If you are actively looking for an experienced WMS provider, or are informed about the potential implementation of a WMS system in your warehouse, we have some useful information for you that is very good to know before making a decision. Namely, today it is often not enough to just buy the most expensive software and expect it to solve all the problems you encounter. Choosing the wrong software, or worse, poor implementation or inadequate customer support often lead to dissatisfaction and inability to improve business processes.

To make your decision-making process easier, in this blog we bring you 6 questions to ask yourself when choosing a WMS system.

1. Are you familiar with all the business processes and specifics of your warehouse?

Before you even start looking for a WMS provider, it is important to make a detailed analysis of your warehousing business and all the processes that take place within the warehouse. The most important thing is to pay special attention to all the specifics of your warehouse since such specific processes are what can distinguish one provider from another. Namely, not all WMS systems are equally adaptable, so not all systems can be fully adapted to your processes.

2. Does the WMS provider have operational experience in implementations?

Try to find a WMS provider that has operational experience in warehousing processes. Software developers often cannot fully understand all the processes that take place in a  “live” warehouse, since they never encountered those, and your provider also needs to have people with operational knowledge of storage processes. This way, in a winning combination of software engineers and people with experience in warehousing processes, a system is created that practically solves all your problems and facilitates the work of your employees in the warehouse.

3. Can the WMS system be customized?

As mentioned earlier, the WMS system must be customizable, to fully capture all the specifics of your storage processes. We advise you to choose a provider who will be able to customize or upgrade your system to fully adapt to your processes.

Tip: Choose a provider that has customers in the 3PL area (Third Party Logistics), as such companies have a very wide range of options in the system as they do not know what requirements the next customer will have for storing the goods.

4. How easy can WMS integrate with your existing systems?

This question is very important for interaction with your existing ERP system. Quality WMS providers already have pre-designed connectors for the most well-known ERP systems on the market (e.g. SAP, 4D Wand, Pantheon, etc.), and they don’t need a lot of time to connect to your ERP. Also, if a potential provider is already connected to one of the larger ERP providers, it proves that it has already successfully done the integration with other large clients.

Note: some ERP solutions also have a storage module within their solution, however, it is important to mention that such a solution does not have nearly the functionality of a standalone WMS system. We recommend that you look for a WMS provider that specializes in WMS, and an ERP provider that specializes in resource planning.

5. How does the WMS provider provide post-implementation support?

WMS support is not only crucial during the implementation. Once WMS is implemented, the warehouse as such becomes “alive”, and all potential problems should be resolved as soon as possible. Precisely because of this, customer support must be prompt and accurate and the problem eliminated with as little waiting as possible. When choosing, openly ask your provider about customer support.

6. Is the WMS provider only a service provider or also a partner?  

This question is self-evident because of course, you don’t want someone who will just sell you the software. It is important to find a partner whose ultimate goal is to improve your internal processes and your business, and who will be available to you for any problems or potential system upgrades.

We hope that through these questions we have helped you make a decision on choosing a WMS system provider.

For more information about Aktiva Info, see the About us page, and for more information about our WMS, see the Servis24 WMS page.

In case you’d like to find out more, contact us and we’ll provide you with our consultancy.