A desire for faster warehouse logistics—from data-driven inventorying to picking orders without error—has been growing to meet rising online sales and overall consumer demand. From a decreasing labor force, partly due to the pandemic, to other socio-economic shifts, there is an increased need for a platform that can manage inventory and warehouse operations. That is where a warehouse management systems (WMS) comes into play.
According to a recent Forbes article, a WMS is “... a type of software that is widely used in the manufacturing and retail industries because it tracks all materials and goods as they come in and go out of the warehouse. In basic terms, a WMS helps optimize all your warehouse processes.”
Types of Warehouse Management Systems
Streamlining the tracking and overall management of materials in your warehouse helps ensure inventory is properly tracked, picking and packing of orders are optimized and the speed and accuracy of outbound orders are seamless. Rather than rely on handwritten notes and following a paper trail, a WMS automates the process and removes the probability of error. There are two types of WMS systems: on-premises and cloud-based.
On-premises WMS systems are hosted, maintained and include the hardware and software associated with the system on site. Although this offers a greater degree of control, there are much higher up-front costs because the user is responsible for all components, such as hardware, servers to host the software, regular maintenance and more.
Cloud-based WMS systems are similar to how your iPhone works when it stores photos and other related data “in the cloud”. They are hosted on remote servers and have drastically reduced costs and are usually subscription based. This offers a much higher degree of speed, flexibility and agility in a budget-conscious economy.
Benefits of Cloud-Based Warehouse Management Systems
There are many benefits of a cloud-based WMS. According to a post in Supply Chain 24/7, as well as several other articles, the benefits of a software-as-a-service (SaaS), or cloud-based WMS, include:
- Scalability as the business grow
- Low learning curve, leading to overall ease of use
- Streamlined warehouse and customer service procedures
- Better managing and faster order fulfillment with reduced errors
- Enhanced labor management and yard and dock management
- Improved product safety and security
- Offers real-time inventory data
Jarrett Warehousing utilizes a cloud-based WMS to manage the entire warehouse, from receiving, putaway and inventory management to picking, packing, shipping and returns. Jarrett’s WMS can also connect to other systems through EDI and API interfaces. The ability to connect systems eliminates keying errors and increases the speed of order entry to picking and shipping out orders.
Jarrett has been monitoring the warehouse technology revolution, and with upgraded technology like WMS systems, the way we do business is evolving. Learn how Jarrett can help you leverage these technologies to provide your customers with a better overall experience by visiting https://www.gojarrett.com/warehousing.
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