4 WMS triggers that will improve warehouse productivity

4 WMS triggers that will improve warehouse productivity

Any software that controls a process, such as a Warehouse Management System, has embedded trigger points. A trigger is a piece of code programmed into the software that activates specific actions when something happens. In today’s article I will go over the 4 WMS triggers that will be the simplest way to make your warehouse business exponentially more efficient.

WMS triggers 1: Internal transfer

When you create a sales order (SO) in your WMS, the system has to allocate the products on the order to that SO. Allocation implies verifying inventory, assigning the ordered quantity to that SO, and getting them ready for picking. However, if one of the items is in an overstock bin, a sound WMS will trigger an internal transfer order, which means an instruction to move the item from its current location to a picking area.

WMS triggers 2: Purchasing

A good warehouse management system will automatically trigger an item purchase when the conditions to order it are met. That trigger depends on the item’s sales velocity, vendor lead time and the minimum reorder point. Vendor lead time is the number of days the vendor takes to deliver your product, whereas sales velocity is the number of product that you are moving through on average every day, adjusted for product seasonality. For example, squash sales pick around Thanksgiving.

WMS triggers 3: Cycle count

Even though most WMS do not have cycle count auto trigger, we highly recommend installing a WMS that does. On those systems that do, the trigger is typically fires based on something you see in a bin location. For example, suppose you are picking an item from a bin that should have 10 units of the item; but when you get to the bin you find there are only 8. This should trigger a cycle count action for that item and, usually, some other randomly selected products.

WMS triggers 4: Pick list

When a WMS is processing a sales order and finds that one of the items is out of quantity, it simply processes the items that are available and leaves the missing items as pending on a “picking list”. Most WMS do not have the ability to automatically generate a picking instruction when the missing item arrives. So, you must constantly check the picking list whenever an order is received and manually activate the picking process if any of the received products are found. A WMS with a pick list trigger will save you time and money.

I hope this article has been helpful to you when selecting a WMS. I will continue to post information related to warehouse management, distribution practices and trends, and the economy in general. If you are interested in this article or want to learn more about Laceup Solutions, please subscribe to stay updated on future articles.

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