The pressure on warehouses is mounting as demand to fill orders faster increases. Around the world customers are increasingly wanting seamless experiences which means faster order delivery and shorter lead times. According to Anthea van Breemen of Forte Warehouse Solutions, e-commerce is a driving force in this new business environment. “Stock visibility together with expected faster turnaround times for picking and order fulfilment are concerns in all warehouses,” she said, indicating that it was not business as usual in the warehousing sector. “Managers are having to re-invent their operations in order to optimise the picking, packing and shipping processes.” Whilst warehouse management systems (WMS) have long served as a cornerstone for most distribution centres, Van Breemen said just implementing a system was not enough. “The future warehouse will have to be more responsive and cost-effective – and technology will have to adapt and change to fit this,” she said. “WMS software has to work efficiently for businesses of all sizes.” Van Breemen advises when choosing a WMS to take this into account and look for one that is scalable and able to integrate seamlessly into one’s current business model. “Consumers no longer tolerate late, missing or incorrect orders. They don't think twice about returning items bought online and asking for a refund, even if the item is still perfect,” she said. “This has made an impact on the distribution environment and is pushing warehouse systems to add features. An example is different kinds of returns management capabilities – return into stock, return to reworks and replaced back into stock, or return to rejects.”
INSERT: Choose a warehouse that is scalable and able to integrate seamlessly into one’s current business model. – Anthea van Breemen
