EDITORIAL use this. If you expect your staff to use the system to its full potential, the interface should be intuitive and its functions logical. Staff in other sections of your organization should also be able access the information necessary to track inventory and order fulfillment. Significant time and money can be saved if your WMS integrates well with your existing ERP such that there is no need to manually input data or check for transcription errors. A suitable WMS will be synchronized with accounting data, generating in-depth financial reporting in real time. Naturally, the simplest solution would be make use of a WMS function within your company`s existing ERP system. While not widely used, if your warehouse management needs are as basic as these existing modules are usually found to be, this can be a simple and seamless solution.
The right vendor Just as there are a variety of questions to ask yourself about what kind of system you will need, it is critical to ask your software vendor important questions to control the amount of time and money the system installation will require. Not only do you need to find out what the license costs of the WMS are, but what it will cost to adapt the system and equipment such as bar-coding machines to your specific requirements. The less customization, the more time and money you will save.
Timeframes for implementation can vary widely across different vendors and systems, so comparing different systems in their estimates here might be a deciding factor. And as no system can realistically be set up without any glitches, a vendor`s training methods, customer support and maintenance fees can also help in the decision-making process. Any good vendor will also invest heavily in the development of its products, and will proactively share these enhancements with its existing customers. Once you have found a suitable WMS, upgrading it rather than purchasing an entirely new program is the best way forward. If a vendor can offer these upgrades at reasonable prices, you may have found the right one.
Implementation steps Thus we can summarize all the process of installing WMS as following: 1. Planning. The company should perfectly understand its needs and the particular goals it wants to reach by installing/ upgrading the software. 2. Data mining. The more available variants the company would consider, the more chances that it will finally choose the right option. 3. Analysis of options. Crucial to remember is that all the WMS systems have certain advantages and disadvantages. The goal is to pick the one which will maximise the advantages. While comparing different options a client can use the following list of benchmarks and choose the best combination of them: • Accuracy of inventory • Maximizing space utilization inside warehouse • Improving the fulfillment of the orders • Payback period • Reducing the inventory • Shortening decision-making time • Easy and quick implementation 4. Implementation. That phase can last from weeks to months and might require training of personnel. 5. Monitoring the system. After instalment it is necessary not only to control the normal functioning of WMS but also track the needs of upgrade, which arise naturally as the business develops. As mentioned above it is preferable to upgrade the existing system, rather than changing it to a completely different solution.
Contributed by CHaINA Magazine (www.chainamag.com), the leading bi-lingual magazine for supply chain professionals and executives.
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