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Warehouse management

Master your warehouse management and discover how systems can increase your efficiency

What is warehouse management?

Warehouse management is how you organise and control everything within a warehouse. There are several warehouse management systems (WMS) that you can implement to increase efficiencies. The system will help with management, planning, organising, and staffing of the warehouse materials and resources.

 

What are the principles of warehouse management?

Although there are many automated tools that can help you with warehouse management, the following fundamental principles should still be considered:

  • Layout:
    The layout of your warehouse should not be overlooked. You need to ensure you have enough storage space for inventory, all whilst having a space for your staff to complete their jobs and daily tasks. The main things to consider when thinking about the layout are, packing area, shipping, delivery of new stock area, office, storage area and a place for staff to unpack and book in new stock. Remember, people need to be able to move around and pick items.
  • Flow of goods:
    Ensure that there is a smooth flow of goods, in and out of the warehouse. There is a lot of daily activity going on in a warehouse, with lots of heavy equipment and safety precautions to follow, so it’s important that movement is controlled.
  • Labelling and picking:
    Taking care at the start of the process to label, will prevent mix ups happening further down the line. Make sure that everything has its space, and everyone has access to the information of where stock of held.

A photograph inside a warehouse or distribution center. A woman in a blue and white uniform is scanning a barcode on a box on a shelf using a handheld scanner. A man, also in a blue and white uniform, is standing next to her, inspecting or organizing boxes on a roller conveyor. The shelves behind them are full of various-sized cardboard boxes, many with visible barcodes and labels.

 

What are warehouse management systems?

A warehouse management system (WMS) is designed to identify the operational process in existence to help you develop the process, to maximise efficiencies. The system facilitates the management, planning, organising, and staffing of the warehouse materials and resources.

Each warehouse management system operates depending on the needs of the warehouse and provides tools and information for the management of the warehouse. In general, every warehouse performs four basic functions: receiving a product, storing it, picking, and shipping it.

The implementation of a warehouse management system allows a company to increase its competitive advantage by reducing labour costs and increasing inventory record accuracy. It also offers the potential to manage inventory in real-time, providing timely information on orders, shipments, and receipts.

Maximising the capacity of the warehouse itself can drive efficiencies that support the organisation of inventory to increase pick, pack, and dispatch processes. This drives up profitability and customer satisfaction through improved service levels.

 

What are the advantages of WMS?

  • Improves stock movement and record accuracy in the warehouse.
  • Investment in a computer-based system can pay back in as little as six months.
  • Implementation of an electronic WMS can significantly reduce paperwork.
 

What are the dis-advantages of WMS?

  • Big data management is required to be effective.
  • Software can be difficult to configure and manage.
  • Regular maintenance of the WMS is required to be effective
 

What is operations management?

Operations management is a key area within any organisation. It plays a key role in keeping supply chains operational in today’s challenging environment. Discover the key to success when thinking about operations management. Find out more about Operations Management

Operations management key themes

Logistics Management Just in time Advantages disadvantages Obsolesence
Lean manufacturing Vendor managed inventory Warehousing Inventory management

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