The best warehouse management solutions are the ones that improve communication and transparency. This means providing you with tools to communicate effectively with your team members, with other departments, and most importantly with your customers. Communication includes information about order fulfillment as well as damage claims and more. You should never settle for a warehouse management program that doesn't include tools for communicating what you see.
Integration is a superpower that is often underestimated. You need software that can integrate with your existing CRM and ERP programs. You also want integration with automation tools, even if you have not automated your warehouse yet. The ability to add automation features in the future could help you transition to a more modern warehouse environment. Finally, you will want to seek programs that can easily integrate with your vendor's system as well. Being able to take in information from them and relay orders back is a huge time saver.
Accurate forecasting can save you thousands of dollars per year. You need software that can dig into your product and customer needs, and provide you with useful feedback on upcoming trends. Surface level forecasts are not enough to get the job done effectively. A good sign is any software program that allows you to customize the parameters of your forecasts to look at specific data points you choose. This information also needs to be presented in a meaningful way and it needs to be readily accessible.
These are the three superpowers that can make or break any warehouse management system. You need to consider whether each program on your list actually contributes to the success of your team with these three factors, or if it is merely a different way of organizing information without adding any direct value to your daily operations. Without these three superpowers, you could be missing out on some of the most important features that your competitors are already putting to use. Don't miss the opportunity by cutting corners on software.