.

The dual system collaboration gives higher accuracy in determining delivery deadlines. The system also warns your team to schedule outgoing deliveries and when delays are likely and other important information that is time-sensitive.

2. Efficient Labor Allocation

With factors like the size of your facility , and particular requirements regarding handling of materials it is essential to think about efficiency in a different manner at every phase of your process. The WMS must be able to support – if not directly assigning these work in the best rational efficient manner possible.

Even if your system just provides metrics, you’ll get crucial data for decision-making which you can use to create the most effective method possible.

It is essential to keep in mind:

Time effort and resources are increasingly an important factor in busy markets “winging it” could result in a loss of long-term earnings.

Another reason why dual-system collaboration works in your advantage. When you integrate or select an option that allows integration with your labour management software and WMS (such such as High Jump), you may even include the element of gaming. Invite your employees to healthy competition to get noticed for outstanding metrics and track crucial optimization metrics like the distance traveled, the items selected for each time frame as well as other such data.

It is also possible to choose a WMS , such as JDA (RedPrairie) that offers a totally distinct labor management system that integrates with the chosen WMS without sacrificing excellent integration and contact points.

3. Employee Morale

A WMS provides organization in the workplace in both a literal and symbolic sense. Through our own research we’ve discovered that this kind of structure assistance boosts morale of employees. Also, knowing precisely where they need to have been and the things they ought to be doing can help employees feel fulfilled in their jobs.

With a properly-built WMS The same employees can benefit from better assignment of tasks, greater autonomy in their respective roles, and greater efficiency in their tasks.

In real-time feedback, which reflects on the performance of their employees managers are able to offer more positive ideas, and goal-setting becomes easier. The process of measuring growth and improvement can be uniform, allowing healthy competition on the floor of the warehouse and a better confidence in themselves and consequently more productive, consistent work practices of individual employees.

4. Improved Customer and Supplier Relations

A well-run warehouse can reduce delivery times and also order accuracy mistakes This means that more customers are happy with their purchases which, in turn, means increased sales.

Efficiency can be a boon for suppliers on the side , too:

If your team is in place and waiting to receive new materials and supply chain orders, this means that your employees can get onto their next project or deliver the goods much quicker. It’s not a stretch to declare that the right WMS improves your relationships with everyone within your supply and demand chain, not just your customers.

The WMS handles inventory and the locations of your item. The system guides you to a place for the product as well as the appropriate outbound door, and finally the appropriate shipping lane, and makes sure you receive it on the correct truck. This is a system-driven efficiency that can help to reduce the friction you may encounter with your suppliers or even with your customers at the end of the line.

5. Reduced Operating Expenses

If you’re carrying perishables and other items that are restricted in date within your storage facility, a WMS will help you reduce wasted material by determining which items should be taken first and which require the assistance of a sales force.

In addition to perishables, efficient use of space and resources also helps reduce waste. WMS can determine the best spot to store each object, making sure space is equalized against pick-and-put away effort.

However, to move it an additional step, the most expensive part of managing a warehouse is the people. The more efficient you ensure that your employees:

1. The greater the volume you can create
2. The less you have to allocate to each step of your supply chain

Both of these reduce costs and lets you expand the scope that you operate in. Your 3PL should be aiming to help you reduce and identify expenses in any way, not just to bring your costs down, but also to improve their margins for operating and more.

Furthermore, if you select the correct WMS, you can make the most of your warehouse space , from the placement of products and the total footprint. It makes your space more efficient and improves the way you travel (from picking to the place where you can put away your items and everything between).

When you accomplish this, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of inventory you have on hand as well as reduce the costs of space and ultimately drive down the cost of running your business, without any compromise in quality.

6. Better Balance of Inventory

The use of a “bad” WMS could cost your inventory and also. Inventory, when kept in a proper location and utilized in the most efficient way, can eliminate trash, waste, and obsolescence.

With solid, reliable documents, you’ll never need to fret about having an excessive amount of inventory of safety items on hand or risk putting yourself in a bad shoe by being short of an SKU in the “crunch” time. This helps your business achieve the savings in cost and efficiency from a strategy that is just-in-time.

In an eloquent way:

The more efficient you create your team and overseeing inventory more efficient, the greater amount you’ll be able to achieve. The greater the volume will mean that fewer people require to assign on your chain of supply. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy for a efficient operations, and it’s something that’s worth striving for in the interest of the bottom line.

7. ERP Integration

If your outgoing orders are precise, your order history won’t be slowed down by repeated shipments, replacements or shipping issues. This will give you a better understanding of the overall process.

This “clean” record can be utilized by a balanced WMS to establish the “best for me” algorithm to calculate the need for order purposes.

The ideal WMS should be able to grow with your company without any hassle.

ERP manages everything from financials and HR management to market tracking. It requires clean data in order to function effectively. If your WMS is inadequate fit, you’ll become into the “garbage in, garbage out” issue, and spend energy and time trying to put a temporary solution.

8. Improved Safety and Safety

Modern WMS system will require employees to complete transactions with their unique account. This creates an audit trail that connects transactions to the specific worker. When accountability is in place it can help limit pilferage and other types of shrinkage as well to highlight the opportunities to coach and provide more intensive training.

Even even if theft isn’t an imminent issue, which is becoming increasingly rare in any industry, automatic segregation of highly valuable or potentially hazardous material is the warehouse’s “insurance policy” within the warehouse.

Accidents do happen, but when there is an automatic system that reduces the impact and the C-suite, as well as floor staff can relax a bit more comfortably.

9. Transparency and Visibility

If the suppliers have access their own inventory and stock SKUs They are able to plan and execute the production process themselves. In removing redundancy, they cut down on lead times and cut down on the expenses of holding inventory in warehouses.

With the added benefit of real-time information on shipments, orders and other items customers service representatives is also able to more efficiently deal with issues and queries.

Instead of periodic reports that last for a long time after which they can be used to correct errors businesses with a properly-built WMS system can access reports that are delivered as frequently as is necessary. We provide automated operational reports in a pre-determined period of time within our offerings which allows our customers and their operations teams to monitor and respond to changes as they occur.

10. Continuous Improvement

The improvement of your business depends on a myriad of factors. From the immediate, like travel routes for pick and pack, to the “long game” processes such as the employee’s engagement. You will always have the opportunity to do better and be more successful.

Process improvements are vital in bringing about improvement, and a well-designed WMS assists in facilitating them. You can run “what is the scenario” scenarios to see the potential impact of major changes. You can also utilize the WMS itself to make and track small changes.

A reliable WMS must always be ready to take on the challenge of working towards continuous improvement within your business, however it is important to keep in mind:

If you are trying to work around it instead of working alongside it, it could be time to upgrade.

You must be able to trust the WMS vendor to stay abreast of the latest trends in the field. They should be open to new concepts by providing a steady release of new functions which will allow you reduce expenses, enhance operations and streamline processes with each new version.

Then, eventually, you’ll be able to leverage the information from your WMS to be an active, prescient leader in your company, and not simply reactive.

To summarize it all

If you’re at the contemplation phase of choosing the right WMS, ensure that the software you’re looking at has the capabilities to meet your requirements – One size does not fit all in the realm of the subject of WMS.

The ideal choice will fit your company’s model and culture and provide you with the flexibility, innovation as well as the functionality and flexibility you need to expand and prosper.