With the expansion of any business, new locations are added, shipment volumes get increased, and investments in new technologies are planned. While making plans for such growth, upgrading the existing systems is naturally the first thought. Switching to an advanced Warehouse Management System can have an high impact on your customer service, improves warehouse productivity and delivers greater control over inventory. But when is the right time for such a move?
This article will show some of the signs that indicate when should you make an upgrade.
The system that you select should offer the right improvements and that they are also scalable. The new benefits they bring need to justify your investment both on the financial spend as well as the time it takes to train your staff. Also make sure that the new technology implementation will not cause any disruption during the transition.
Below are some questions to compare the features of your present software with that of a new one shortlisted:
Is your current system hampering productivity? If yes, then in which areas?
Asking this question will clarify your thoughts on upgrading to new WMS. Is your old system able to complete a day’s order pool especially when timescales are tight? The new WMS must be capable of offering greater efficiency, accurate receiving and picking numbers, better employee productivity and accountability and enhanced time management in your warehouse.
Will the new WMS seamlessly integrate with your current ERP system?
The answer to this question is very important to consider before deciding on a new WMS vendor in order to avoid wasting time for WMS that won’t work well with your ERP. The chosen WMS should have the capacity and flexibility to integrate with your present ERP software to meet your expansion needs.
Which new advanced features the new WMS has to offer as compared to your old one?
You should compare features like easy integration with vertical lifts and conveyor sorting systems, options for custom labelling or packing slip printing, support real-time paperless cycle counting and scheduling for better inventory accuracy and automatic scheduling of inbound freight. Also compare on the basis what your customer needs and how can you attract more customers with this new upgrade. In short, the new system should perform more with less resource.
Is your new WMS competent enough to meet today’s e-commerce demands?
More and more single and bite sized orders are entertained in this e-commerce era. If your WMS is not capable of e-commerce fulfillment and unable to dleiver such demands, then it could adversely affect your ability to work with some customers as this trend is expected to grow.
Is your new WMS customisable?
Your new WMS should allow you to make some customisations to fit your business’s specific requirements. Customising software for your bsuiness processes can give you better results. You should find out the approach the vendor is to customisation and what additional charges there are if any.
Most importantly, what level of support will your new vendor provide?
Make sure you have an easy access to the support staff for your new software implementation and training. As a customer, you should enquire if your new vendor has sufficient experience and customer references. Also consider what training they provide and what their long-term vision of their products.Learn new tips and tricks to staying on top of Inventory Management.
The answers to above questions will give you a solid platform for comparison and arrive to a decision for buying the most suitable WMS for your business. Call us on +44 – (0) 203-872-5140 or email us at info@silvertouchtech.co.uk today to discuss your Warehouse Management Solution need in more detail.
