Warehouse managers today require modern solutions that go way beyond picking, packing and shipping; they need the best-in-class logistics that offer remarkable productivity gains in terms of labor, inventory and physical space while ensuring optimal use of time and money both. The key goal for most organizations opting for Warehouse Management Software (WMS) is to achieve improved profit margins and greater customer satisfaction.
Enterprise software for managing warehouse operations are designed to algorithmically optimize operations and transform logistics management into a critical strategy component of the supply chain by offering process control and precision.
With a WMS in place, warehouse managers can rely on detailed and easy-to-read metrics for tracking the performance of warehouse operations. If integrated with the ERP system in use, it offers greater flexibility and effectiveness. Highly reliable applications such as bar-coding and voice technology/RFID embedded in a Warehouse Management System (WMS) have made it possible to automatically synchronize monitoring of all warehouse items passing through multiple phases including storage, entry, quality control, packing away, location transfer and final shipment.
Lower distribution costs followed by improved returns on supply chain investments are critical in today’s competitive warehousing scene, and this calls for a well-organized system that can boost confidence. Considering this, modern warehouse systems and software are designed to deliver on all such significant aspects, primarily by ensuring that every event taking place within a warehouse is captured, and the overall efficiency optimized over time.
With a warehouse management system in place, it becomes much easier to receive goods against purchase orders while pre-allocated stock is automatically routed. Batch checking, random checking, and product-line checking also can be done accurately. One can also store automatic packing instructions and leave notes for the employees and staff.
Use of warehouse management software also saves time on different loading and delivery practices such as shipping documentation, for the system handles everything from emailing the recipients to web-tracking of orders
Trends
By the end of the 1980s, when the warehouse management systems industry was still in its nascent stages of development, leading software firms were busy developing customized software applications to make it easier to manage and control inventory and labor resources. Today, specialized warehouse management is both a need and a trend.
Channel Integration: Given the high growth rate that the e-commerce market has been experiencing for many years now, shippers today are keen on delivering seamless customer experience across a variety of different channels. More organizations are opting for WMSs that provide a smooth omni-channel experience by incorporating a bigger picture of the total inventory at rest, in stores, in transit and all the way through the complete supply chain.
More Automation in Material Handling: WMSs are slowing moving into the space previously occupied completely by warehouse control systems (WCS). Some vendors have already patched up their WMSs with materials handling interfaces. Many organizations are trying to figure out ways to better manage their human resources while at the same time, automate as many warehouse processes as possible.
SMEs Driving WMS Purchases: Today, SMBs are making aggressive warehouse management system purchases because of the overall boost such systems can lend to efficiency in delivery, and consequently to profits. In times when the big enterprises are struggling with long purchase cycles, small businesses powered by the Internet and mobile devices, are employing better logistics management systems to ensure fast delivery. Most SMBs prefer cloud-based WMS software as it needs little, if any, IT support or assistance or costs less in terms of capital expenditure.
Expansion of Third-party Logistics is Creating New WMS Needs: The swift emergence of third-party logistics providers has compelled WMS vendors to develop more efficient warehouse management tools. It is due to the nature of logistical outsourcing that warehouse management systems used by third-party providers are required to have multi-tenant interfaces. This makes it possible to account for different distribution centers having multiple clients. Extended WMS software, on the other hand, are too rigid to meet the requirements of the ever-growing and quickly changing third-party logistics operations.
Market Demand
With business intelligence becoming the focal point of most enterprises today, the market demand of warehouse management software has spurred manifold. An inclusive report by Global Industry Analysis, Inc. (GIA) suggests that the international Data Warehouse Management Software market is likely to arrive at US $16.9 billion by the year 2018. The climb will be driven by a stronger demand for next-generation warehouse management platforms.
In addition to growing business intelligence, economic recovery has been another influential factor responsible for an increase in the demand.
The demand is expected to increase further for economical stability is lending confidence to organizations for logistic upgrades. Also, warehouse management system vendors cannot afford not integrating the latest functions and facilities to meet client demands and stay well ahead of the curve. This is why they are providing logistic executives with enhanced products featuring handy inventory management applications. These applications help incorporate warehouse operations related to distribution and transportation.
Specialized logistics operations are highly important for improved productivity, and since upgrading of WMS systems and software is never going to stop, their market demand is not likely to collapse anytime soon.
Choosing the Right IT Partner
Given the stiff competition, it is absolutely necessary for organizations to automate their warehouse operations to achieve peak performance.
Amid rising customer expectations, dropping margins and growing competitive pressure, companies need to choose the most advanced warehouse operations management software for automation by first choosing the right IT partner.
Compliance with Electronic Data Exchange (EDI), ability to easily manage the changes needed for e-commerce, system security evaluation, hardware requirement, post deployment support, upgrades and initial mapping of business needs to a warehouse management solution are aspects that demand hands-on experience in warehouse operations as well as relevant IT expertise.
Kristen
