10 Tips for Cloud Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Selection – Step 1 Needs Assessment

Avoid Cloud Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Selection Mistakes

Are you outgrowing your current warehouse management software? If you’re struggling with outdated systems, lack of real-time information to make decisions and broken processes, it’s time to a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) and warehouse management system selection process. In your search, you will start to learn about the Cloud and how a cloud warehouse management system selection is an important consideration in your selection process. A cloud WMS solution may be your choice to help alleviate the upfront costs and accommodate long-term growth.

The first step in the cloud warehouse management system selection process is starting a needs assessment. Understanding your problems with the current ERP and WMS software will help guide you on what you need in your new cloud WMS solution. Ideally, your ERP and WMS solution will be one solution and not an add-on WMS to your ERP. This includes a total solution for everything you need to run your business. A modern cloud WMS solution integrates your warehouse, accounting, sales, e-commerce, hardware (barcode scanners, scales and shipping label printers), RMAs, warranty and repair and shipping software.

It’s time for a change – now what? As an experienced Cloud Warehouse Management Systems specialist, we suggest before we discuss avoiding mistakes in selecting a new system, we suggest you first take time to evaluate your requirements.

First, click below to get our free whitepaper on Cloud Warehouse Management Systems Selection:

“10 Tips to Avoid Cloud Warehouse Management System Mistakes”

Now let’s review some questions to ask to help you get set up for success. To better understand what you want with a new system, it’s important to explore your current warehouse challenges. Knowing how your current outdated system effects management and employees across all departments and how it impacts your warehouse operations will help you justify your investment in a new warehouse management system (WMS) solution.

10 Questions to Ask for a Cloud Warehouse Management System Selection – Step 1 - Needs Assessment

1. ACCESS TO THE RIGHT INFORMATION – Are your Sales, Purchasing and Warehouse departments effectively communicating with the right data at the right time?
2. SHIPPING – Is your Inventory tracking allowing your company to get warehouse data and product availability when you need it?
3. FULFILLMENT – How efficiently and cost-effectively do you pick, pack and ship? Does your current system handle your shipping processes or are you using tracking manually?  Have you recently evaluated or compared your shipping costs with other carriers? Have you recently reviewed your packaging methods and costs?  DIM weight rules now impact how you are charged based on weight and the dimensions of your boxes.
4. COSTS OF INACCURACY – How often do you run into problems because of inaccurate inventory? Do you have shipping errors, backorders, customer service issues?
5. PURCHASING – Is Purchasing getting the right information to make decisions about holding enough but not too much inventory to meet customer demand?
6. FORECASTING – Do you have any inventory and sales forecasting capabilities?
7. TOO MUCH OVERHEAD LABOR – Do you “have a feeling” you pay too much for warehouse employees to solve problems an automated warehouse system may solve?
8. BROKEN PROCESSES – Do you understand the struggles of customers, management and essential warehouse employees? Meet with them to briefly document the likes and dislikes of the existing system.
9. SCALABILITY – Do your future growth plans include global markets, additional divisions or warehouses, e-commerce (B2B, B2C or make-to-order), etc…
10. CONNECTIVITY - How will each department benefit from information made available from a new WMS system that offers improved communication, real-time information and open transparency?

If you need help with your Cloud WMS selection or implementation, our expert cloud WMS consultants are available to start a discussion with you.

Contact AKA Computer Consulting at www.akaconsulting.com or 888-351-8355 or e-mail.

Since 1995, AKA Computer Consulting has established an outstanding reputation in service for Acumatica New York City Metro and Tri-State area. Our first-class implementation of WMS, ERP business management systems, innovative and flexible custom software development and utmost dedication to customer service. AKA offers a wide array of services and solutions to manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, importers and exporters.

Another version of this blog was published on AKA Computer Consulting's Blog - Cloud Warehouse Management Systems Specialist February 1, 2018 - Cloud Warehouse Management Systems Specialist -10 Cloud WMS Selection Tips

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net by David Castillo Dominici