warehouse management system (WMS)

A warehouse management system (WMS) is a management software with which the incoming and outgoing goods to a warehouse arechecked and controlled. Through such a system, the inventory of goods can be constantly retrieved and updated.

The technical approach of WMS systems depends on the size of the warehouse and the flow of goods. They can be integrated with ERP systems, supply chain management( SCM), or enterprise resource planning systems and vary widely in functionality and complexity. WMS systems can be designed to meet specific business needs, managing warehouse control for large and small businesses or e-commerce vendors.

Warehouse management systems optimize the flow of goods, so that storage times are designed to be commodity group specific for capital commitment reasons. Economic factors also include warehouse design, which translates into maximizing storage space, inventory tracking with RFID tagging, AIDC technology or with barcodes. Other aspects of modern warehouse management are the picking and packing of goods, the issuing of goods and delivery bills, as well as packing lists and invoices.