WMS Software

Take stock of the benefits of Warehouse Management Systems software

Warehouse management systems (WMS) have been used to organize materials movement and storage space within a warehouse facility or stockyard for decades. In recent years, WMS systems have grown substantially in scope and complexity. Many are now capable of overseeing and coordinating everything from order management to accounting, light manufacturing, and transportation. The latest generation uses innovations like radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for remote data retrieval, and employs wireless communications technologies to enable real-time information flow.

The right warehouse management system software will:

1) Make accurate and up-to-date inventory information easily available

2) Make scheduling of labor and resources fast and efficient

3) Allow for flexible customization, upgrade, and expansion options

To begin evaluating what kind of WMS software solution would best suit your needs, consider the following:

Let your WMS follow your ERP

If you already have an Enterprise Resource Planning system in place, you may be one small step away from having a WMS solution at the ready. More and more ERP software providers also offer warehouse management software modules. Expanding your relationship with an established resource can bring significant price breaks, even on the most robust warehouse and inventory management systems.

Consided a measured approach

While the outright replacement of an outdated WMS software application with a state-of-the-art warehousing management system can yield vast benefits in the long term, abandoning all current components can be disruptive to your operations. And it may be both expensive and unnecessary.

Make connectivity a priority for your WMS

Few WMS solutions function as stand-alone entities dedicated to picking, packing, and shipping. Many share data with vendors, customers, and customer relationship management systems via Electronic Data Interchange, XML, and messaging applications.

Make your WMS software go where you go

Most of the latest warehouse management software systems support bar coding and RFID tag reading, as well as mobile computing options like portable data terminals (PDTs), personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless networking (WiFi.)

• Be prepared for expansion. While simpler, more affordable WMS software may only able to manage a single distribution center, higher-end systems can accommodate multiple locations.
• Make the most of your WMS investment by exploring even its most advanced features, like directed put-away and picks, space management, cross-docking alerts, and batched order management.

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