Warehouse efficiency plays key role in optimizing omnichannel fulfillment

These days, retailers of all sizes are enhancing their omnichannel fulfillment and delivery options, and soon free two-day shipping will be taken for granted by all customers.  In fact, the National Retail Federation found that over one third of consumers already expect brands to offer free two-day shipping.

Manual goods-handling methods are error-prone and slow,  and the warehouse can quickly become a bottleneck in your supply chain, particularly when it comes to more complex  omnichannel scenarios.  But if not done properly, omnichannel fulfillment can lead to inefficiencies and additional costs.

To meet these expectations in a way that is both efficient and profitable, retailers will have to do three things: gain real-time data visibility, increase warehouse productivity and inventory accuracy, and ultimately reduce the cost of fulfillment.

Having an accurate picture of what comes into your warehouse and what goes out is an absolute must if you want to increase inventory accuracy and management. It will be crucial to integrate and optimize warehouse operations, from storage to picking, packing and shipping processes, to ensure that items arrive at the correct place, in the correct condition, at the correct time – whether that is on the shelf or in the right bin ready for pick-up or delivery. An omnichannel-ready inventory and warehouse management solution makes it possible for retailers to fill both online and in-store orders from the inventory location that is closest to the destination.

Real-time visibility across stores and warehouses now includes visibility of order picking, shipping, and inventory counts to streamline the movement of goods and parcel management. Warehouse management systems can help sort through the data, monitor inventory levels and enable easier identification of areas for improvements. Retailers should also look for solutions that can streamline and prioritize picking and packing processes to help employees get the right goods to the right location in less time.

Having an inventory and warehouse management solution will help retailers maintain inventory levels, order status and real-time order details while eliminating paper-based tracking and the human error that often accompanies it. This, in turn, increases overall fulfillment efficiency while providing the order visibility today’s consumer requires.

Retailers should be looking to take the guesswork out of warehouse inventory  management  and make it easier to find products, navigate, and streamline processes if they want to make two-day shipping and other omnichannel fulfillment scenarios as cost-effective as possible.