Warehouse management is like playing a giant game of Tetris, but instead of bricks, you’re trying to fit boxes and pallets into a limited space. And let’s be honest, manual management of warehouse operations can be a real headache. But fear not! Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems for warehouse management are here to save the day. These systems offer a suite of tools to automate and streamline warehouse operations, improve inventory accuracy, and increase productivity. But with so many different ERP systems available today, which one should you use? Which features should you be looking for?
Let’s dive in and take a look at some critical features your ERP system should have:
Real-time inventory tracking
Imagine a world where you don’t have to spend hours manually counting inventory levels. That’s exactly what you can get with the right ERP system. With robust warehouse management functionality, an ERP system can provide real-time visibility of your inventory levels and locations. It can track every item—from the moment it arrives until it’s shipped.
With the help of real-time inventory tracking, your business can avoid stock-outs, optimize inventory levels, and boost order fulfillment times. Plus, you can finally tell Karen in accounting that she doesn’t need to come down and count the boxes every time you get a shipment.
Barcode scanning
Sure, scanning barcodes might not sound like the most exciting feature, but it’s an essential feature of any modern warehouse management system. It enables warehouse workers to scan barcodes on items, shelves, and bins to track inventory movement accurately. Barcode scanning also helps reduce manual errors. If any of your staff has trouble remembering which aisle has what products, a good barcode scanning system can be a lifesaver.
Automated data capture
Nobody likes data entry. It’s boring, time-consuming, and prone to errors. Fortunately, a good ERP system can automate data capture from various sources, such as scanners, sensors, and mobile devices. With automated data capture, you can avoid manual data entry errors, save time, and improve accuracy. And let’s be honest: you’d rather spend your time playing Tetris with boxes than typing thousands of different numbers into a spreadsheet.
Pick-and-pack optimization
Have you ever spent hours wandering around a warehouse trying to find a specific item? Or worse, has one of your staff members packed the wrong item in a shipment? That will never happen again with an ERP system that offers pick-and-pack optimization. It will suggest the optimal pick path for each order and provide workers with real-time instructions for picking, packing, and shipping. The result? Every order is accurate and gets shipped on time.
Shipping and receiving management
If you’ve ever had a customer call to complain they haven’t received their order, you know how stressful it can be. How can you make sure that won’t happen again? Pick an ERP system with a shipping and receiving management feature. It should have robust capabilities to manage or even automate the entire shipping and receiving process, from creating shipping labels to tracking shipments. It should provide real-time visibility of shipments, generate alerts for delays, and streamline the receiving process. With this crucial feature, you can guarantee every order is delivered on time. Plus, every shipment is received promptly.
Kentro: The ideal ERP system for warehouse management
Now that we’ve gone through some critical features to look for in an ERP system, let us introduce you to Kentro. Kentro’s warehouse management system automates tasks & offers wall-to-wall visibility into your warehouse activities—whether they’re in-house or outsourced.
Best of all, Kentro comes with some of the features mentioned. It provides real-time inventory management complete with live inventory logs and historical data. It also has smart algorithms for pick-and-pack optimization. Kentro’s system can automatically generate the most efficient picking and packing paths for workers, taking into account factors like item location, quantity, and order priority. This optimization reduces the time workers spend walking around the warehouse and minimizes the risk of picking, packing & shipping errors.
Kentro’s warehouse management system is easy to use, customizable, and flexible. It can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your business, whether you’re a small startup or a large e-commerce enterprise. You can integrate it seamlessly with other business systems like accounting and sales. Also, Kentro’s system is cloud-based; you can access your warehouse data from anywhere, anytime. Want to give Kentro a try? Book a demo now.