Improving on customer service is the goal of many a company today, as it should be. The reason it’s so vital is simply that it is easier and more economical to sell to a customer that you already have than to sell to a customer that has never purchased anything from you. Of course increasing customer service values also means that, in many cases, expenses must be increased as well. The task is thus to find ways to increase customer service without increasing expenses so much that it makes good service too expensive.
One of the best methods to do this, especially if your business has a large warehouse where products are kept until they are ordered, is to install a warehouse management system or WMS from a company like Aidc Solutions. Most WMS’s won’t add a lot of long-term expense to your business and, since the technology is far from new, they can be implemented easily no matter the type of company that you’re running.
Indeed WMS’s have matured into what today are time-tested means of increasing overall efficiency while at the same time reducing the need for heavy inventory and the costs associated with it. If your company is already using an ERP system you will find that implementing a WMS into the mix will help you to provide excellent customer service and get higher returns on your software dollars at the same time.
The best thing about a WMS is that, without adding any personnel to the payroll, warehouse operations can be streamlined and efficiency can be increased, usually in a matter of days or weeks. Some of the other benefits of installing a WMS are these;
- Order picking and delivery put-away is all directed by the system.
- The capacity of your warehouse can be maximized.
- You can use RF (radio frequency) to increase the ease of data capture.
- Planning for loads is much easier.
- Cross docking is possible.
- Optimal picking is possible
- ABC stratification is much easier.
- More work can be done by less people
The fact is that all of these benefits will translate into savings across the board for your firm and, depending on the specific factors at your particular company, should reduce costs for premium shipping and personnel. There are also a number of intangible benefits received by implementing a WQMSW including;
- The ability to skip the expediting step when order are received and shipped the same day.
- Improved customer service levels.
- Enhancement of warehouse operation at every level.
- More timely deliveries.
- More accurate shipments going out.
- Less loss of customers to the competition
So as you can see the benefits of installing a WMS are many and, in the end, it can really make a difference in the key area of customer satisfaction.