Now that we have moved into the modern era of warehouse management, it is more important than ever to ensure that you are getting the most out of your software. As technological improvements grow exponentially, it is easier than ever to fall behind the curve, even as you're in the act of updating your systems. That's why we are highlighting the must-have features that will get you through the next several generations of software improvements and keep you up to date.

End to End Tracking

We are beyond the point of purchasing Warehouse Management Systems that only solve part of our problems. No organization should settle for a WMS that doesn't have complete support from door to door. That means your system should be tracking all products, people and movements from the moment material arrives on your intake dock to the moment you ship it out to a customer. If you're considering a WMS that is missing key elements, you can count on having to replace your system again in the near future.

ERP Integration

Enterprise Resource Planning is at the heart of any great organization. What you can't afford is to have your ERP and WMS programs running independent of one another. To get the most out of your investments, it is important to ensure that they work together, hand in hand, to deliver results. Your WMS should be receiving key data about your customer orders and communicating information about receipts, inventory available for allocation, picks and shipments back to the ERP.

Ongoing Feature Updates

Finally, organizations really need to get familiar with their WMS vendors. You should be looking for developers that regularly roll out updates, fixes and additional features. What may first appear to be a cost-saving system may actually be a system that lacks support from the developer long term. If you want your system to continue serving your business well for many years, you need to be sure that your system will expand and grow with your business.

If you have to choose a WMS based on three key features, these are the three that would make the greatest difference in any organization. Door to door tracking and ERP integration can make or break any Warehouse Management System. Ongoing feature updates will be the icing on the cake that breaks a tie between any two software options.