Today’s ecommerce warehouses face fast-paced demands from online orders. Fierce competition means that your reputation online is crucial. You need a strong and efficient system to support your storefront. Below, we highlight the main benefits of integrating your online storefront with a Warehouse Management System (WMS). This integration connects and optimizes vital aspects of your operation.
What is Online Storefront Integration?
Online storefront integration connects your ecommerce site and other online sales channels to a powerful back-end WMS. This integration creates a smooth flow of information and supports your online activities. It eliminates the need for manual data entry, which reduces duplication and saves time, while boosting operational efficiency and minimizing errors.
Better Productivity Levels
Amazon’s rapid turnaround times raise the stakes for all ecommerce providers. Customers now expect quick delivery, often the same day. By integrating your system, you can reduce delivery times and enhance your business short- and long-term. A WMS organizes your warehouse and helps pickers work more efficiently, shortening dispatch and delivery times.
Improved Warehouse Layout
A well-organized warehouse streamlines operations. Knowing where everything is located optimizes layouts for faster turnaround. For instance, place inventory according to sales frequency and update this structure regularly. Shopify enables such integration, allowing information to flow to the warehouse even before a sale finalizes. You can even categorize inventory based on online attention rather than just sales volume.
Equipped to Handle Individual Sales
Traditional systems often handle pallets better than individual items. However, single-item orders make up 80-90% of sales on platforms like Amazon and eBay. Therefore, ecommerce WMS must handle higher volumes of individual sales without slowing down operations. Optimizing picking routes allows for multiple individual orders to be collected from specific warehouse zones, enhancing efficiency.
Reliable Stock Availability
Customers dislike misinformation regarding product availability. If they find an item listed as available only to discover it’s out of stock, frustration builds. Real-time integration with a WMS maximizes sales opportunities and informs customers about current stock levels. Additionally, it speeds up return processing and enables automatic stock replenishment without constant inventory checks.
Reduced Losses
Shrinkage affects businesses of all sizes. While theft and damage contribute, inaccurate inventory counts can also cause significant losses. A WMS can minimize these issues by tracking stock effectively. Although items may get lost in transit, tracking software helps manage these occurrences and reduces overall inventory loss.
Set Up Click and Collect
Click and collect services have grown, especially during the COVID pandemic. This option offers convenience, letting customers order online and pick up at a nearby location. The service is often free, which appeals to consumers. Combined retail and ecommerce warehouses are ideal for this setup, as the WMS manages online orders alongside standard replenishment stock. This delivery method will continue to expand, making integration with your online store essential.
Faster Set-Up Times
Integrating new systems in ecommerce warehouses usually comes with limited timeframes. Disruption is unavoidable, so you must choose the right moment to minimize impact. Compared to traditional systems, a WMS designed for ecommerce can generally be installed and set up more quickly. This efficiency allows for better planning and timely integration, maximizing benefits with minimal drawbacks.
Efficient Sorting
Ecommerce stores handle a high volume of mailings daily to meet tight deadlines. Tracking each order becomes the priority, especially when dealing with hundreds or thousands of shipments. Relying on individual pickers slows down the process. Instead, using a system that operates with handheld devices can streamline sorting and distribution of large order volumes. This ensures you meet collection deadlines without stress.
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