Warehouse management system (WMS) is a software application that helps control and manages daily operations in a warehouse. To clarify, it optimizes the picking and shipping of orders and advises for inventory replenishments. Warehouse inventory management systems only provide simple and basic functions especially in the safekeeping or just storage location information. Pick, pack, and ship are the best practices from the breadth of WMS functionality in the earlier years of development. In today’s technology, sophisticated programs coordinating advanced interactions with material-handling devices and yard management has now been developed throughout the years.
A warehouse management system can help reduce the likelihood of errors that could occur when a product has been shipped. In addition, the system can provide an instantaneously response in tracing ordered products within the warehouse.
Web-Based or Standalone WMS – Warehouse Management System
Listed below are the most popular types of Warehouse Management Systems in which each WMS type has its own pros and cons: namely Standalone System, Cloud-based warehouse management system and the ERP Modules.
Standalone System
The standalone system type of warehouse management system is your typical system which is an on-premises type that is deployed on the native hardware and network of business. Most WMS systems are third-party, standalone packages that must be integrated with the rest of your business management software. Further, integration of external programs can work, the process is often fraught with challenges such as duplicate data entry, information delays, interface issues, and customization expenses.
Cloud-based Warehouse Management System
The benefits of cloud-based WMS software include better flexibility, disaster recovery, scalability, and security. Moreover, cloud computing also offers the ability to receive automatic software updates without additional expenditures. In short, it provides better technological advancements.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Modules
This type of solution provides and streamlines the embedded electronic date interchange, accounting, sales orders, material requirements planning, order processing, production, inventory, procurement and shipping management with no messy non-real-time interfaces. To sum up, ERP software is a management solution that integrates applications to help improve business operations, communication, and collaboration.
With the native WMS program, you gain business-wide traceability, employee accountability, and real-time speed and responsiveness. Most importantly, through scan guns and barcodes, you can move from pen and paper to a digital MWS environment that eliminates re-keying of data and the unavoidable human entry error that accompanies it.
In conclusion, there are many more differences that fully define an ERP hosting model and should be taken into consideration before deciding what deployment option is best for your business.
The benefits of a comprehensive warehouse management system include:
– Reduced fulfillment time
– Increased inventory accuracy
– Improved customer service
– Greater space utilization
– Increased warehouse productivity
– Reduced labor cost
Two important questions to ask yourself are listed below for your easy reference:
- Can your bolted-on WMS software automatically alert you to order changes from incoming EDI documents, display on-hand inventory quantities and their locations?
- Can it keep you up to date in real-time of the number of parts left to the manufacturer before the order is filled and ready for shipment?
Christopher Morgan Fulfillment Center Services
Christopher Morgan Fulfillment has access to more than 600,000 square feet of professionally managed, secure, dry storage space, warehousing & distribution in Milwaukee and in all regions of the United States.
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