What is WMS?

 

WMS, or warehouse management system, is a software that supports every day warehouse operations by monitoring the movement and usage of stocked inventory, work in progress (WIP) and finished goods from the receipt of raw materials to the shipping of final products. Through the recording of inventory transactions, the solution provides updated tracking of stock levels and warehouse locations. With specialized functionality, it streamlines inventory activities that plan, organize, staff, direct and control the utilization of resources.

 

Assign a Project Manager

 

To make certain that a WMS achieves its upper limit potential, it is very important to have a dedicated project manager to effectively guide the company through implementation. In conjunction with facilitating best practices, this individual provides leadership in all aspects of implementing a WMS by guiding your company to efficiently handle changes, minimize disruptions and delays and delegate accountability to appropriate company stakeholders. With the support of upper management, they are assigned with incorporating overall business goals as the guiding principle of implementation. Project managers should be willing to make the decisions necessary to make certain success in the transition from old processes to the new WMS.

 

Identification of Implementation Goals

 

The first step to help maximize WMS is the identification of your company’s desired goals by especially reviewing the critical needs and process inefficiencies of the operation. Since each organization has unique characteristics, it is critical to analyze your current business processes and define your priorities - balancing customer needs with the organizational strategies that are good for the company. What benefits are you expecting to glean from implementing WMS? Whether it’s inventory accuracy, accountability, increased visibility, real-time access to information or streamlined operations, listing objectives that address specific industry challenges should be integrated into your implementation plan. Understanding these objectives helps company employees identify goals that provide an important foundation for the success of your WMS implementation.

 

Employee Motivation and Buy-in

 

Since new software implementation can be hard for some individuals, a focus on embracing a culture of change within your organization can help employees overcome feelings of fear, anxiety and an unwillingness to learn new technologies or operational processes. With top-down executive buy-in and complete organizational support, company stakeholders always need to be informed of estimated outcomes and benefits of a WMS. Doing this will support the adoption of the new technology, as well as to ease employee anxiety. By encouraging communication, feedback, and open-mindedness regarding employee concerns, investment in the new technology and processes are facilitated. Planning for the cultural change of transitioning from a manual environment to an automated one needs a reassurance to your workforce that they will be assisted in their transitional efforts. Making employee buy-in a reality is a need.

 

Environmental Support

 

Technology requirements are not the sole consideration when implementing WMS, as the physical layout of the warehouse must also be part of a process to realize maximum productivity. Conducting an environmental analysis or site survey ensures that physical spaces are set up precisely, with materials and equipment in their places to well complete tasks. Organizational deployment of workspaces and valid tracking with proper barcoding and labeling of every item supports a scanning infrastructure necessary to facilitate item movement in the warehouse. Proactive planning provides support for WMS by ensuring sufficient space capacity, effective staging areas, and storage rack configuration – ensuring an adequate transactional barcode scanning environment. With a strong warehouse organization, you’ll establish a physical environment that efficiently supports WMS.

 

Employee Training

 

Similar to the adoption of any other new technologies or procedures, it is crucial to include appropriate training of all employees for a new WMS. A training program have got to be constructed that ensures that stakeholders receive instruction on the functionality and capabilities of the system. Providing a hands-on learning environment in which each transaction is recorded within the WMS every time a product is moved (without workarounds) should be emphasized - helping employees gain a new mindset than is required from a manual system. Offering a chance for troubleshooting and question and answer opportunities will enable employees to show proficiency when utilizing with the WMS system. Training employees thoroughly in the new system and procedures will help to meet your company’s goals of a successful WMS implementation.

 

To perfectly embrace the complete functionality of your ERP’s WMS solution, it is critical to utilize proven strategies that will help you maximize its potential. With its success in reducing labor costs, improving accuracy and increasing the visibility of inventory and workflow, taking advantage of the full functionality of your WMS system is necessary to your company’s success. These best practices will get you on the road to achieving that goal.

 

This article is originally posted on tronserve.com