7 Reasons Why Warehouse Management Software is Essential for Businesses

It’s 2021. If your business is still dealing with lost or untraceable inventories, it’s very likely that you aren’t using innovative warehouse management software (WMS) or systems. 

Successful businesses in the E-commerce and retailing field rely on WMS to manage the orders, delivery locations, order status, and more factors for all the products in the supply chain. 

However, there are still many businesses that are operating with traditional methods. This leads to a number of challenges such as:

• poor inventory management

• poor customer service

• longer times in a lead generation

• more errors 

• data inaccuracy

…and many more. 

WMS systems are the solution to these challenges and enabling transparent communication between warehouses and clients. These systems also enhance the efficiency and profitability of the business, while reducing safety concerns. 

What is Warehouse Management?

Warehouse management is the process of controlling the regular warehouse operations. These operations include receiving orders, shipping of products, management of inventory, picking up returns, and ensuring that all these things run optimally. 

What is Warehouse Management System (WMS)?

To facilitate centralized management of tasks throughout the supply chain, most businesses use automation tools or software called Warehouse Management Systems. 

Such automated WMS software helps in keeping track of the items, from the time it arrives till it is shipped to the distribution centre or the customer. An effective solution to address the key challenges faced by most E-commerce players and distribution firms today, WMS has several advantages over the outdated methods of management. 

Why Do Businesses Need Warehouse Management Systems?

1. Optimize Operational Costs & Space

The right WMS has the potential to help you optimize the use of floor space and labour, as well as find the right placement for each item. It comes with algorithms to decide how to utilize the space optimally. For instance, placement of right products on a premium floor rather than keeping things randomly. 

The systematic placement of products can make it easier to find the required ones whenever needed and save time & resources from excessive product movement. This can substantially reduce operational costs and time.

Furthermore, these algorithms are also great for facilitating proper rotation of materials, such as last-in, first-out (LIFO), first-in, first-out (FIFO), first-expired, first-out (FEFO), etc. 

This is a great way to further save on costs. For example, if some products are on the verge of expiry, then these can be arranged in a FEFO approach. This will save the products from getting expired and wasted.

2. Effective Staff Management

As mentioned above, WMS enables proper structure for the product placement at the workplace. Apart from saving on operational costs, it also boosts the employee spirit and enables goal-setting for the managers. 

When the employees know the location of the products in the warehouse, they can find it easily, rather than putting in efforts every time in searching. This makes the task allocation easier for managers when they know the time required to fulfil a request. 

Moreover, managers can then set goals for growth, measure it, and improve things to stay competitive in the market.

3. Better Customer Service

WMS reduces the inventory paperwork by turning the reports, pick & move tickets, and packing lists into an electronic form. It also streamlines the processes of showing product availability, order status, and delivery. 

This way, it becomes easier to determine the delivery dates, which reduces customer complaints and improves their experience.

4. Visibility of Inventory Levels

To improve the inventory management of the warehouse, it is essential to first get visibility into inventory levels, i.e. to gain complete control over it. 

When there is a lack of control and visibility, the warehouse carries additional stock of products which may result in a decline in cash flow. The warehouse may also run out of stock for some products, which is even worse, causing backorders. Backorders negatively impact customer experience. 

What WMS software does is enable improved inventory visibility using barcode scanning, RFID, location tracking, etc. As a result, the product movement becomes transparent, from the time it arrives at the warehouse, reaches the floor, and shipped for delivery. 

5. Better Control Over Stock

The stock in a warehouse is consistently on the movement. It comes from several directions and then moves to distinct directions. Many times, it becomes a bit confusing for businesses to control the movement.

It’s not an easy task to know the location of each product. This may, sometimes, lead to the loss of the product.  Here, the warehouse management software will enable better stock control, so that it becomes easier to know the whereabouts of the products and retrieve them whenever required.

6. Improve ROI

Using a reliable WMS can help businesses optimise multiple aspects of their warehouse management and boost their business sustainability, sales and overall profits. As mentioned earlier, it reduces operational costs, optimizes the time required by each employee to manage tasks, and save on costs. 

A WMS not only helps in improving sales but also to improve customer experience and sell faster. These are indications of business growth and rise in return on investment (ROI).

7. ERP Integration

The best WMS software integrates well with the ERP system and existing business management tools. This integration means that businesses don’t have to do certain things repeatedly, once on WMS, and then on other systems, saving time. 

Additionally, some warehouse management systems also help businesses to stay in compliance with the ongoing supply chain regulations. Other benefits of ERP integrations include: 

• Real-Time Data 

• Visual Workflows 

• Faster ROI

• Automated processes

• Single source of information

• Supply chain optimization

The above-mentioned reasons are enough to prove why businesses today must be using WMS software. It is the best possible way to streamline multiple processes in a warehouse, such as:

• streamlining warehousing processes

• automating mundane and repetitive tasks 

• improve customer experience

• increase sales

• drive business growth.

While choosing the WMS for your business, it’s important to first evaluate the requirements and compatibility with the current infrastructure. The sooner you opt for a WMS system, the sooner your business will reap the rewards. 

Unicommerce: The Leading Warehouse Management Software

Unicommerce currently supports 100+ marketplaces, carts, logistics providers, ERP & POS systems and is the first choice of over 10,000 brands, sellers and retailers to be their Warehouse Management Solutions provider.

Unicommerce allows multiple technologically advanced warehouse management solutions such as handheld, FIFO, batching, cycle count, etc., and continues to evolve its offering in this regard.

Effective warehouse management translates to having the right amount of the right product at the right location delivered just in time to satisfy customer needs at minimum cost and Unicommerce is capable of imparting that for your business.

The advanced feature-loaded WMS by Unicommerce has been proven to help you to effortlessly achieve:

• Higher Sales & Margins
• Lower Operating Costs
• Hassle-free Management
• Reduced Manpower Cost
• Improved Data Visibility
• Fast Implementation 

With such advantages and flexibility, Unicommerce is the ultimate fit for your Warehouse Management needs.

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Why do you need Unicommerce for your business? Unicommerce Growth Hacks

Business Growth is subjective for each person. When and how it needs to be done depends on various factors regarding the business itself. Hence, it is smart to opt for custom and personalized tech solutions when you are planning on going digital with your business processes and day to day activities.

Unicommerce provides custom cloud-based solutions for sellers, retailers, businesses, and brands, that wish to automate their eCommerce processes to improve their productivity and efficiency, hence promoting business growth and giving space for business expansion.

Unicommerce’s technologically advanced supply chain solutions have been providing robust and highly effective assistance in various sectors and industries of eCommerce for years. Here are the major categories for which multiple amazing solutions by Unicommerce are available:

• Multichannel Solutions

For multichannel businesses, whether retail or eCommerce, Unicommerce’s solutions, integrated with the routine processes prove to be a boost to their daily productivity. These solutions are focused on helping the owners to reduce the order fulfillment time, automate as many processes as possible, and enhance customer experience while placing orders with your business or brand.

Unicommerce Solutions available in this sector are:

• Multichannel Order Management

• Multichannel Inventory Management

• Multichannel Return Management

• Accounting Assistance

• Shipping Management

• Dashboard Personalisation

• Reports Management

• Risk Management

• Omnichannel Solutions 

If your business is omnichannel, serving both online as well as offline consumers at the same time, Unicommerce’s solutions are the perfect fit for you to enhance customer experience at your store, or on your website. Whether your business is retail or wholesale, Unicommerce’s complete eCommerce management solutions can help you to streamline your processes across devices and platforms, and focus on important things at hand, such as order fulfillment or manufacturing processes. Our transition processes are smooth and utilize advanced cloud-based solutions to ease the migration. With us, bringing your offline business online or vice versa can be a piece of cake, and trust us, we all love cakes!

• Warehouse Management Solutions

If your business involves maintaining a warehouse for goods and products, Unicommerce Solutions can help you to keep a close eye on your stocks and keep all your processes in line, saving a lot of your time and efforts. Various Unicommerce warehouse management software available for your business include:

• Inventory and Stock Management

• Return Management

• Shipment Management

• Packaging Management

• Employee Record Management

Key Benefits of using Unicommerce Solutions for your warehouse include increased labor productivity, improved space utilization and visibility, enhanced accuracy, and on-time shipment dispatches.

• Drop shipment Solutions 

With amazing Unicommerce Solutions for Drop Shipping businesses, digital marketplace transitions are easier than ever before. Our custom eCommerce solutions will help your drop-shipment business to boost your commercial dynamics seamlessly. With Uniware Vendor Panel Solutions, your vendors can now sell their products and services directly to the end-users.

• ERP Integration and Management

You can now digitize your business with seamless processing, advanced computing, and cloud-based accounting systems that boost your business growth instantly. Unicommerce ERP Solutions are feature-rich and come with an inbuilt ecosystem to incorporate and manage your orders, stocks, returns, shipments, etc. across 40+ marketplaces smoothly. 

You can now make your inventory visible to your customers and salespersons anywhere, anytime with real-time updates. The solution also offers a highly flexible and impeccably centralized inventory across all your sales channels, such as online, offline, warehouse, website, etc.

Conclusion: 

Unicommerce is the go-to solution for all your e-commerce requirements. We strive to simplify your business and help you in taking it to new heights. With a variety of services including Multichannel Order Management, Multichannel Inventory  Management, Warehouse Management, Omnichannel Solutions, Dropship Solutions, ERP Integration, and much more, we are a trusted global brand supporting over 10,000 businesses that grow multi-folds. Our solutions are also delivered through our mobile application. 

Uniware Mobile App is a standardized mobile app used by hundreds of clients to manage their online and offline operations in one place on their mobile screens. Pre-integrated with 100+ world’s leading marketplaces, ERP Systems, Cart Solutions as well as Logistics Providers,  Uniware Mobile App provides a seamless user experience and flawless multi-channel operations for your business.

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All you need to know about Warehouse Management

 

Behind the success of every startup or brand, there is a story full of lots of hardships and management issues that were resolved with smart solutions, contributing to the success that it has today.

One of the major management issues for every small business appears when a warehouse is set up for the fulfillment of orders, no matter if the business is omnichannel or multichannel.

What is Warehouse Management

Warehouse management refers to the functions that you set inside your warehouse to organize and control everything to make processes faster and smoother and use your resources to their maximum capacity. It includes all the day-to-day activities that take place in every warehouse based on their industry and type of products.

Warehouse Management tasks that apply for every retailer or wholesaler include:

• Space Allotment and Arrangement of stocks

• Purchase and refilling of stocks, as well as keeping track of the current stocks

• Managing and tracking packaging, shipment, and delivery of your products or goods

• Employing and engaging with equipment to manage various processes in your warehouse

The main objective of employing Warehouse management practices is making the day-to-day activities in your warehouse more productive, standardized, cost-efficient, and time-saving to increase the effectiveness of operations in your warehouse.

The need for warehousing for small business

Warehousing is important for every small business that has to accommodate purchasing, selling, storage, or transportation of products or goods in bulk, irrespective if it’s a wholesaling business or a retail business with a large number of daily orders. 

Here are some of the advantages of warehousing for a small business:

1. Inventory Optimisation

Warehousing helps small businesses to reduce and bridge the gap between supply and demand. With a proper inventory management system, you can set goals and targets for yourself and project your future statistics effectively. It can also help you to minimize overstocking or understocking issues.

2. Increasing Process Efficiency

Warehousing can help you to house equipment, machinery, and supplies that can aid packaging and processing making it faster. When you store more supplies and buy them in bulk, you can save a lot of money and time consumed in purchasing and transporting supplies or packaging equipment.

3. Overhead Cost Reduction

Managing a warehouse is not inexpensive. But by integrating the correct technology along with standardized work processes, you can maximize the potential of your warehouse and use it to increase your business profits and monthly or annual turnover significantly, along with reducing a lot of overhead charges that come with operating a warehouse for your business.

4. Maximizing the Visibility

Every small business needs to focus on its supply chain performance to maximize its visibility and enter into more profitable deals with bulk orders and promised timed deliveries. The better your performance is, the more sale orders you will receive, hence increasing your visibility.

5. Enhanced Customer Service

Once you are managing a warehouse, you will be able to predict the estimated time that each order going out of your warehouse will take before it gets delivered. Hence, you will be able to provide better timelines to your clients or customers, even for bulk orders. Suitable warehousing will enable you to offer better delivery and distribution services with reduced chances of errors, delays, and damages, or misplacing of your goods or products. Hence, the customer experience that your end-users have when they engage with you will be enhanced.

6. Ensuring Price Stability

For goods and products whose prices keep on fluctuating frequently, warehousing is a good solution to purchase and store higher quantity products when the prices are lower and sell them back during the peak season for an ensured high-profit percentage.

7. Risk Management

If your business deals with delicate or perishable products, warehousing is the most effective solution for safe and secure storage, even in bulk quantities. Warehousing is also a good solution for products that need to be kept at certain temperatures to keep them surviving or to increase their shelf life.

How Unicommerce Helps?

Keeping in mind the various difficulties that the warehouse owners face with warehouse management, Unicommerce has developed smart Warehouse Management Software that provides end-to-end technical support to manage the daily activities inside your warehouse. 

Unicommerce Warehouse Management Software (WMS) assists you to: 

• Increase in Labour Productivity 

• Improve Warehouse Space Utilization 

• Improve Inventory Visibility and Accuracy 

• Increase on-time shipments 

Our Warehouse Management Software integrates Inventory Management, Order Management, Warehouse Inward and Outward Operations, as well as RFID Barcode Scanning and Returns Management on the same portal making it an excellent model of a cloud-based Warehouse Management System to boost your sales and business growth.

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Where can I find reliable warehouse management system software?

Finding the right Warehouse Management System for your business or enterprise is not an easy task. It is like trying to find a business partner that matches your intellect and business requirement in terms of skills, i.e. functions and features.

Here is a quick guide to help you through this dilemma:

1. Unicommerce WMS

Unicommerce Warehouse Management System is the newly emerging tool helping thousands of enterprises across industries and geographical regions to manage their inventory and resources. This tool is both inexpensive and highly adaptable. Various package options available for this tool would even help you to choose the features that you want and need and avoid paying for stuff that is not useful for you or your business.

2. Get a Custom-made WMS

Getting a custom-made Warehouse Management System Software is not as easy as it sounds. However, it can be the only good alternative for you. You might have to spend months on testing and incorporating it into your business while requesting changes in features and the removal of bugs from time to time. However, custom-made WMS, if built by skilled and reliable developers have the potential to boost your processes and change the face of your business in a very short time span. No to forget, getting a custom made WMS can be a very expensive gig for you.

3. Build your own WMS

Not as fun as it sounds, building your own Warehouse Management Software does not mean that you have to code and program it by yourself. Unless you are a pro coder, it is going to take a while for you to learn all that coding, maybe even years. Hiring developers for your in-house development is an option that a lot of people opt for due to the flexibility and control over development progress that this alternative allows. This way, you also get a higher amount of control over the money spent on this gig. However, if you don’t have much idea about the basic functionality of a WMS and how it is made, you might end up getting scammed or fooled. Another drawback is finding the right skillset for your own team of developers, on an affordable budget and providing them space and time to work on the development of your custom WMS.

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