The benefits of a warehouse management system (WMS) software solution are wide reaching. Yes, it improves operational efficiency in the warehouse and companies investing in a WMS can expect to see up to 40% higher worker productivity, plus fewer errors made. But it does a whole lot more besides.
Efficiency and productivity may be key factors behind a decision to invest in a WMS, but there are plenty of others. Using software to control the warehouse removes any need for having bits of paper floating around. This in turn ensures a more Covid-secure working environment. Operatives can be allocated zones in which to work at a safe social distance and be directed through their daily task list automatically.
Outside of the warehouse, the benefits will continue to be seen across the business. In any given organisation, everyone from sales and marketing, to HR, finance and manufacturing benefit from the real-time data held within the WMS.
Want to know whether order dispatch rates are meeting customer expectations?
Check volumes of available stock for a particular SKU?
Understand whether the warehouse contains substitute raw ingredients for a production run?
Establish whether warehouse operatives would benefit from additional training?
You’ll get answers to all these questions and plenty more from a best-of-breed WMS.
Diverse range of buyers evaluating a WMS
As a result of the far reaching benefits that a WMS can offer, Indigo is increasingly seeing a more diverse range of buyer roles enquiring about Indigo WMS.
Over the past 24 months, Indigo has seen a 35% increase in WMS enquiries from these wider buyer roles.
This illustrates that although the value offered from this investment is initially seen in the warehouse, implementing a WMS is a strategic decision and closely linked to innovation and long-range planning.
What are some of the key buyer roles involved with a WMS purchase? What are they actually looking for?
CEO
Interested in maximising overall brand reputation and profits. This is achieved through meeting or exceeding customer expectations, without overspending on resources in the process. A WMS helps to secure this by ensuring the right products ship to the right person in the least possible time, for the lowest possible cost.
CTO, IT Director and VP of Supply Chain Management
Interested in ensuring the WMS software doesn’t require extensive customisation to be viable and can be fully integrated with existing systems. This includes the ERP and TMS solutions, to provide real-time data for the business. Senior supply chain decision makers will want the reassurance that the WMS under review has a track record in their particular vertical market and that their would-be supplier has a complete understanding of the business challenges facing their industry. CTOs will also be concerned with implementation times and keeping total cost of ownership as low as viable.
Warehouse Manager
Interested in ensuring that the learning curve after introducing a WMS can be minimised and that a new solution does not require extensive investment in training. Also interested in improving delivery accuracy to 99.99%, getting ‘more for less’ with increased throughput while decreasing spending and investing in a software system that operatives will create a better working environment for operatives.
Indigo has almost 40 years of experience working with all the decision makers involved in evaluating, purchasing, implementing and maintaining a WMS system. Our track record working with leading brands in the food and drink, apparel, industrial and automotive, plus FMCG sectors demonstrates our understanding of all these industries and the suitability of Indigo WMS as a vertical sector WMS solution.
Get in touch for more information and to organise a trial. http://www.indigo.co.uk/
