Since the onset of Covid-19, e-commerce has seen an unprecedented boom. The sales figures for webshops have skyrocketed, and peak periods have never been so extreme. Of course, it’s exciting to see the sales orders flooding in. But you need to ensure that you can process all these orders on time. Customers who receive their packages late might write a negative review. This is something you definitely want to avoid. For many webshops, it was a struggle to process all the sales orders. Even at Webship, the fulfillment center behind Webship Online, we had to put in a lot of effort. At such times, it’s important to find ways to increase efficiency. One such solution is a WMS system like Webship Online and barcodes.
Choose a WMS System that Works with Barcodes
Today, there are various WMS (Warehouse Management System) solutions available. However, not all inventory management systems offer the same features. Therefore, it is crucial to look for a system that can take your business to the next level. Efficiency is key, and the ability to work with barcodes is essential. With a WMS system, you can process multiple sales orders at the same time in an efficient manner. Such a system ensures that the entire flow is clearly displayed and allows you to manage your inventory like a pro.
Barcodes During Picking
The importance of barcodes cannot be underestimated at any step of the inventory management process. During product intake, barcodes allow you to verify all products in a flash. Imagine receiving a delivery with numerous different products, and you have to search for each one manually in the WMS system. But barcodes are also incredibly useful during picking.
Scanning barcodes helps avoid errors. Barcode scanning provides an extra level of verification. If you scan the wrong product, you will receive an error message. This helps significantly reduce picking errors, which leads to higher customer satisfaction and less pressure on warehouse staff. Scanning is fast, while processing a picking error in the warehouse takes a lot of time. In many cases, the package will be returned. You’ll need to process the return, investigate the picking error, adjust the stock, and likely ship a new order. Such a process can easily take 30 to 40 minutes.
Barcodes During Packaging
Using barcodes during packaging can significantly improve efficiency. Why? A WMS system like Webship Online allows you to pick multiple orders at the same time. After picking, these orders are marked with a new status, i.e., ‘ready for packaging.’
Next, you can start packing the orders, but time is lost when linking the picked orders and searching for them in the WMS system. These are just a few seconds, but when many orders are marked as ‘ready for packaging’ at the same time, this can add up. Webship Online provides a solution for this. Every packing slip has a unique barcode. You can scan this barcode, and Webship Online will automatically open the correct sales order in the inventory management system. This way, you can’t mix up orders (using the shipping label for order A for order B, and vice versa), and you save time because you don’t need to search for the orders in the list.
For example, we also use barcodes for our packaging materials. This allows us to quickly finish packing orders. Everything is handled on one overview screen. You enter the weight, choose a shipping method, print the shipping label, and input the packaging materials. Manually entering packaging materials takes more time than quickly scanning barcodes linked to the packaging materials.
Would You Like to Test Webship Online?
You’ll notice that we are talking about just a few seconds. A few seconds on 10 sales orders might not make a huge difference, but if you handle larger volumes, the sum of these seconds can add up quickly. This time can definitely be better spent elsewhere! If after reading this blog you are interested in testing such a system, get in touch with Webship Online at hallo@webship.online. You can test the system for free!
