Warehouse Management Systems make it possible to track more metrics on an ongoing basis than ever before. While it might take months to gather data manually and then to put it into a sensible format, the WMS handles all of this instantly and provides you with up-to-the-minute reports. This allows you to identify errors or inconsistencies in your process by showing you where products are getting delayed and to catch individual errors for review quickly after they happen. With this information, you are given a road map to the problem areas, and you can focus your efforts on improving them.
After you've settled on a battle plan and gone ahead with your new and improved process, it is time to run it long enough to gather actual performance data. Even the best projections cannot always account for unexpected variables in staffing or other outside factors. In addition, your team may need a few days to adjust to the changes before you can produce accurate data about the changes in action. You can expect to see a period of fluctuation in your metrics and then a gradual smoothing out as your team gets used to the changes being made. Hopefully, when things smooth out, they will be on an upward swing. If not, it's back to the drawing board with more brainstorming and reviewing which parts of the new process didn't work.
No matter how much information you gather from your Warehouse Management System regarding your strengths and weaknesses, one thing is universally true: you can't fix it all overnight. Even with the data to guide you, there will be periods of trial and error. However, each step in the right direction will open doors for further improvements. The magic of the WMS lies not in the fact that it guides you towards your first improvement, but rather that it evolves over time to push you further and further in the direction of progress and efficiency. It is a tool for compounding change, not just a one-time fix to a situation. This makes it invaluable in terms of taking your company to heights you never imagined possible.
The use of a complete Warehouse Management System will help you and your team make better decisions in less time. It allows you to compare old and new data as your company grows and moves towards better processing strategies. In addition, it allows you to gauge the viability and the value of new ideas before they go live, so you can minimize your risk and the costs associated with making changes. Moreover, it gives you the ability to continue to build upon each successful change to further your mission.