How to choose the right warehouse management system for e-commerce
There is no doubt about the fact that e-commerce is here to stay. Given how it is growing in popularity, e-commerce is emerging as one of the fastest developing industries.
If you own an e-commerce brand, then congratulations! You are on the cusp of one of the biggest revolutions in human history. You can take advantage of the boom and grow your own business. If you’re prepared for it, of course. A good warehouse management system for e-commerce can help prepare you for the onslaught of demand. A WMS is a software solution designed to manage all aspects of warehouse operations, from inventory management to order fulfilment.
Choosing the right WMS for your e-commerce business can be a complex and daunting task. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Keep reading to find out how to choose the right WMS for your e-commerce business.
Challenges of e-commerce warehouse management
E-commerce warehouse management comes with its unique set of challenges and requirements that businesses must address when choosing a WMS. Some challenges that e-commerce warehouses face include high order volume, seasonal fluctuations, multi-channel sales, international shipping, and returns processing.
For instance, if you experience seasonal fluctuations in demand, you must ensure that your WMS can handle sudden spikes in orders without causing delays. Therefore, it is essential to identify the specific challenges and requirements of your e-commerce warehouse before selecting a WMS.
How do we select the right WMS?
When choosing a warehouse management system for e-commerce, you need to evaluate its core features and options. From barcode scanning to inventory tracking, order management to automation, your e-commerce warehouse management system can handle it all.
There’s a specific purpose behind every feature.
Barcode scanning ensures that every item in the warehouse is tracked, and inventory counts are accurate. The order management feature can help you manage orders from sale to delivery. Automation features, of course, can deal with the many repetitive tasks, like updating statuses and sending notifications to related parties. They can help reduce manual intervention and reduce errors.
When evaluating the difference between e-commerce warehouse management systems, there are a few more things that you should consider. These are deployment models, pricing models, scalability, customisation, and integration with other systems.
Now, deployment models, in this case, refer to whether you want to house your warehouse solution on premises, or if you want a cloud-based solution. You can even opt for a combination of both, depending on what your requirements are.
In-house solutions, of course, offer the highest levels of flexibility and customisation. Since you have complete control from design to deployment, you can mould the system to your specific needs. But, keep in mind that on-premise solutions can be quite expensive.
Cloud-based solutions are hosted in the cloud and do not require you to maintain any hardware. It’s a cheaper option and quite popular among business that are just starting off.
Coming to pricing models, these include perpetual license, subscription, or transaction-based options.
Perpetual license pricing, as the name suggests, involves a one-time payment for the software that lasts a lifetime. You won’t need to pay anything extra later on. But this one-time payment can pose a strain on your account. The subscription model, on the other hand, requires you to pay a monthly or annual fee.
Transaction-based pricing charges you on the basis of your usage. This can be a good option if you expect your business to grow in future and you want to allow for scalability.
Lastly, don’t forget to consider ease of integration with other systems like e-commerce platforms, shipping carriers, and accounting software. This is critical to ensure that the WMS seamlessly integrates with other business systems.
How to compare WMS providers
After identifying the specific challenges and requirements of your e-commerce warehouse and evaluating WMS features and options, the next step is to research and compare WMS providers.
There are numerous reputable e-commerce warehouse management systems available in the market. You should evaluate the WMS providers on the basis of the following criteria.
- Industry experience: The provider should have a deep understanding of e-commerce warehouse management and have experience working with businesses similar to yours.
- Customer support: The provider should offer excellent customer support and be available to help resolve any issues that arise.
- User reviews: Reading reviews from other businesses that have implemented the same WMS can help you to make informed decisions. It can also provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the warehouse management system for e-commerce.
- References: References from other businesses that have implemented the WMS can also provide valuable insight into the effectiveness of the solution.
- Demos: Scheduling a demo can help you to determine whether the e-commerce warehouse management system meets your needs. It provides an opportunity to see the WMS in action and evaluate how it handles various warehouse operations.
Conclusion
It is important to note that selecting the right e-commerce warehouse management system is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
You must consider your unique challenges and requirements when selecting a provider. Apart from that, the WMS provider should also be able to offer customised solutions that meet any special requirements that you may have.
Get in touch with our experts to learn more about the fully customisable e-commerce warehouse management system from Ordazzle. It offers you a consolidated view of everything in your warehouse so that you can optimise processes and take informed decisions in real time.