What is a Warehouse Management System (WMS)
Is current management of your warehouse enough for your needs?
A warehouse management system (WMS) is an integral part of any inventory-controlled business.
It is most common when included as a module within an ERP system, which manages the entire business. This allows business owners to use a single solution, with many over-lapping features.
A WMS manages many different warehouse locations. Each warehouse is able to identify stock control levels for a full inventory of each item. Warehousing parts for later production or assembly, or entire items is also standard.
Accentis Enterprise ERP offers an outstanding WMS as part of the entire product. Read more below about how a WMS works and can improve your manufacturing business.
Warehousing
Warehouses are not always a physical building as you might imagine it. Many different locations within a single building can be a designated “warehouse”. In a distribution sense, a warehouse can mean a shelf, plot section or stock bin.
How you store your items for production, manufacturing or distribution does not matter. It is the responsibility of the WMS to record the location of each item at any one time.
Some products used in the manufacturing process such as electronic components, only need a small footprint of storage. But because they’re stored in bulk, the shelves may contain many different “lots”.
Another industry that will use a segmented storage system include wholesale plant nurseries. A warehouse may in fact be a large greenhouse that includes many different plant species. Each species, or even seasonal variations of the same species, get a plot allocation in the warehouse.
Warehouses are an important part of any business, and if you sell physical stock, you need to manage it.
Imagine a plastic manufacturer with huge volumes of product ready for manufacturing. If a large order comes in, they need to know if their current stock holding is enough to fulfil it.
Managed Warehouse Integrations
When you are controlling stock inventory, the WMS is an important part of management. It will be able to control the picking, packing and shipping needs for the business.
The WMS works to improve efficiency with the Supply Chain Management (SCM) module. The Manufacturing MRP module will also be closely used as part of the ERP management.
The data sharing capabilities of Accentis Enterprise improve business efficiency and reporting. Our fully-integrated ERP system offers a single solution to enhance your business.
A manufacturing business runs much smoother when the system can handle warehousing requirements. Take full advantage of knowing product storage locations to make efficiency gains.
Running reports for stock orders will show re-order and par levels for accurate stock holding.
Using a fully-integrated solution for your business helps to streamline repetitive tasks. By saving time, you will also save money and improve workplace enjoyment.
Employees don’t have to chase down data from area managers and can run a report on the information they need.
Warehouse Inventory Control
Inventory control within a warehouse allows business management full control of all products. From the time they get delivered to when they leave the warehouse for sales, returns or transfers.
A well implemented WMS such as Accentis Enterprise ERP, improves efficiency and productivity. It does this by providing a structured process to follow that improves accuracy.
When using a warehouse management system, data gets entered and made available throughout. Because inventory details get communicated so fast, other departments can order and receive.
This results in less bottlenecks within the business, and improved efficiency gains. A further benefit is less paperwork needs printing.
Manufacturers and producers can run a Bill of Materials (BOM) report increase production. It allows employees on the assembly line to produce goods with the available stock on hand.
Used with the MRP system, these partial and full project builds can reduce downtime.
Is Warehouse Management Stock Control?
Stock control is the management of the count and value of a warehouse’s stocked inventory. Stock control does not concern itself as a whole with the location of items.
While the location of inventory is important for stock control, it is more a reference point.
A warehouse management system is the control of an item location and when the item should get used. A common example of this would be FIFO, or First In, First Out.
The WMS will work in-conjunction with the inventory and stock control systems. This helps to give a complete inventory picture. Tracking inventory in this way helps you become better equiped.
Many features used in the WMS will also feature in Inventory and Stock Control systems. Within Accentis Enterprise, these overlapping features provide a more efficient and structured solution.
Conclusion
If you’re in the market for a better warehouse management system, you’re in the right spot. Accentis Enterprise ERP can provide a more efficient system to manage your entire business.
If you are currently using more than one system to run your business, how can the business grow? Accentis Enterprise is an asset to your entire business process.
How long can your business last with no growth before you need to make a change? Implementing an ERP solution with a WMS will help your business reach your goals.
A fully-integrated solution helps put the power back in your hands and take full control. Inventory and stock control are an important area of the business that can make or break it.
Accentis Enterprise has a strong background in manufacturing and understand business owners’ frustrations.
We offer small to medium-sized businesses the opportunity to access large business features. More expensive systems don’t allow for the customisations and report-ability that our ERP delivers.
Don’t you want your business to reach its full potential? Contact us to find out more!
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