Purchasing a warehouse management system (WMS) is a big decision to make, particularly as it involves a huge investment of not just monetary value, but also of time and commitment from you and your employees. This is why finding a system that works for you, and understanding the questions to ask before buying, are incredibly important to ensure your business is getting value for money.

Understanding the features and benefits of different warehouse management systems, the implementation process, and what your business needs to get ready before implementation, are all extremely important if you want a solution that fits with your business.

1. What are the features and benefits? 
It may seem like an obvious question, and WMS businesses will usually run through the features and benefits in a demo or initial call, however they may not run through them all. If there are specific features you’re looking for in your system, such as the ability to support cycle counting or first-in-first-out processes, asking about whether these features are available or whether there are any additional features that may be of benefit to your business is useful in understanding if a system will not only meet your requirements, but also add additional value to your business.

Additionally to this, asking how different features will benefit your business specifically, helps you to recognise whether you might be paying a premium for flashy features that may not even be relevant to your business.

In general, a good WMS should offer benefits including improving accuracy, efficiency, and providing a better customer experience.

2. What costs are associated?
As well as purchasing the system itself, there are usually other costs involves, so understanding what those costs are can be useful in making sure you have the budget available. The costs associated with a WMS can range from service costs for set-up and training, to hardware costs, and licence and support fees. Knowing each cost involved will also save you from any unexpected surprises later down the line.

3. Is the software configurable? 
Installing a configurable WMS will help tailor the software to your business needs. With certain settings that can be personalised to your business processes, the system is increasingly likely to help you reach your goals more effectively.

Being able to allow options such as printing barcodes, assigning pickers to specific orders, allowing negative stock, and automatically printing dispatch notes, gives businesses the adaptability to change and improve their processes in their own time.

4. Will the software be able to scale with our business?
While some WMS’s may be more expensive than others, that might be because they have the adaptability to scale with your business. For example, if you need your WMS to integrate with your accountancy system, a good WMS provider will also offer upgrades to their solutions so it can continue to have the compatibility your business was looking for.

Additionally, if your business grows to the point of having multiple warehouse locations, some of the more sophisticated WMS solutions will support the option to include multiple warehouses, so you can have greater visibility and control over your processes and transactions.

5. Do we need to get anything ready before having the system installed?
Usually, before businesses have a warehouse management system installed, they need to get certain things in place before the installation goes ahead. This can range from a variety of technical requirements to administrative tasks, such as letting the WMS provider know how many users the software will have, and getting your stock codes in order. Generally speaking, WMS providers will often ask businesses to have a specific version of Windows installed, wi-fi, and server requirements.

It’s important to ask this question early-on, so you know what’s expected of you as a potential customer, and giving you maximum notice so there aren’t any unwanted surprises.

6. What can I expect from the implementation process?
By understanding the implementation process of the system, you will have more of an idea of the resources you need to allocate for the system so it can be implemented efficiently and successfully. You should also keep in mind that the more you know about the stages of the implementation process, and what each stage entails, the more successful the installation will likely be.

General stages of an implementation process should at minimum include a kick-off call, scoping, installation, training day, and go-live, and you should be reassured that someone will be around to support you should you need further guidance or there are teething problems.

It can often be difficult to find the right help and information regarding new software systems, so if you would like any additional advice or guidance on what to expect from installing a warehouse management system, please don’t hesitate to contact our experienced team of support engineers and consultants who would be more than happy to answer your questions. You can call us on 03300 245452 or email info@bitsystemsltd.co.uk.

Stock taking is a necessary task that can often cause more headaches than it resolves.

Checking your inventory regularly will help your business keep track of stock and check if there are any issues with the products in your warehouse, it will also indicate whether your stock management system is accurate and your processes are efficient. If your warehousing business regularly identifies anomalies when conducting stock takes, or your stock takes cause significant amounts of confusion for warehouse staff, it is definitely time to improve your process.

1. Define your methods
As with many areas of business when you’re about to undertake a large project, planning will help make the process much smoother. Noting the number of warehouse operatives you need to participate in the stock take, who will be counting which area, an estimated time for counting each area, and how best to minimise disruption for those continuing normal warehouse operations, will help to avoid confusion and simplify the tasks involved.

2. Cycle counting
As a method that allows for a section of the warehouse to be counted on a weekly or monthly basis, introducing cycle counting will not only decrease downtime for your warehouse operatives, but will also reduce the number of errors in the count. Annual stock taking methods uses up a lot of valuable time and resources, and can often take longer than estimated, whereas cycle counting significantly minimises business disruption as only a reduced number of staff need to participate in the stock take.

3. Leverage intuitive technologies
Leveraging technology to streamline the stock taking process will do even more to reduce errors and save a greater amount of time. Barcoding software can be used to scan product codes, alleviating the need for pen, paper, and having to read unreadable handwriting. Investing in technologies that helps to not only streamline stock taking methods but also other areas of warehouse operations, can help to increase capacity of your warehouse.

It’s important for warehousing businesses to create an efficient stock taking process so that errors are dealt with efficiently and risks are minimised. Leveraging intuitive technologies like barcoding warehouse management software, greatly improves the time it takes to complete stock taking, whilst increasing accuracy of the process. Cycle counting is also becoming the favoured way to manage and schedule stock takes, as it breaks the process into smaller segments, reducing the risk of miscounting inventory. Using both methods together will give your business the best chance of reducing mistakes, and will save your business valuable time and money.

Deciding on the processes that will work best for your warehouse can often be difficult to understand and easy to overcomplicate. If you would like an outside perspective on how your operations could be enhanced to increase productivity and simplify operations, our expert team of consultants will be happy to share their thoughts and insights, which have been gained from implementing intelligent technologies in a range of warehouse and manufacturing organisations.

Chat to us today by calling 03300 245452 or emailing info@bitsystemsltd.co.uk, and someone will be on-hand to answer your questions.

The process of dispatching goods from the warehouse can be long and laborious with many individual tasks involved. Turning this operation into an efficient and streamlined system will help free-up time, and increase warehouse capacity.

There are a variety of ways in which warehouses can streamline the dispatching process, with four key areas identified below:

1. Utilising technology 
Technology is a key factor of business success, as it can help develop a competitive advantage. In terms of dispatching, implementing a warehouse management system that supports the use of barcodes and scanners, and automated the more monotonous tasks can effectively decrease downtime. Using scanners to pick and dispatch stock against sales orders, and automatically printing dispatch notes can save significant amounts of time, whilst also reducing human error.

2. Breaking down the process 
Having a process is highly important for the effective management of dispatching. Breaking down the operation into key stages will avoid staff confusion, keep tasks manageable, and help to identify any potential problem areas; whether certain tasks are taking longer than expected, or more mistakes are being made in others. Having well-defined steps within a process will increase productivity and efficiency, but only as long as staff are suitably trained.

3. Prioritising customers 
By determining the customers that need or have paid for a quicker delivery, they can more easily be kept happy. Implementing a system that ensures there is a dedicated team to fill priority orders allows warehouse operatives see which stock items are more time-sensitive, making it easier for teams working on dispatching stock by streamlining the process even further.

4. Route optimisation 
When delivering goods to customers, it is often easier said than done. Whilst mapping out the shortest routes possible based on distance may seem like a good idea at the time, these routes may be prone to high levels of traffic or be unsuitable for lorries. Trusting mainstream map applications such as Google Maps may also end up being more of a hinderance than a help as they can often have a significant delay in reporting accidents or congestion. Employing intelligent software that understands the route options available to a delivery driver, and which route is the most cost-effective without the potential of causing a delay to delivery times, will help increase the efficiency of the dispatching process.

If your looking to increase the efficiency of your business’s dispatching process, but not quite sure where to start, feel free to contact our team at Bit Systems. With our many years’ experience providing intelligent software and support to warehousing businesses, we understand the struggles faced to streamline warehouse operations. You can call us on 03300 245 452 or email info@bitsystemsltd.co.uk.

 

What is batch and serial traceability?
Batch and serial number traceability is a function that allows warehouse staff to track batch information (batch number/expiry dates) and serial numbers through the warehouse, helping them to understand where specific stock is located at any given time. Here at Bit Systems, we can help automate this using our Bit Inventory software and barcode scanners. The benefits of this mean that a significant amount of time is saved as team members will have all the necessary stock information on their handheld scanners, with no need to check for this information elsewhere. This can also help with customer service, because stock can be traced by warehouse staff to where that inventory came from, so if any problems were to arise, the situation can be rectified quickly.

New functionality for Bit Inventory 50 
Bit Inventory 50 has been updated to allow for more information to be held within the barcode scanners to increase efficiency when picking and dispatching stock. This additional information, including expiry dates of perishable goods, helps warehouse operatives identify which stock is the oldest in the warehouse. The operative can also identify batch and serial numbers at the moment they are processed in the scanner.

Benefits of advanced traceability functionality 
There are several benefits to having this additional information available at hand on the warehouse floor;

• Better stock rotation
  Picking the oldest stock first means that inventory is better rotated, and older items aren’t left to gather dust or perish in the warehouse.
• Less wastage of perishable goods 
  Understanding the expiry dates of stock allows for the produce closest to its expiry date to be dispatched first, leading to less wastage because of consistent rotation.
• Better informed warehouse operatives 
  Having the information on the handheld scanners helps warehouse operatives make quick decisions on which stock to pick to go out to the customer.
• Quicker processes 
  With no need to rectify incorrect batch/serial numbers later, there’s no more delay for dispatch paperwork. If an incorrect batch or serial number is flagged within Bit Inventory, it can be changed there and then, pro-actively on the warehouse floor, saving time and money.
• Improved customer service
  With very little chance of customers being sent months or years old stock that has gathered dust and is potentially faulty, they will be much happier receiving consistently good quality stock. This will lead to a higher level of customer satisfaction, and retention.

To understand more about these new features of Bit Inventory and how they can help streamline your warehouse processes, please contact us by calling 03300 245452 or email info@bitsystemsltd.co.uk.

With many supply-chain issues being out of the hands of warehousing businesses, it’s important to understand the potential challenges that can be dealt with to streamline the process as much as possible.

Building strong relationships with key stakeholders
Building strong relationships with key stakeholders in the supply-chain is a crucial factor in the success of your warehouse. Although it will be the contracts and SLA’s that formally regulate the arrangements between the parties involved in the supply-chain, communicating regularly with suppliers, manufacturers, distributors etc. will improve relationships and help to rectify any issues more efficiently. Close collaboration with each organisation involved within the supply-chain can allow businesses to create contingency plans if any potential barriers are anticipated.

Breaking down processes 
Having clear processes is highly important for effective management through the supply-chain. Breaking down key operations into individual tasks will help to avoid staff confusion, keep a manageable workload, and identify any potential problem areas. Having well-defined steps within a process will increase communication, productivity, and efficiency, but only as long as staff are suitably trained.

Integrating GPS tracking 
GPS and tracking technology can hugely benefit the transportation and logistics divisions of the supply-chain. With the sophistication of today’s technologies, GPS can extend much further than simply navigating drivers to and from locations. More advanced GPS tracking technologies can monitor traffic, calculate estimated delivery times, and let necessary team members know the whereabouts of any vehicles at any given time, reducing the number of calls drivers receive regarding where they are or why they’re delayed, improving the safety of journeys and streamlining deliveries. Also with more sophisticated software, live driver feeds can be viewed by customers to track their own delivery and get a more accurate estimated delivery time, decreasing the number of customer calls, and increasing customer satisfaction.

Identifying trends and forecasting 
Warehouse management software (WMS) can offer in-depth reports of your stock, recording buying and selling patterns, giving real-time insights and helping your business to plan ahead. WMS with stock control and reporting capabilities will mean you no longer have to spend time searching for data across multiple business platforms and departments. Through integrations between WMS and accounts software, business plans and future investments can be initiated from the comprehensive data of relevant departments, including sales, accounts, and operations.

Contingency planning 
Creating a backup plan is a necessary action for effective supply-chain management. Organising contingencies like backup suppliers, backup manufacturers, additional storage solutions, and alternative despatching plans, will help reduce the negative affects if part of the supply-chain couldn’t deliver the services they’re expected to. By prioritising risks to the supply-chain based on likelihood and level of impact, it will help you plan for worst-case scenarios, reducing high-level risks and protecting your business.

Bit Systems has a wealth of knowledge in this area, so if you’d like any help or advice regarding supply-chain or warehouse management, please call us on 03300 245452 or email info@bitsystemsltd.co.uk.

The tasks involved in the goods received process can often lead to inaccuracies elsewhere within the warehouse if not completed properly. Streamlining these tasks through the use of intelligent software can help reduce (or even eliminate) the number of inaccuracies and inefficiencies.

What is meant by goods received? 
Goods received (or goods receiving) is the process of checking the delivery of goods into the warehouse. This process involves several steps:

1. Matching goods to the purchase order
2. Checking goods aren’t damaged
3. Logging received items into the warehouse management system
4. Getting the new stock unpacked and organised within the warehouse
5. Forwarding the consignment note to accounts payable

Following a process helps maintain an efficient warehouse whilst identifying any potential issues with suppliers. However, as a business grows, so do the challenges it faces, and these processes can become more and more time consuming, resulting in slower lead times.

How can software increase accuracy of goods received? 
Using inventory management software for goods received can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of this critical business process. Booking stock into the warehouse using a handheld scanner isn’t only a much smoother process than manually writing down information and then also updating a financial back office, it’s also incredibly accurate and less prone to human error.

More sophisticated inventory management software packages can also offer product location tracking to help with a more efficient put away process. This is done by presenting the product’s location on the scanner, so that even new or temporary staff get their tasks completed in good time by having the right information in front of them.

Serial/batch information can also be tracked accurately at the goods received stage so that if there are any issues, perishable stock can be tracked back to the day it was delivered and the supplier it was delivered too, to help with supplier returns.

Creating additional processes 
Creating additional processes for tasks within the goods received process can also help towards increasing accuracy and efficiency. An example of this could be establishing measures to ensure warehouse deliveries are scheduled at different times, so they don’t turn up all at once and cost valuable resources. Within this, unpacking deadlines should be based on the number of items being delivered, rather than having a blanket deadline across all deliveries coming into the warehouse, otherwise mistakes can be made from teams feeling rushed.

Goods received with damages or unreadable labels can also cause issues within the process of taking delivery of items. Creating steps to reduce downtime in solving these issues can greatly improve efficiency of the goods received process. Capturing information including proof of damage, and storing damaged goods in a designated area of the warehouse, will help make the return of goods more streamlined. In cases of unreadable labels, if it’s a regular occurrence, having a chosen point of contact with the supplier to share frustrations will improve communications. There are also some warehouse management systems that can record items as received without the use of scanners.

The future of receiving goods into the warehouse 
With the rate of technological advancements increasing exponentially year on year, there is no doubt warehouses will continue to see the benefits of this for a long time ahead. Specifically in the case of the goods received process, it has been speculated that technologies including artificial intelligent (AI) and drones with optical sensors could be used in future to streamline processes even further.

If you would like more information about how warehouse and inventory management processes can be streamlined by technology, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 03300 245452.

 

How to Streamline Order Processing

Order processing can be laborious, and while it’s essential for faultless communication between each stage of the process, that’s easier said than done. There is one key way order processing can be streamlined into a more efficient operation, and this involves clever pieces of software.

What is order processing?
Order processing is the method of getting a product out for delivery once it has been ordered. There are several stages involved in the process including picking, sorting and packing, and depending on the size of the business, this can be done by one person or a group of people.

How can software streamline order processing?
Order processing that is conducted manually using pen and paper is often open to mistakes being made by human error. A growing business will also likely grow in the complexity of its operations, and so the manual processing of orders will become a much slower task that will result in unhappy and unimpressed customers. This is where using warehouse management software for order processing can be hugely beneficial for businesses looking to become much more efficient in their operations.

Generally speaking, warehouse management software can store and share the data of items, including understanding stock levels of specific products, where those products are located in the warehouse, and knowing what stock has been ordered and where it’s going. Having all of this information in one place can help ensure orders are fulfilled efficiently and accurately. It also means any potential delays of incoming stock can be quickly communicated to customers for better customer service.

With a warehouse management system, barcodes can be used to follow items throughout their journey in the warehouse, helping pickers find specific products to fulfil orders that bit more efficiently. Scanning barcodes can also save time and increase accuracy as manually writing product codes is a much slower process, and can be open to error if a wrong number or letter is written, or if the handwriting isn’t easily understandable.

Another benefit of using a warehouse management system is that it can unify all warehouse related tasks into a single orchestrated platform, not just order processing. By having all processes integrated, with information being sent between them, communication can be significantly improved not only between staff, but also to customers.

The future of order processing
With technological advancements moving faster than ever before, warehousing businesses will need to keep up to speed in order to stay competitive and meet growing demand. The likelihood is that businesses still using manual order processing methods in 5/10 years-time will become obsolete, as more businesses move towards offering next day (or even same-day) deliveries thanks to Amazon. Whilst implementing a more efficient order processing method may be more expensive in the short-term (training and set-up costs), implementing a technological solution sooner rather than later means that money can be saved in the longer-term from reduced errors, higher warehouse capacity, and happy customers.

Tracing stock throughout the warehouse can be a confusing and time-consuming task, particularly if it has to be done manually. Having the capability to monitor inventory using barcodes and intelligent software designed to make these processes simpler, will help improve efficiency and streamline processes within the warehouse.

What is serial/batch tracking?

Serial or batch tracking is a method of monitoring stock throughout the warehouse by assigning serial, batch or lot numbers against items. These numbers can then be used to search for the locations of specific products within the warehouse.

How does serial/batch tracking work in Bit Inventory 50?

Bit Inventory 50 has been designed to make inventory management a much more accurate and efficient process through its integration with Sage 50.

Serial/batch tracking works in Bit Inventory 50 by having specific numbers assigned against products. When a product is placed in a certain location within the warehouse, this information gets inputted into the Bit Inventory 50 software. When a specific product code is then searched, the location it has been referenced in will be brought up, along with the locations it has previously been placed, giving a full view of that products journey through the warehouse.

 

The Bit Inventory 50 software allows for items to be more easily monitored and found, saving warehouse staff valuable time when picking customer orders. This allows businesses using the software to meet customer needs more efficiently, leading to an increased capacity within the warehouse. Bit Inventory 50 is also GS1 compliant, holding all the necessary data for pharmaceutical products within one barcode.

Summary

Serial/batch tracking in Bit Inventory 50 is a simple process of monitoring specific products on their journey through the warehouse, making sure they’re placed in the correct locations ready for picking customer orders. A full history of an item’s journey through the warehouse can also be seen, which can be useful, for example, if a perishable good had been stored in the wrong location and has therefore spoiled.

For more information about how Bit Inventory 50 can help streamline your warehouse processes, contact us today.

The key Features of Bit Inventory 50

 

What is Bit Inventory 50?

Bit Inventory 50 (or Bit 50) is an inventory management solution that uses barcoding software to help manage, track and control stock through integrations with Sage 50. Improving accuracy and efficiency, Bit 50 uses advanced technology to streamline processes throughout the warehouse (or warehouses), offering a full scope of information to relevant teams in order to increase productivity. It has been created with flexibility and scalability in mind, to grow with businesses as they develop.

 

What are the merits of Bit Inventory 50?

Order Processing

Bit 50 significantly saves time and reduces errors when processing orders. This is because the software allows users to create purchase orders and sales orders, and post them directly to Sage at the click of a button. This means the systems can be fully automated from receiving the order to picking goods, saving on paperwork.

Goods Received

Purchase orders are automatically sent to scanners, ready to be picked up at any time for deliveries. With the use of modern handheld scanners, stock deliveries can be received in the warehouse with goods-in information automatically updating in Sage. There’s no need for manual data inputs, ensuring the process of receiving goods is much more accurate and efficient.

Despatching

The handheld scanners can be used to pick and despatch items against sales orders, with the ability to automatically print despatch notes. Orders can also be locked when picking, so there’s no more risk of orders being double picked, improving accuracy and efficiency.

Stock Taking

With Bit 50, there’s no need for manual stock takes as the handheld scanners can be used to count stock, whether it’s scheduled or on an ad hoc basis, and inputs the information directly into Sage. This process removes the need for paperwork, and as fewer people are involved, the likelihood of human error is reduced considerably. Comparisons of stock that has been counted vs stock that is featured in Sage can be viewed to identify any potential anomalies, and with the ability to tag transactions to users, any staff members involved in stock takes can be easily found, allowing for any irregularities to be rectified promptly.

 

Summary of Features

Bit 50 has several key features that will help make every stage of processing stock throughout the warehouse significantly more efficient. With the use of modern handheld scanners, order processing, receiving goods, despatching, and stock-taking are all much more accurate compared with manual methods. This efficiency will help businesses meet customer needs as their expectations grow, and increase capacity as goods can be moved through the warehouse more rapidly.