Running a warehouse manually and without using any tools can take quite the toll on you and your team. With innovations, there are systems that technology gurus have developed to make this management more accessible and more efficient.
To utilize this technology, you need to invest in warehouse software. This article will highlight the features to look out for in your search. Read on for more.
Look out for the following elements:
- Ease Of Use
You should ensure the software you purchase is easy to use and your team can easily manipulate it.
With the ease of use, you won’t spend much time training your staff to utilize its features. You’ll also spend less time setting it up and get back to work as soon as possible. Ensure the warehouse management software has a menu that will enable its users to navigate the system quickly. It shouldn’t use jargon that a general audience can’t understand.
Any technology you adopt should make work easier for you and your team. There’ll be no downtime or errors when the software is easy to use, due to the lack of know-how.
- Inventory Management
Stock is the cornerstone of the operations of any warehouse. Therefore, a good warehouse management tool should efficiently take care of this aspect of your business.
With inventory management, this tool should keep track of the stock in your warehouse. A floor plan layout arranges your supply depending on their demand. The device will show your team where to store high-moving goods in easily accessible areas and vice versa for the slow-moving ones. It should also monitor the expiry dates of your products, such that it can control how they leave your warehouse. For goods nearing expiry, it will put them first to leave your warehouse when executing an order to prevent them from going bad when in storage.
When there’s such organization in your warehouse, all your operations will run efficiently, with no time wastage, as your team tries to locate stored products or losses due to expired goods.
- Ease Of Integration
Any warehouse management software you acquire should easily integrate with your current systems.
For efficient running, all your technologies should work to complement each other. When you acquire software that doesn’t integrate with your systems, you’ll be forced to change your technologies to suit the new software. It can be pretty costly.
Alternatively, you might ask your provider to take it back in exchange for another that works with your systems. Some will, and some might not agree, maybe due to a no-return policy. Eventually, you might be forced to acquire a second tool at an extra cost. Therefore, you should put your current systems at the forefront as you make your selection.
Also, the warehouse management software should integrate with other tools utilized by different departments of your company.
- Real-Time Services
An efficient warehouse management tool should allow for the real-time carrying out of your operations.
As it collects data in your warehouse, maybe from incoming stock, it should update your systems in real-time. With real-time data always in your plans, your executive team won’t make crucial decisions based on old data. Also, your team will always be on the same page regarding warehouse data and operations. It eliminates room for errors that could cost your business and lead to losses.
Your chosen warehouse management software should also allow real-time tracking of goods in transit. Your clients should be able to see where their interests have reached for them to make necessary, timely arrangements for the goods to arrive. They won’t need to call you every 30 minutes inquiring about their goods with this access. Your team can work without any call distractions unless when necessary.
- Mobility
Mobility means that the warehouse management platform should be easily accessible by all parties, despite their geographical location.
Users should access its system through mobile devices, as long as they have an internet connection.
With such a system, your staff can update data, partners can monitor operations, and customers can get receipts and invoices from wherever they’re in the world. It allows for convenience, where anyone needing data doesn’t have to come to the physical location of your warehouse business.
- Analytical Features
An efficient warehouse management system should analyze the data it collects. It should perform cycle counting to collect data on the number of goods in stock.
Are you almost running out of a given product, or are you overproducing an interest that’s not moving? It will notify you of this, enabling you to make crucial production decisions.
Look for a warehouse tool with a Key Performance Indicator (KPI.) This feature will analyze your warehouse data and inform you of the areas lacking and those that need improvement. This way, your top management won’t waste time figuring out the problem.
With the feedback given by the warehouse management software, all they need to do is find solutions, saving a lot of time. It will also pinpoint areas your management could have missed during their analysis.
Conclusion
As this article has shown, selecting warehouse management software for your plant doesn’t require much. By looking for the features discussed herein, your search process will be shortened, enabling you to start running operations efficiently as soon as possible.
