What does it mean to have robust warehouse management software? Typically this phrase is used to indicate a system that meets all of the core needs of your organization while also providing a number of modern, forward-looking features that help grow a business over time. So how do you know if your WMS is robust enough? Here are a few questions you should be asking.

Does It Cover All Your Bases?

Early warehouse management software was solely focused on providing support on the warehouse floor, but today's systems feature integration throughout your entire warehouse. This means everything from procurement to shipping to picking and all the way to packing for a customer. It should also be able to integrate with your CRM and ERP systems to flesh things out.

Is It Fluid?

A big problem we are seeing today is that some warehouse management software simply isn't fluid or flexible enough to adapt to changing warehouse conditions. As the manufacturing and distribution environments shift from year to year, some warehouse management systems simply don't have enough options to suit the needs of today. A robust warehouse management system should be able to gather data, react to it, and produce an optimized solution. If your system only works based on old data, it probably isn't robust enough.

Does It Include Ancillary Functions?

Today's robust warehouse management software does more than dispatch customer orders. Features that used to be considered "extra" or reserved for Fortune 500 companies are now becoming commonplace in any size warehouse. This includes cycle counting management and direct-to-pick routing. It also includes things like cartonization, which allows you to save time and money by dictating exactly what size box is needed to ship each order, and how it should be packed. These extra features could be a game changer for any warehouse that's looking to cut costs and improve efficiency.

If you find that your warehouse management software is lacking in any of these areas, it may be time for an upgrade. Companies that skimped on features before are finding that warehouse management systems have advanced at a rate that makes even the most complex features a necessity. As you shop for your new software, take some time to consider how your current system is falling short and which features you would add if you could have it all.