27 July 2022

7 Qualities of a Good WMS

27 July 2022

In the last text we published here on the Blog, we showed how the WMS system can provide a competitive advantage to your company. We also highlighted that, to maximize results, it is necessary to correctly choose the software provider.

A good WMS should save you time and money and ensure your customer’s satisfaction. And even more: the system must keep up with the growth of your business.

But, after all, how can we ensure that these objectives are achieved? By carefully evaluating the system’s features. In this text, we have selected 7 main qualities of a good WMS. By analyzing each one, you can define the criteria for choosing the ideal solution for your company, if you don’t already have a WMS, or even discover if the WMS you are using is serving you well.

What should a good WMS have?

Discover below the 7 fundamental characteristics of a good WMS:

1) Flexibility

The first thing you need to evaluate about the WMS system is what it can do for your company. Ask yourself: “Will this solution simplify my processes and management? Will all my current needs be met?” This is a key point.

For example, if your company must meet the standards of inspection bodies, the WMS must be able to assist you in meeting all requirements. Or, if you intend to implement a new intralogistics format, such as a dark store or a micro-fulfillment center, a good WMS must offer you specific functionalities for this type of operation.

Basically, what you should evaluate is whether the software is flexible and versatile enough to meet all the needs of your company.

2) Ease of use

It makes no sense to have a tool that allows you to do more with less if your team has difficulty using it. That’s why a quality WMS must be easy to use. Clear navigation ensures that all employees can make the most of the system’s features. Additionally, ease of use helps you quickly train new employees, from operators to administration.

When choosing a WMS for your company, evaluate if it offers an intuitive menu, how data is entered, how information is accessed, if a feature can be quickly activated, how charts and KPIs are presented, among other details.

In short, you should ask yourself: “Does the system seem easy to use?”

3) End-to-end management

A good WMS allows you to manage your operations end-to-end, from receiving to shipping. You need to have a complete view of your warehouse so you can identify potential bottlenecks and make accurate decisions on which area to optimize. This means the system must track everything, from product information and quantities, addresses and movements, to employee performance and transactions carried out.

It is important to evaluate how the system is present in each process (such as receiving, storage, picking, replenishment, shipping, and inventory) and how it helps in its management. The more control you have over your inventory and resources, the greater your ability to develop strategies that will grow your business.

4) Scalability

What is your main goal when investing in a technology like WMS? To make your business thrive, right? Here comes another important quality to evaluate in the software: if it is scalable, meaning if it can grow with your company and if it is ready to meet future needs.

The first point to analyze, in this case, is if the system integrates with a potential ERP. It might be able to integrate with the ERP currently used by your company, but what if you decide to change in the future? Will they have trouble integrating with the WMS? That’s why opting for a system that easily integrates with any ERP becomes a necessity for your business to grow without difficulties.

Also, check if the WMS integrates with other systems, like TMS and OMS, and with sales software and marketplaces. Evaluate also the communication with hardware, such as RF collectors, label printers, scanners, etc.

Additionally, it is essential to verify if the chosen WMS integrates with logistics automation, such as shuttles, pick-to-light, voice picking, A-Frame, sorter, among others, after all, it is very likely that, if you do not use it yet, you might use them in the future.

5) Useful and easy-to-read metrics

This is a fundamental requirement that must be met and will make a difference in your work routine. You need to have different information about your business and, most importantly, be able to understand it.

A good WMS should allow you to easily create reports and charts that offer an accurate diagnosis of your warehouse. Another difference is that the system offers dashboards that can be shared on screens distributed throughout the warehouse so that employees can monitor process performance, avoiding delays and errors. Everyone must be able to easily “read” the metrics and, therefore, pursue constant improvement.

6) Concrete results + ROI

Has the WMS you are considering for your business already brought concrete results to other companies? Are the gains significant? What is the ROI offered by the system?

These are important questions you need to answer. By evaluating the provider’s success stories, you will have a good idea of the gains obtained and the ROI, but it is also worth contacting one of the provider’s clients to find out if expectations were met, how the implementation project went and its execution, and also how support is offered. Post-implementation support is one of the crucial points to achieve the best results when implementing the WMS in your warehouse.

7) Updates and trend anticipation

Finally, a valuable quality of a good WMS is the frequency of updates. Technologies evolve very quickly, and therefore, your software needs update packages that increase security and optimize functionalities. Additionally, it is important that the provider has an eye on the future, meaning they anticipate trends and always offer smart solutions to your needs.

It is very likely that your company will evolve over the years, and the WMS must be at the forefront of these changes, providing full support so that the most complex processes can be executed with ease. And this can only be achieved with innovation! Therefore, make sure to ask: “Does the software provider demonstrate keeping up with market developments?”

The right WMS for your company

After learning about all 7 qualities of a good WMS, you must have understood how important it is to ask questions to the provider to thoroughly understand the system, evaluating the offered functionalities, its flexibility, scalability, integrations, ease of use, customer support, and innovation. Often you may become attached to the software “brand,” but the most important thing is to thoroughly analyze what it can do for your company and how it will support your growth. With the right choice, your business will surely succeed and have all the cards in place to achieve market leadership!


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