What Is a Warehouse Management System?
A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a comprehensive software solution that enables organizations to control and optimize warehouse operations, from the moment goods or materials enter the facility until they are dispatched. Central to manufacturing and supply chain operations, warehouses store all materials involved in production processes, from raw inputs to finished goods. The primary purpose of a WMS is to ensure that goods and materials move through the warehouse efficiently and cost-effectively. It accomplishes this by managing various functions, including inventory tracking, picking, receiving, and storage.
Who Needs a Warehouse Management System?
Any organization with a warehouse or distribution center aiming to stay competitive needs a WMS. Relying on manual, paper-based approaches, or even basic Excel spreadsheets and ERPs, is inefficient and risky, as they can’t handle the detailed operations a WMS is designed for. Industries like manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, healthcare, third-party logistics (3PL), and wholesale distributors benefit significantly from the streamlined operations and enhanced efficiency a WMS provides.
Signs You’re Ready for a WMS
Here are indicators that it might be time to implement a WMS:
- Increasing order volumes and complexity
- Frequent inventory inaccuracies
- High operational costs
- Delays in order fulfillment
- Inefficient labor management
Benefits of a Warehouse Management System
- Optimize Processes: WMS software streamlines inbound and outbound processes by automating manual tasks such as inventory tracking and labeling. It creates efficient warehouse routes and optimizes warehouse layout, reducing the time and effort required to move inventory. By optimizing processes, businesses can increase operational efficiency and throughput.
- Reduce Expenses: Implementing a WMS can significantly lower labor costs by speeding up the time it takes to find items in the warehouse. It also reduces waste by optimizing premium floor space utilization through better layout planning. Automated processes within a WMS minimize errors, leading to fewer costly mistakes and improved inventory visibility, which can reduce overall storage needs and associated costs.
- Real-time inventory visibility: WMS offers a graphical layout of the warehouse, providing real-time and historical views of inventory locations and routes. Features like heat maps, wave status, and drill-down capabilities enhance the ability to manage and locate inventory efficiently.
- Improved labor management: WMS tracks all tasks in the warehouse, from advanced resource allocation to task interleaving, ensuring efficiency in all operations. Detailed dashboards and KPIs help manage labor standards, optimize best picking and put-away routes, and reduce time spent on non-productive activities.
- Improve Customer Experience: Customers benefit from reduced mistakes and faster delivery times when warehouses operate more efficiently with a WMS. Real-time updates on order status and improved inventory accuracy enhance customer satisfaction. By providing reliable information and quicker service, businesses can strengthen customer relationships and loyalty.
Key criteria for selecting a WMS:
- Budget/ROI: Consider gains in efficiency, reduced costs, improved customer service, and better decision making.
- Functionality: Ensure it meets essential needs like real-time inventory tracking and improved labor utilization.
- Vendors: Evaluate expertise, integration capabilities, upgrade handling, customization needs, and training processes.
Infor WMS: A Modern Solution
With warehouse operations becoming more complex, having up-to-date functionality to keep up with the latest trends and customer requirements is key to growing your business. Infor WMS is a best-of-breed, Tier-1 warehouse management system built on the cloud, designed to streamline warehouse operations through advanced inventory management, labor management, 3PL billing and invoicing, 3D visualization, embedded analytics, and more.
Organizations using Infor WMS have seen impressive improvements, including:
🔹 15-20% reduction in fulfillment costs
🔹 15-40% increase in labor productivity
🔹 5-25% savings in transportation costs
🔹 5-20% decrease in space requirements
🔹 Inventory accuracy over 99%
Kingslake is your ideal partner for implementing Infor WMS, offering extensive experience and expertise to ensure a seamless and successful implementation tailored to your specific business needs. With 30 years of pioneering experience in the IT industry, Kingslake has consistently empowered manufacturers to enhance their throughput and operational efficiency. As a forward-thinking organization, Kingslake offers future-ready solutions that adapt to the evolving demands of modern businesses. By delivering tailored, technology-driven strategies, Kingslake ensures your business achieves lasting success and operational excellence.
