Warehouse Management System: Efficiency Made Easy

As omnichannel customer demand continues to put unrelenting pressure on retailers, the need to look for ever-smarter modes and methods of working practices also increases.

Retailers looking to remain competitive search for ways to operate faster, more efficiently and at lower costs. For those dealing with multiple warehouses and large amounts of stock, a Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a vital tool. Watch the video here.

What is a Warehouse Management System?

In any business which deals with a warehouse or distribution centre, accuracy and efficiency are pivotal to maintaining good customer service. To assist with this a Warehouse Management System (WMS) takes the form of an individual software application, or can come as part of an Enterprise Planning System or ERP, designed to support the many aspects of management that are needed.

Stock levels, staffing, planning and stock movements all form part of the everyday operations that can be controlled. Different levels of complexity are involved, and services can be tailor-made to cater for exactly what level of management is needed, with everything from voice recognition to tracking technologies possible.

What can a Warehouse Management System do?

Usually of the most interest to a business in regards to a WMS are the Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) which store all aspects of data specific to the product. Elements such as the weight, size, barcodes, labels, dates and materials involved are all stored and can hence be easily monitored and data accessed.

The locations of products within the warehouse can also be controlled, alongside the form of storage, the picking orders for items, as well as options such as secure locations for high-value items, and whether specific conditions are needed such as flame-proofing.

Picking schedules can be created and shared between multiple site locations. A major aspect of a WMS is also its use in monitoring and assessing employee productivity rates such as the amount of items picked within a specific timeframe. Tasks can be assigned and their progress observed, and modifications to plans that may be rendered necessary by fluctuating product or order sizes can easily be managed and adapted to.

How can a Warehouse Management System help a business be more cost efficient?

Due to the way in which a WMS manages data, the most obvious way in which a business will see a financial benefit from its implementation is via inventory accuracy. Eliminating the huge variable that human error brings to monitoring of stock and replacing it with a WMS will bring accuracy levels up, resulting in less unwanted stock being ordered, greater throughput, and less wastage caused. As a business will always be looking for near perfect stock accuracy in order to minimise unnecessary expenditure, a WMS is a massive advantage. Order cycles can be improved in a similar manner.

The ability to see warehouse stock in real-time is another big benefit, as dynamic business decisions can be made with the most up to date information.

A Supplier Management System (SMS) can also be integrated and will allow more control when dealing with suppliers and any other 3rd parties in relation to stock, meaning that focus can be placed on efficiency and maintaining financial control.

If you’re interested in our WMS, simply email your requirements to marketing@retail-assist.co.uk or call 0115 9042777.