A warehouse management system will be of great service to expanding enterprises with available inventory (WMS). The WMS will improve their operational efficiency by monitoring work processes at different levels, raising productivity, and increasing asset utilisation for both labour and physical space. Inventory control is helped by WMS automation in a way that boosts precision, throughput, and speed. An organisation can gain from a warehouse management system in a variety of ways. Some of these advantages may be obvious, but we’ve also highlighted some less obvious ones below.
What is a Warehouse Management system?
Warehouse Management System software applications were created to optimise warehouses and streamline operations. A warehouse management system (WMS) ensures that supplies and goods are moved in the most effective and economical manner possible.
This is accomplished by monitoring the following areas: warehouse layout, inventory control, product selection and packing, receiving and storage, shipping, labour management, yard management, and reporting.
Benefits of Warehouse Management System
Design of Warehouses
Unorganised warehouses waste space and make the pick-and-pack operation take longer. Numerous WMS solutions can assist in customising the picking logic and workflow to make sure that the warehouse is set up for efficient inventory allocation. Even bin slotting may be established by a WMS to maximise storage space while accounting for seasonal inventory requirements.
Picking and Packing
Using a WMS, zone picking, wave picking, and batch picking can all be improved. In order to help warehouse workers complete their pick-and-pack operation as quickly and efficiently as possible, it might additionally provide lot zoning and job interleaving functions.
Reception and storage
Through pick-to-light (PTL) or pick-to-voice (PTV) technology, this feature, which is available with some WMS platforms, expedites the storage and retrieval of inventory.
Pick-to-Light: Each fixed pick point has lighting fixtures incorporated into the shelves and storage racks. To indicate to pickers which order line to choose, the display units turn on one at a time.
Pick-to-voice: Via a headset, a digital voice directs pickers to the appropriate spot and gives them directions regarding the quantity to be picked as well as other matters.
Inventory Counting
A WMS platform will monitor inventory data from barcode scanners and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, updating data in the dashboard software so the most recent information is easily accessible to anybody with permissions. Additionally, it makes sure that items are simple to locate when they need to be moved.
Types of warehouse management systems
Standalone
Most businesses only purchase standalone solutions for their warehouse management needs. Vendors combine these storage systems with already available or future solutions and sell them as specialised products without engaging in other supply chain activities. Although a few basic transportation management solutions are offered by select companies, the focus is primarily on best-of-breed WMS.
Modules for Supply Chains
You might regard various WMS systems as a subset of supply chain management when evaluating them (SCM). While there are various types of warehouse management systems in supply chain management, we will concentrate on those that will improve the value of goods and services. Software for supply chain management covers a wide range of tasks, from risk assessment to business processes to vendor relationships. It focuses on automating product cycles, material sourcing, and inventory management.
Complete with ERP
ERPs are essential computer programmes that combine the operation of numerous systems. Most of the necessary tools, including supply chain management, purchasing, accounting, customer relationship management, human resources, and others, are provided by them for streamlining 3PL processes. ERP is a smart option for businesses looking to improve their software solutions on a larger scale.
Cloud-based
In terms of installation and maintenance costs, on-premise solutions are frequently unstable.
It’s possible that infrastructure and installation will cost a lot of money. Using a cloud-based WMS has a number of important advantages. Being hosted and managed by a provider allows for a significant reduction in implementation and installation costs. These scalable solutions are ideal for startups due to their low entry barrier and subscription-based pricing alternatives.The comprehensive solution offered by GoBOLT WMS is suitable for businesses of all sizes. With modules for order management, purchase tracking, shipping, and other capabilities, it streamlines and optimises warehouses.
