What is a WMS and how does it function?
Warehouses may benefit from the use of a warehouse management system (WMS) to boost productivity. WMS can keep track of real-time inventory levels and storage, staff productivity, demand prediction, and order fulfillment processes.
Manually operated systems are more prone to errors, and without the use of cutting-edge technology, it would be nearly impossible to keep up with them. WMS is required since it automates human activities and guesswork while also speeding up procedures that save time and offer a clearer picture of what’s going on within the warehouse.
Big data sets are created with the intention of matching good advice to your current needs. You can use it to instantly respond to market changes in a number of different ways, regardless of whether you need help optimizing your operations or just want answers. The warehouse management system will display information differently to a picker or packer who uses it to determine what goods should be picked or packed next on the warehouse floor.
Essential WMS procedures
The supply chain management information warehouse is a part of the supply chain process. It has an influence on storage, client order fulfillment, shipping inventory management, and distribution. Using an all-in-one solution, you may keep track of activities in real time from numerous sections of the warehouse.
1. Picking and packing
The picking and packing processes that a warehouse carries out are two of its most essential activities. For each picker, the best way to get things from the warehouse is via a pick list generated by a warehouse management system in the quickest time feasible.
Every new order will get a packing slip, as well as storage locations at the warehouse for those things. The picker will collect each item from its proper location.
An order is handed off to a packer, who is in charge of securely packaging the items and adding any needed packing materials before putting a shipping label on it.
2. Keep track of your inventory
The practice of tracking inventory levels so you know which SKUs you have in your warehouse and where they are located, or whether they’re on their way from a manufacturer to a store, is known as inventory tracking.
Inventory management allows you to keep track of how much product is available for shipment if a customer places an order right now, as well as when you should order additional based on anticipated sales.
As your business grows, you’ll need to sell more goods, open new locations, and add new items. This makes accuracy and tracking even more crucial.
3. Stowing and receiving
Warehousing involves receiving loads or freight from trucks at loading docks, storing them in a storage area, and then retrieving them when needed. The warehouse management system will need to be able to scan each new box as it arrives and match it with the inventory quantities that have been recorded.
It will then be taken to the warehouse’s short- or long-term inventory storage location, where it will be checked again. Warehouse management software should give clear instructions for each user so they know how to retrieve, unpack, pick, pack, and ship goods.
4. Shipping
Shippers like DHL, USPS, FedEx, and UPS will collect orders from the warehouse and transport packages to their final destinations depending on the delivery options and shipping services you provide to clients. When the order is delivered, your warehouse management system should be able to automatically send ecommerce order tracking data back to your store so that your customers can follow their orders.
5. Doing reporting
A warehouse management system should deliver a variety of out-of-the-box operational and inventory reports. This might include accuracy in delivering orders (total mis-picks, mis-packs, etc.), the number of total orders fulfilled by the hour to assess staff efficiency, orders shipped on time, and much more.
There are also stories about how people operate their businesses, such as inventory forecasting to understand labor management and recruiting needs. With a warehouse management tracking software, you can quickly identify who has completed safety training and which users have the proper licenses and certifications to utilize specific equipment, as well as other regulatory criteria that must be satisfied in order to operate a safe warehouse.