Why are warehouses stuck in the mobile technology dark ages? The average worker is totally on board with mobile devices in every part of their world today. The millennial (and younger) employee actually feels more comfortable with mobile solutions. Isn’t it time to get on board with mobility?
WMS Mobility
Mobile access through apps and web portals provides an easy way for you to leverage existing technology and improve your existing floor activity.
Your staff is already on smartphones during the work day, so why not put that screen time experience to good use. Here are just a few top reasons that you should consider adopting a mobile WMS solution for your operations.
✔ More support from more devices. Pairing a mobile WMS solution with your existing scanners and smartphones will allow you to expand your WMS inputs using the existing equipment you’re providing your employees.
✔ Mobile devices can make your daily warehouse tasks easier. They can operate across your entire network, without interruptions as you move between locations thanks to mobile devices’ capabilities of accessing 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi networks. You can continue to track, receive, put away, fulfill orders, or transfer stock as you go without worrying about Wi-Fi dead spots that often crop up in warehouses.
✔ Mobile support of your WMS also allows your team to take greater steps in problem-solving. A traditional scanner may be able to load what goods should be on your shelves, but a handheld accessing a mobile WMS solution can look at expected inventory levels plus inquire into recent history to see if there was a data gap in moving stock or fulfilling an order that should be updated.
Mobile WMS is Familiar to Your Team
Most team members will benefit from a mobile WMS solution because they are designed to work with smartphones and apps, which the majority of your staff likely use during their everyday lives.
Smartphones are common in Europe and North America, so companies with multiple warehouses on multiple continents can also expect apps to be familiar across their footprint. WMS mobile applications, like Coolearth’s WhistlePRO™, also offer multi language options that the end user can change on the fly if the iconology is confusing.
Familiarity typically means a reduction in training requirements for your team, allowing them to learn new locations of buttons with ease because they do not need to learn new types of interactions.
Mobile WMS offerings work across a variety of devices. Consumer focused Android and iOS devices plus enterprise capable mobiles, tablets, and scanners for example. This helps your team work in familiar environments and may even further reduce the time it takes them to learn and start successfully using your new technology.
Full WMS, Great Price Point
Perhaps the best news of all is that you’re not losing any of the core features of your typical WMS needs when you choose a platform that offers mobile WMS. Also, new mobile management solutions can integrate with other platforms like an ERP to deliver faster updates for inventory levels and shipping times right away.
Coolearth’s ALL NEW WhistlePRO™ Mobile Warehouse Management App – Check it Out!
WMS providers can offer their mobile WMS at a small fixed cost or may provide a licensing deal that requires a single app license for your company plus a small app fee per device. Others may include a certain number of mobile licenses within a WMS subscription. These fixed costs allow you to quickly determine your costs and see if the improved efficiencies are right for you.
In Summary
You can bolster your WMS automation and achieve even greater improvements in productivity and reductions in cost. You get a platform your staff is more familiar with, that’s more powerful to correct errors or track changes on the floor, and delivers a competitive advantage customers will likely notice. It is time to change and it is worth the investment.