Resorting to paper-based computing system or generic spreadsheets is a hackneyed concept now in the domain of warehousing. We are living and breathing in the age of technological boom and e-commerce has achieved its much-needed impetus in the days of pandemic. Customer demand has become volatile and variable and the need of data analytics in coping up with the sea-change is being felt across the service line more than ever. Hence, cloud-computing is more than a mere luxury of the privileged. It is a tool to have edge over the others and stay relevant. With the growing accessibility of internet cloud-based WMS is the best bid for the distribution centres right now. Apart from the cost-effectiveness and the ease of use, it is scalable and is conducive to the work efficiency in a more rounded way. In this article, we try to enumerate factors that go in favour of cloud-based warehouse management system.
1. Reduced Cost of Ownership: When a warehouse opts for an on-premise system, there is a lot of upfront cost that the companies should be ready to bear. From the hardware installation to the maintenance and support of the machines and software, the process of owning an in-house system can be fraught with a lot of hassle. On the other hand, in case of a cloud-system, the warehouses are just the hosts. They are well aware of the subscription they are supposed to pay for the system instead of incurring large investment costs on enterprise-grade systems. With the mitigation of the cost, the budget of the warehouses can be handled more efficiently.
2. Real-Time Visibility: From acquiring ASN to the final shipment, cloud-based warehouse management system gives you insight of and visibility into every sphere of warehousing. The interactive dashboards give the end-user end-to-end information pertaining to the whereabouts of the consignments. With the voluminous data stored effectively, this can be utilised to make sensible and age-appropriate decisions.
3. Ease of Accession: One of the biggest advantages of cloud-based solutions is the hassle-free accessibility. The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown forced the employees to stay home and work from a remote location. On-premise systems required complex remote accessing tools to operate them. On the other hand, with the simple use of internet, employees can bring their office in the comforts of the home, owing to the easeful accessibility of cloud-based WMS.
4. Time-Saving Implementation: An on-premise system can take months to get implemented due to the cost and operational complexity that is accrued. On the contrary, cloud-based WMS does not take much of a time to get installed as the whole process is taken care of by the software vendor. With a lot of useful time getting saved, administration can look into other functionalities instead of concentrating on a tedious process and increase the work efficiency manifolds.
5. Ease of Usage: Cloud-based WMS has an interface that is extremely user-friendly. The dashboards are interactive, simple and easy to use. Therefore, cloud-based solutions go well with the end-user.
6. Scalability: One of the biggest advantages of cloud-based warehouse management systems is that it can be configured to suit the need of the warehouses. These solutions come with the inherent flexibility that can be tapped in to control and check growing numbers of SKU. The system can be expanded to the suitability of the businesses without giving a halt and added cost of changing the custom code in the source. Additional user licenses can be obtained easily to add multiple users and subsidiary warehouses, giving a greater thrust to the agility of the businesses.
7. Security: Cloud-based WMS provides a lot of security in the cyber space. Modern cyber world is full of potential threats to the resources of a company. Having ensured the security cum privacy of assets and data in a much better prospect, these cloud-based solutions help in brand-building and consumer satisfaction in an indirect manner.
8. Ease in Integration: Contemporary cloud-based WMS interfaces well with the existing enterprise systems with the built-in API. In this way, the best possible technological innovations and resources are yoked together for a better user-friendly experience.
9. Benefit to the E-Commerce: With the easeful integration with the e-commerce and online retailers, the omnichannel logistics, prevalent in the 21st century gets a greater stress. Without the hassle of system shutdown for upgradation, the continuous process of integration contributes to the business development.
With all these aforementioned features and vantage points, cloud-based warehouse management system is better suited for leveraging the enterprise resources in a far better way. If you have not taken cloud-based solutions into consideration, it is time that you ruminate the long-term ramifications that your distribution channel is going to face. To avoid obsolescence and the ensuing jeopardy, you must spare thought to the timely implementation of cloud-based WMS and give your business a necessary push that it genuinely deserves.