Before I turned 30, my childhood best friend convinced me that we needed to run a marathon and signed us up for an event less than eight months out. She always pushes me outside of my comfort zone and into trying things that will help me grow. But as someone who didn’t have a natural affinity for running, it seemed daunting. I had to make a plan…
You may wonder, what does running a marathon and selecting a warehouse process management system (WMS) have in common? Both require a good understanding of your current abilities (and limitations), lots of planning, and hard work, and both can offer transformational growth.
So, when faced with a daunting task, where do you start? We recommend third-party logistics (3PL) starting with an understanding of their current warehouse process and then outlining future objectives. This will allow you to identify the gaps you need to solve.
Much like how a runner needs to understand the basic gear they will require to support long-distance running, a 3PL warehouse needs to assess basic inventory management requirements as the most fundamental part of their business.
Identify current state requirements along with future expectations for inventory management by asking:
By understanding these questions, you can identify what improvements you need to get from your Warehouse Management System investment.
Begin by identifying, assessing, and documenting your current warehouse’s state of the core pick, pack, ship, and receipt technology and processes. In each area, assess the growth expectations as well.
Consider the following:
When I trained for my marathon, my goal wasn’t only to finish, but to finish within a certain time and to feel healthy at the end of the race. Much like runners, 3PL warehouses can push their operations to the limit and not always see the profits they expect. If a warehouse wants to make an investment in technology, they must know how they will pay for it either in increased productivity or increased billing.
By assessing how you can improve your billing and invoicing, 3PLs can find additional profit from the existing business. Start by asking:
Ensuring you have clearly outlined your billing requirements will be crucial to evaluating which WMS can help your warehouse achieve its profitability goals.
When you start training, you know whether you can run a mile or ten miles. But to run 26.2 miles, what do you need to do? Identifying the areas where your 3PL warehouse intends to grow will allow you to define your gaps, and thereby understand what you need from your WMS software. Ask your team:
While it sounds like a lot of information to gather prior to your WMS evaluation, making sure you have a clear understanding of your requirements will expedite the process and ensure you have a clear gauge for measuring success.
For a handy preparation warehouse inspection checklists, download the 3PL Warehouse Process Checklist.
I can’t promise that your warehouse won’t have a few aches and pains along the way, but with the right plan and alignment to your goal, your WMS can help you reach new levels of growth. To learn more, listen to the Things to Consider when Selecting a WMS webinar.