Warehouse management system: range of modern WMS solutions
While classic WMS only offer or offered storage location management in the actual warehouse – i.e. only space management – functionalities in modern systems also extend beyond these areas and can map the entirety of all processes relating to warehouses and distribution centers. In a broader sense, this initially describes comprehensive inventory management, which initially covers the three major areas listed below:
- Incoming goods
- Order picking
- Outgoing goods (e.g. staging areas for tours)
Today’s inventory management functions range from pure totalization across all storage locations to the management of batch data, stock reservations, quality blocks and much more.
In addition to these “internal” functions, the networking of logistics systems with their environment has increased continuously and continues to do so. In this way, the variety of interfaces is also increasing rapidly – sometimes at the individual level of each warehouse operator.
The spectrum of modern WMS is therefore growing all the time. In a broader sense, warehouse management today also includes the following topics
- Order processing
- Materials management
- Subordinate control, e.g. in terms of material flow
- External systems (e.g. AGVs)
Last but not least, modern warehouse management systems also include ways and means of monitoring and analysis in the logistics control center.
More on the topic
You can find a comprehensive overview of WMS functionalities in the article What is a WMS (Warehouse Management System)?
For an overview of the historical development of the warehouse management system, see The evolution of the warehouse management system.
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