Warehouses aren’t what they used to be. Cloud computing and mobility, for example, have transformed the way manufacturers as well as distributors run their warehouses and distribution centres. Smartphones, tablets, WiFi connections, big data, as well as the Cloud have all digitised warehouse management duties in order to boost warehouse productivity as well as efficiency. Many warehouses have integrated these new technology, and analysts estimate that more will do so in the coming year.
Whilst these new technologies can surely improve your overall productivity, if your warehouse management system (WMS) is not correctly linked with your firm’s ERP system, you are missing out on enormous potential. Integration of ERP and WMS is critical for gaining the agility required to become more competitive in your market. A seamless connection of your warehouse management software as well as ERP system may offer your company’s leaders with the knowledge they require to make efficient business choices while also making data administration easier.
ERP systems and WMS integration constitute the backbone of a wholesale and distribution organisation, automating business operations and allowing information to flow.
ERP systems are the foundation of any wholesale or distribution organisation, automating business operations and allowing information to move between functional divisions. Nevertheless, few ERP systems have powerful supply chain execution features. Quality ERP systems often focus on related, but still necessary, inventory management functions such as tracking items as they are chosen, packed, and dispatched to the client. Many SMEs, particularly those with high-volume and highly automated distribution operations, invest in a specialised warehouse management system, or WMS, to digitise and automate all elements of inventory control.
A warehouse management system (WMS) enhances the capability of an ERP system by providing more complex warehouse capabilities. This enables enterprises to continually monitor the flow of items as they move into, though, and out of the warehouse; regulate the reception, storage, and movement of goods; and apply real-time information to optimise product position and shelf length.
However, the warehouse is not an island: other divisions, such as production, buying, and customer service, require accessibility to warehouse data in order to make decisions. That is, if a SME has a WMS system, it must also have an ERP system that can communicate with it directly and efficiently.
The integration of ERP and WMS enhances data accuracy.
When you link your ERP as well as WMS solutions, you eliminate the need to worry about data accuracy. When you enter data into one system, the other is automatically refreshed, removing the primary cause of data mistakes (re-entry). You can remain on top of put away, good receipts, picking, replenishment, local management, ordering, vendor returns, as well as reporting on physical and cycle counts by integrating these two systems. Knowing this knowledge in real-time will increase the efficiency of your firm and offer you with the solutions you require, when you require them.
Integration of ERP and WMS enables warehouse managers to monitor employee progress.
Warehouse management systems are intended to simplify inventory control, save costs, and shorten order fulfilment times. Nevertheless, several businesses have complained that WMS does not provide them with the tools they require to measure staff productivity levels. When your warehouse management software is integrated with your ERP solution, your warehouse managers will be able to track staff productivity on a daily basis. Managers may be notified in real time when an employee completes a job, allowing them to plan the next stage in the supply chain. This real-time communication assists firms in being busy and completing tasks on schedule.
Integration of ERP and WMS Enhances Decision-Making
The warehouse is not a separate entity, therefore it should not be considered as such. You can’t simply obtain the data you need to make business-critical choices if your WMS and ERP systems are managed independently. Your sales force will be unable to successfully update clients on order progress if they do not have accessibility to data in your warehouse management system. This is why integration is critical; it establishes a seamless connection between the two platforms, ensuring that no one in your organisation is left out of the loop. This information exchange guarantees that your sales force does not make claims that you cannot keep and that your executives have a comprehensive image of your supply chain at all times.
The Advantages of Full Integration for Distribution Companies
With complete integration, SMEs profit from a unified system that spans all bases and is cross-linked for visibility and control, providing SMEs with efficient, transparent, end-to-end business operations. Goods can be efficiently sorted to maximise physical warehouse space and personnel time. SMEs may also provide the rest of the organisation with the single source of truth it requires to make dependable, fact-based choices.