Managing warehouse operations is a logistical activity with complex challenges and specific requirements, both for the people who work in the warehouse and for the equipment and systems they use. Order preparation and dispatch, inventory management, optimization of warehouse space and operations – all these flows can be controlled and managed more efficiently with the help of a WMS solution (Warehouse Management System).
What exactly is a WMS solution? What types of warehouse activities can be managed with a WMS application? What are the main benefits of implementing such a solution? Here are the answers to all these questions and everything you need to know about BitExplorer, the Cegedim RX application conceived for the management of pharmaceutical warehouses and more.
What is a WMS – Warehouse Management System?
WMS is the acronym of the self-explanatory term “Warehouse Management System”. Such a WMS system represents a warehouse management software solution, aimed at streamlining all activities within them: receiving goods, placing them, goods picking, packing and labeling, inventory, etc.
In addition to the actual software application, the WMS solution also includes hardware elements, such as mobile scanning devices used in warehouses, barcode printers or servers necessary for the operation of the system.
It is also important to know that this warehouse management system can be either independent, integrating only the optimization part of logistical activities in the warehouse, or it can be integrated into an ERP software system (the acronym for “Enterprise Resource Planning”). In this case, it is a complete solution that covers all operational flows within the warehouse, from receiving goods, picking and preparing orders, to issuing invoices, loading products and delivering them to customers.
Types of warehouse activities managed with a WMS solution
An integrated WMS system helps to streamline all activities in the warehouse, from the entry of the goods to their exit and inventory:
- Goods reception: With the help of mobile barcode readers, goods are entered into the warehouse quickly and without errors, all information being automatically centralized in the WMS system.
- Storage & Picking: The goods are stored intelligently according to the available space, with the aim of ensuring the easiest and quickest possible access to it.
- Order preparation: Smart storage facilitates the processing and preparation of orders, specifically the operations of sorting, packing, labeling, etc.
- Outputs for order delivery: The operations of consolidating and loading orders are carried out fluidly with the help of the WMS system, with the aim of optimizing the delivery process.
- Inventory & Restocking: With the help of mobile terminals, the inventory is carried out accurately and in a shorter time. A WMS software also allows the generation of stock transfer/reallocation and restocking scenarios based on needs and predetermined efficiency parameters.
Advantages of implementing a WMS solution
More and more companies are turning to WMS-type solutions to automate warehouse activities. The advantages that such a solution brings are multiple, but they can be grouped into three synergistic categories. A WMS system thus contributes to:
- Eliminating deficient activities from the warehouse by:
- Automation and interconnection of all processes
- Simplifying tasks and reducing human errors
- Increasing the productivity of warehouse employees
- Cost reduction through:
- Optimizing storage space and simplifying warehouse processes
- Reducing order processing and preparation time
- Increasing the number of deliveries and their accuracy
- Decreasing rate of returns
- Increasing business productivity through:
- Increased visibility and control over inventory and all warehouse operations
- Increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty due to fast and accurate order delivery
BitExplorer – the Cegedim RX solution with integrated WMS system
BitExplorer stands out among the other applications in the Cegedim RX portfolio as the complete software solution for warehouse management. Originally developed to streamline the activity of pharmaceutical warehouses, BitExplorer has evolved nowadays into a software solution suitable for any industry. The integrated WMS module makes BitExplorer the ideal application for optimizing all logistics processes in a warehouse, from customer and supplier management to stock tracking and financial accounting.
With a friendly and intuitive interface and deployment possible in cloud or on-premise, BitExplorer is a smart and modular ERP, offering extensive functionalities for:
- Management
- Finance
- Patrimony
- Accounting
- Administration
- Production
- WMS Mobile
Also, the BitExplorer solution is available in both Romanian and English and is integrated with the CRX Orders application for online orders.
Spinex Farm has implemented BitExplorer to manage its inventory, warehouse workflows and related business processes in an integrated manner. Here are the main advantages of this solution in their perception:
