The Cloud is one of those terms that doesn’t have a commonly accepted, unambiguous definition. From the supply chain point of view, it can be considered an outsourced service that supplies or supports your IT systems. Virtually the complete range of systems and services can be ‘Clouded’ and this has the same drivers as shared user warehousing and transport services – sharing overheads and resources reduces costs; the ability to flex capacity to meet demand; paying only for what you use; and management by a third party. 

After reading our previous article, on the 'benefits of a warehouse management system', you may have begun to consider the improvements a WMS can make in your warehouse and supply chain. But what about implementing the system? Implementing such a wide ranging and important system as a WMS comes with its fair share of risk, if it is not properly planned. At many different points, something can go wrong that risks derailing or delaying the process, costing you money and lost productivity.

Before you consider implementing your new WMS, or even before you start shopping around seriously, it helps to have a draft implementation roadmap in place so that all the stakeholders in your business can go into the process with confidence.

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) can completely revolutionise the way a warehouse or distribution system is organised.

This is a bit like asking, how long is a piece of string? It depends how long you want it to be, or in the case of a WMS, what you want it to do and how many people are going to use it.

In simpler terms it could cost from a few tens of thousands of pounds to several hundreds of thousands of pounds to get installed and then there is the ongoing maintenance/support and the hardware to consider.

A summary description of a Warehouse Management System (WMS) in a sentence would be:

A WMS is a specialised system providing the management of the warehouse or distribution centre with the tools, functionality and information for the efficient operation of the warehouse and the management of its activities within the supply chain.

Sound warehouse layout and design is the basis of efficient warehousing. If order picking has slowed down, or you find you are running at or near capacity in your warehouse, you are almost certainly not be getting the most from your current layout.

There is no doubt that growth is a sign of business success. When growth exceeds available warehouse space, however, efficiency and productivity can suffer and margin reduces. If your business is experiencing any of the symptoms below, a new distribution warehouse layout may be the solution you are looking for.

Warehouse managers not only need to ensure that every aspect of their facility is effectively managed, tracked and controlled, but also that everything runs as smoothly as possible. Thankfully, there are many ways to do this with the aid of software and tools. The right software for your warehouse will be a platform that addresses areas of the most concern for you.

The layout of your warehouse is vital to the success of your business. Unless space is being used to its full potential, the productivity, inventory control, shipping and safety of your warehouse could be in jeopardy. This article explores the elements which must be in place to ensure an efficient warehouse layout.

Is everything in your warehouse accessible and in the right place? Is your warehouse team able to carry out their tasks efficiently? If the layout design of your warehouse isn’t helping to allow the productivity of your staff and reduce your overheads, your warehouse storage layout design may need to change.

In order to have the highest possible efficiency, you must ensure that every square foot is being properly used to its full potential. The first step to achieving this is to assess your space.