Benefits of an Effective Warehouse Management System

The warehouse management system (or, WMS) is a software specifically designed to support your warehouse operations, helping with core operational aspects such as tracking stock, picking, shipping and dispatching goods. WMS has been around for a relatively long time, as a tool to improve the performance. Nevertheless, not every software system is the same.

For a WMS to be considered effective it should do more than simply keep track of stock within your warehouse operations. Thus, before selecting an appropriate system, you should ensure that you choose one that fits your business model, for ultimate efficiency. There are many benefits to an effective warehouse management system, but then this is no wonder as it incorporates many factors; for instance, storage equipment, computer systems, and people, etc., into one system. WMS should work seamlessly with various automated features integrated by the warehouse control system, including the conveyor, label formatting and content, automatic label application, fixed overheads and scanning.

1. Improved Customer Service

A WMS can streamline your overall warehouse operations and, let’s be honest, your warehouse is essential to your customers buying experience. Being streamlined has in itself many benefits, leading to a positive effect on your customers who’ll be impressed with a quick and accurate delivery of an order in an age where speed is expected. This, in turn, will help with your company’s competitivity which will lead to repeat orders in the long term. Put simply, if a warehouse is efficient, order and delivery times will be both accurate and reduced, which will equal happy and repeat customers.

2. Labour Productivity

A WMS doesn’t just focus on products and your warehouses inventory but also improves the efficiency of your workforce and their tasks too. A WMS can also manage and organise essential tasks as well as prioritise from a list of pending activities, resulting in an improvement in productivity.

3. Stock Visibility

A WMS solution can help with stock visibility as well as traceability within your warehouse. By tracking stock, picking accuracy improves which helps prevent losses through non- deliveries, returns, or even mis-deliveries. This, in turn, leads us back to our original point about improved customer service and repeat business. Stock visibility allow warehouses to accurately evaluate the space availability to customers. This is “gold sand” especially during peak times for retailers needing to increase their local inventories for the peak sales season. Real-time visibility of space availability and fast cost comparison are critical when trying to cope with a surge of orders to be fulfilled. A new portal now brings this much-needed functionality for the UK market, just in time for the Christmas rush. LogistCompare (www.logistcompare.com) links customers looking for space (high street retailers, e-commerce, multichannel stores etc.) with warehouse providers able to fulfil their demand for space.

4. Continuous Improvement

Another benefit of opting for a WMS, and incorporating one into your business, is continuous process improvement. This means that you should expect your WMS vendor to keep abreast of the latest industry trends and to champion new ideas. These new innovative solutions can lead to reduced costs, improved operational efficiency and process optimisation.

5. Boosts Morale

By implementing a WMS, organisational structure is also implemented. It has been shown that morale is boosted when employees know exactly what they are meant to be doing; employees are shown to respond well to a more efficient and accurate process.

A warehouse management system has many benefits, not just regulating stock levels. An efficient warehouse is imperative for competitive customer satisfaction, and repeat business.

LogistCompare is currently offering 2 months free space plus an additional month for the first 20 subscribers. For further details please contact [email protected]