Published: May 14
Warehouse Management Software acts as an assistant to all facets involved in running a distribution center, including Inventory Management, Shipping and Tracking, Labor Management, Picking, etc. A WMS will provide you with real-time data on each of these operations and allow you to develop actionable plans on how to operate more efficiently. For example, you can see all the data relevant to your operators, such as their productivity level per day. You can also view status of customer orders and where they are in the picking/packing/shipping process. This type of insight can help you to identify and prevent bottlenecks and run more efficiently.
As discussed in part one of this blog series from April 28th, the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing companies to choose between embracing an e-commerce business model or shutting down entirely. In order to run a successful e-commerce operation, companies must maintain a well-run warehouse or face the risk of losing customers. For example, warehouse inventory levels must be accurately displayed in real-time so customers can be certain they will receive what they see on your website in the time frame you promise. Also, companies must be able to track data from online sales so they can react to purchase trends. Knowing how to act on the data available to you and running an e-commerce platform flawlessly is a laborious task. Welcoming a Warehouse Management Software (WMS) into your business model can help.
What is WMS?
Warehouse Management Software acts as an assistant to all facets involved in running a distribution center, including Inventory Management, Shipping and Tracking, Labor Management, Picking, etc. A WMS will provide you with real-time data on each of these operations and allow you to develop actionable plans on how to operate more efficiently. For example, you can see all the data relevant to your operators, such as their productivity level per day. You can also view status of customer orders and where they are in the picking/packing/shipping process. This type of insight can help you to identify and prevent bottlenecks and run more efficiently.
Common Warehouse Issues That can be Avoided with a WMS
1. Human Error
Without a WMS, human error is inevitable. Manual data entry leads to mistyped numbers and letters, ineligible handwriting and miscommunications. Each mistake costs your company money. A WMS system can significantly reduce this problem with the simple solutions below.
2. Gaps in Productivity
It is well documented that one of the most prominent causes of unproductive warehouse operations is the lack of streamlined tools and data visibility throughout the picking, packing and shipping process, which can ultimately result in inaccurate or late shipments to customers. Utilizing a WMS will help your employees have a clear picture of what is needed of them at all times, so they can know ahead of time when their service will be needed and be prepared. A WMS will enable you to avoid halts caused by:
3. Draining Money on Unnecessary Labor Hours and Tasks
It is important to choose the strategy that makes the most sense with your business model.
Automating Tasks. Over the course of the past decade, the automation of tedious tasks has become commonplace in distribution centers. Many companies hesitate to make the switch from manual to automated solutions`, as the effort involved can seem daunting. ABS will work with you every step of the way in implementing the automation that will help optimize your operation, retain your customers and reduce chargebacks. ABS’s WMS will also allow you to easily automate the sending of invoices and shipment confirmations, creation of shipping labels, output of EDI and updating of current status of inventory when it is picked and packed. In addition to saving your company a large sum of money, this will also free up the time of employees, so they can focus on doing their jobs more thoroughly and being more innovative in the workplace.
4. Surplus of Data
With every new customer, transaction, location and vendor comes more information that needs to be stored in your system. Managing this data and the systems to support it can present challenges such as:
ABS’s Cloud Based solution manages these challenges for you and gets you up and running more quickly, safely, efficiently and accurately.
If you are interested in running your warehouse more efficiently, contact us at ABS today. We recognize the ever changing demands of your customers, especially during these challenging times, and our team and our scalable application is ready to make these transitions with you in order to remain competitive and profitable.
4325 Alexander Drive, Suite 100
Alpharetta, GA 30022-3740
Apparel Business Systems | All Rights Reserved