Key Features to Look for in a Warehouse Management System

In any business, big or small, smooth delivery operations are the key to efficiency in dispatching goods—this is why warehouses and warehouse operation services are important. Know how warehouse operations can be optimized with some key points from warehouse and logistics solutions from Goodman.

What is a warehouse management system?

WMS, or Warehouse Management System, is software that helps skilled labour and business owners running a warehouse to manage and optimise its day-to-day operations. It has features that track inventory, manage the orders coming in and going in and out of the warehouse, and oversee the workflows of your business. You need not oversee everything from one process to another, as its goal is to move the products smoothly and efficiently.

Key Features to Look for in a WMS

User-friendly interface. Confusing software leaves everyone in confusion and will build up a reason to procrastinate, and we don’t want that. WMS has a way of making things clear with its instructions and functions that are straightforward, reducing the errors but still keeping operations running smoothly so that even when a new staff member comes on board, they can keep up with the software immediately.

Real-time inventory tracking. Inventory discrepancies slow down your business, and as long as you tweak your WMS specific to your operations, you get accurate inventory data in a snap—no more overstocking, and more on making better purchasing decisions.

Scalability. A WMS that can grow with you will be able to handle the changes in the orders so you can expand and add more storage if you need to. This ensures that your WMS system is up to date with your business for a year or two before you need to re-update it.

Integration capabilities. Seamless integration with other business tools that you have keeps everything connected so you don’t need to switch from one software to another for specific tasks. This way, manual data entry errors are reduced, and processes are simpler and faster from the track order to dispatching the parcel. Another thing you need to check is if you can tailor the system to fit the specific processes of your business that can make reports easy to generate.

Automation features. There are WMS that have automation notifications in check, like when the order is picked up or shipped, as well as alerts for when your stock is low and delays in delivery without the need to check the screen constantly. Another WMS automation feature is the advanced security measures like protecting the data of your business against cyber threats.

Robust reporting and analytics. You can’t improve what you can’t measure, so look for a WMS with analytic tools that can help you analyse and identify the areas for improvement in your business operations.

Keep your business competitive.

The right warehouse management system for your business is finding the balance with ease of use to function immediately, as well as future-proofing your operations. There’s no harm in taking your time, as long as the right WMS will adapt to your business’ growth over time.