As supply chain management because more complex due to ever evolving logistics and customers’ demands, companies have to put in place some sort of standards to meet these requirements.  Some companies will cobble together different manual, paper processes in an attempt to effectively management the immensely complicated inventory movement in and out of the warehouse.  Other companies recognize the compelling reasons to select WMS software which are designed to meet warehouse operational challenges.  The below 10 reasons will give  better insight into drastic improvement to warehouse procedures through the use of advanced technology in Warehouse Management Systems.

Warehouse Management Systems, or WMS, are heavily engineered technology solutions geared to provide both a quick return on investment (ROI) plus provide the necessary inventory management functionality to properly facility warehouse operations.

For some companies, justification in a WMS is a matter of survival. Having the right material available at the right place and at the right time is no longer enough. The new requirements include compliance labeling, floor ready displays, advanced ship notices, postponement, light manufacturing, and collaboration. Leading companies are realizing information has a specific shelf life value that diminishes over time, often by the hour or minute. Many of the processes and activities being managed and monitored by Supply Chain Event Management (SCEM) applications relate directly to warehouse operations.

As the focus on SCEM applications continues to grow, the need for real-time activity tracking and inventory visibility offered by a WMS becomes even more critical to your organization.

“Best-In-Breed” warehouse management solutions optimize work direction at an operational level to dramatically increase efficiency and drive down costs—empowering operational excellence, on-time customer orders and, ultimately, customer satisfaction.

 1. Drive Increased Productivity

WMS solutions not only maximize efficiency and worker safety, but their advanced functionality increases inventory turns and provides detailed worker accountability, resulting in heightened productivity.

Directed, optimized warehouse activities reduce picking time and product touches by allowing you to seize cross-docking opportunities. It also minimizes travel paths with slotting/re-slotting functionality, optimizes picking execution with user-configured algorithms, and intelligently directs put-away to the appropriate bins based on product handling characteristics.

Furthermore, our solutions virtually eliminate the need for non-value-added activities such as manual work verification and shipment audits.

2. Avoid Costly Errors with Up to 99+% Accuracy

Through real-time work direction, confirmation and verification, our solutions provide your employees and their managers with immediate feedback on work

3. Boost On-Time and Complete Shipments

The accurate order picking functionality of modern warehouse management solutions allow you to deliver complete orders on time. Increased fill rates and decreased cycle times allow you to avoid shipping delays and back-orders that jeopardize valuable customer relationships. In addition, overall process efficiency decreases cycle time, resulting in more on-time shipments.

4. Optimize Warehouse Space

“Best-In-Breed” WMS Software can provide  provide directed stock rotation, intelligent picking directives, automatic consolidation, and cross-docking to maximize the use of valuable warehouse space. The system also directs and optimizes put-away based on accurate, real-time information about the status of bin utilization.

5. Reduce Shrinkage And Spoilage

WMS solutions can also facilitate real-time monitoring and enforce FIFO rotation to reduce spoilage. In addition, high levels of worker accountability empower you to detect shrinkage problems.

6. Increase Revenue Opportunities

The flexible processes accommodate personalized, value-added service requirements such as kitting, compliance labeling, returns management, promotional material insert handling and warranty tracking.

7. Exceed Customer Expectations

You will be empowered to consistently deliver on customer promises with the ability to reduce cycle times, stock-outs and backorders; improve order accuracy and on-time shipments; and offer unique services.

8. Achieve Maximum ROI in Minimum Time

With immediate gains in operational efficiencies, you can achieve fast ROI on your warehouse management system. In fact, payback is often less than 12 months.

9. Comprehensive Warehouse Management Functionality: 

A very diverse and complete warehousing set of functionality encompasses a WMS systems capability including:

  • Receiving
  • Returns
  • Rules-based Put Away
  • Cross Docking
  • Rules-based directed picking
  • Various Picking Options
  • Packing
  • Loading
  • Shipping
  • Replenishment
  • Kitting
  • Directed Movement
  • Warehouse Transfers
  • Quality Control
  • Cycle Counting
  • Lot Control
  • Advanced Warehousing Features including Labor Management, Appointment Scheduling, Slotting Optimization, Wave Planning, Load Planning, Value-added Services, Optimized Container Packing, Billing Management, RFID Compliance and More!

10.  ERP Integration 

To fully optimize your supply chain, your WMS solution should directly tied in and connect in real time data exchange to your existing ERP system.  Most WMS systems, such as HighJump Warehouse Edge, have a tight, already designed, built-in integration for this end-to-end supply chain solution to many popular ERP systems such as Microsoft Dynamics, Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAGE, SAP, NetSuite and more.

Learn more about Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)