When you warehouse valuable merchandise and fulfill sales orders on behalf of an online retailer, keeping precise track of all your stored inventory is crucial. A warehouse management system (WMS) gives businesses the necessary automation tools to track and trace their inventory through every stage of the supply chain distribution process in real time. A custom warehouse management system from WiSys ensures that all your goods are traceable to avoid common warehousing issues like lost merchandise and slow shipping.
WMS software plays a vital role in every logistics operation that implements it. These automated inventory management systems support dozens of advanced capabilities that benefit warehouses of every size. Modern warehouse management systems help companies make process improvements that lead to fewer human errors and often translate to considerable cost savings over time.
Below, we outline what a WMS does before discussing why you should consider implementing a new system at your distribution center this year.
What is a warehouse management system (WMS)?
A warehouse management system refers to industrial automation software that enables companies to closely track every item that passes in and out of their storage facilities, including every fulfillment processing event that occurs during the distribution process. When you’re running warehouse management software, each time a warehouse operator or piece of machinery picks and scans it for shipment, the system documents this action while updating your current inventory supply levels.
A WMS lets you know how much of a particular item you have in real-time, so you’ll never be at risk of critical stockout. Inventory management software provides businesses with accurate, up-to-date information for more efficient order fulfillment and stock replenishment.
With a well-designed WMS, your can rely on concise and easily accessible records for financial accounting and auditing purposes. Furthermore, retailers tend to trust warehouses that use warehouse management systems more because they know these platforms provide a detailed history of merchandise movement and support the most efficient fulfillment processes.
Now, let’s take a look at what makes WMS implementation essential for businesses this year and beyond.
Precise inventory tracking and recording
Poor documentation and less-than-transparent merchandise tracking at your warehouse almost always lead to misplaced items and other costly processing errors. When you’re handling expensive inventory on behalf of another business, you have to keep a highly detailed record of your stock and be able to locate every item you manage, no matter where it is in the supply chain.
WMS software allows you to track all your stored goods, from the time they enter the facility to the moment they find retailer shelves. This increased visibility into your warehouse operations can drastically enhance the efficiency of your fulfillment process while significantly shortening the average lifecycle of your completed sales orders.
Warehouse space optimization
Warehouse management systems from WiSys are engineered to optimize your existing warehouse floor space and help you find the best workflows based on information such as the size of a given material and the quantiles of each item you sell. WMS implementation matters because it allows you to realize the highest and best use of your warehouse floor while helping you reduce materials waste and lost merchandise.
When you move large items in your warehouse more than necessary, you risk workplace injury and commit needless labor overhead to a prolonged retrieval process. WMS software helps you identify the ideal storage locations for your materials and warehouse equipment alike. The system allows you to make data-driven decisions about exactly where to place key items, which can help to significantly lower your costs and increase warehouse efficiency over time.
Supply chain visibility
We touched on the general accuracy of records when you use a WMS, but these systems also give you real-time insight into your entire supply chain. The added visibility of a WMS reduces the prospects of costly human errors and gives you a detailed record of every order throughout its distribution lifecycle.
Among the primary benefits of a warehouse management system, enhanced supply chain visibility reduces operational complexity and provides the concise order fulfillment information that warehouse clients have come to expect.
Streamlined access to valuable warehouse data
Manually checking the status of a particular warehouse item is time-consuming and searching for heavy, poorly stored or misplaced stock opens the door to injury on the warehouse floor. Cloud-based warehouse management software incorporated into your WMS gives you and your distribution partners the ability to track and trace stored inventory in real-time, from virtually any location.
Automated WMS software paired with barcode scanning or RFID tracking ensures that you can locate your goods when they’re outside a WMS-run facility. This additional control gained over your inventory means you’ll have less merchandise falling through the cracks and won’t need to waste valuable time searching for misplaced warehouse items.
Process improvements
WiSys warehouse management systems supply you with relevant warehouse data that you couldn’t previously access. This process information becomes an invaluable tool for implementing more efficient warehouse procedures. The software is customizable and can be upgraded over time to incorporate the latest innovations and inventory management tools.
Our customizable supply chain management software is always developed with your unique warehouse requirements and long-term strategic growth objectives in mind. For more on how our real-time material management systems can boost your warehouse productivity by up to 30% while delivering virtually perfect inventory and shipping accuracy rates, connect with an expert product manager now at 770-955-3550.