Discussion - A warehouse management system (WMS)

For this Discussion Board, please complete the following:

A warehouse management system (WMS) is a software application that is designed to organize and streamline a company’s warehouse, distribution center, and operations. The WMS allows the company to manage the entire process, from choosing the right materials to improving quality and increasing timeliness.

Assume that you run a fulfillment center (think Amazon) that requires the picking of one to several items per package for your customers. The day is very chaotic with inventory and employees are busy on the floor, often covering many different areas to fulfill the needs of the customers. Management disagrees on the tools your company is using to provide efficient quality service to its customers.

Review What is a Warehouse Management System (WMS), and answer the following questions:

• Explain the benefits of using a WMS rather than a physical inventory system for a large company. Use examples in your response.
• Discuss the challenges that a large company like Amazon might run into if it kept physical inventory with required inventory levels. Use examples in your response.
• How does a WMS prevent user error in inventory management, such as incorrect orders, incorrect order quantity, inventory overages, and inventory shortages? Use examples in your response.