All warehouse management systems (WMS) are not created equal, especially for cold storage warehouses. In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing environment, you need software that addresses real-time warehouse data. Now, pair your WMS with a transport management system (TMS), and you can put all your data in one place.
What is Warehouse Management Software?
Developers created WMS to help companies manage inventory, show effective storage solutions, control labor costs, and include mobile features.
Cold storage facilities have their own set of obstacles in this industry. The immediate need to fulfill orders has many moving parts which can be abruptly halted due to the complexities of management of the warehouse.
Failure to fulfill an order, either due to human error or logistics, can harm the relationships and cause your company issues in the future with customers.
One company, Datex, explains its system as Truly workflow-based. It automates processes for increased accuracy, efficiency, and labor savings & can be used for the handling & storage of any type of goods.
WMS helps cold storage management of goods that are flowing throughout the warehouse with:
- Inventory accuracy
- Expiration date tracking
- Rotation of products
- Real-time visibility
- Labor efficiency
What is Transport Management System (TMS)
This logistics software was developed to optimize supply chain management. TMS helps optimize fewer road stops, shorter routes, and better strategies for transportation, thus saving your company time and money.
A leader in TMS, Exspeedite, summarizes TMS as a more efficient transactional and communication system, allowing users to use large amounts of real-time data to make better judgments, plan, and strategize for ideal transportation solutions.
TMS helps you manage your logistics and compliance with:
- Compliance documentation
- Shipping efficiency
- Best route options
- Transportation efficiency
- Timely delivery and pick up
Inventory Management and Control
You need quick, accurate data to ensure that the cold storage items in your inventory are moving efficiently; perishables or date restricted stock are monitored and in a position to be picked first and need rotating.
Cold storage facilities should have a system designed explicitly for temperature-controlled environments, including quality assurance, quality control, and variable weigh indicators. In addition, lot control, traceability, and ease of use should be considered in a WMS.
This should include tracking the product’s location inside the warehouse to the correct shipping and outbound lane to the right truck.
The efficient use of space can help control costs and reduce waste. A WMS can help identify the optimum location for items, saving space, time and labor.
A sound inventory management system helps reduce waste, maximizes space and product placement, and enables your team to operate the warehouse inventory more effectively, thus saving time and money.
Customer Relationships
You want your cold storage warehouse to run efficiently and accurately. Order errors or delays can leave customers dissatisfied and cost you business and money.
Customers satisfied with their orders will equate to more sales. To this end, an efficiently run warehouse needs to be able to follow the load from beginning to end.
A real-time management system is imperative to ensure that the products to fulfill orders are easily accessible and ready to ship with no more overages or scrambling to cover low inventory.
Safety and Security Inside and Out
The audit trail and accountability are always utmost in the mind of warehouse managers, business owners, and financial managers, and for a good reason. With the ever-changing regulations, a WMS system needs to quickly adapt to changes for your operation to run smoothly with logistics and compliance.
Additionally, these changes need to be accomplished by in-house IT or a WMS team accurately and without disruptions to the warehouse flow.
A WMS should be able to track activities inside the warehouse. Most systems have a component, whereas a specific user is attached to each unique transaction in the warehouse, allowing a chain of command and paper trail.
This system can show the need for workforce training and personal accountability, such as theft.
Trends in Cold Storage Business
Unfortunately, many companies in this industry fail to explore more efficient and profitable alternatives. Many remain stuck in familiar yet inefficient systems that may cost them daily revenue and, ultimately, customers.
Real-time visibility, movement, and inventory control are “must-haves” in this ever-changing industry.
Combining WMS with TMS
It’s like having the whole world in your hands.
When WMS and TMS work together, you will have a complete look at inventory as scheduled, en route, and moving in and out of the cold storage warehouse.
With the proper integration, you should have a single source for the movement of your goods. You will be able to view planning, arrival, and, ultimately, the end delivery. This will result in high efficiency and profitability.
Adjustments can be made before a problem arises to run a more competent and profitable business.
Exspeedite TMS can provide problem-solving resources to give your company the freedom to focus on moving ahead toward success. Exspeedite trucking software experts have seen plenty of glitches and frustrations to provide us with the knowledge and foresight to know where the problems are arising. Then, we work through these challenges so operations are free-flowing and creating the success that our clients are working toward.
To Sum It Up
The integration of WMS and TMS offers many advantages for cold storage warehouses management:
- Lower costs for both the company and the end consumer
- Supply chain process simplification across regions, modes, and carriers
- Business process automation for more efficient and accurate billing and documentation
- Enhanced visibility and security
- Time savings—fewer manual stages have fewer delays and quicker delivery times.
- The ability to trace freight on a single platform, both locally and globally.
- Improved import and export compliance, resulting in fewer penalties and shipment delays.
- Better reporting leads to faster response and process improvement, resulting in new business insights.
- Improved customer service and satisfaction thanks to real-time updates and shorter shipping times
- The ability to grow the business by meeting and exceeding customer expectations for speedy, on-time deliveries. (Exspeedite)
Many remain stuck in familiar yet inefficient systems that may be costing them daily revenue and, ultimately, customers. Make the best decision for your company with these advantages for a more efficient and profitable business.
– By Beverly Little