Warehouse Management Software: What Programs are There?

As soon as a company reaches a certain size, you can’t get any further without a functioning system in your warehouse. Companies rely on Business Central Warehouse Management Software so that they always have an overview of all goods in the company.

A good program supports the management of the warehouse and partly the organization of the logistics. We will tell you why you need warehouse software today, for whom the applications are useful, and what solutions are available on the market.

What is Warehouse Software?

The most diverse types of companies from the most diverse sectors have warehouses. A service provider in the software sector may be less, but an online retailer definitely.

Craftsmen, retailers, and manufacturing companies: all have incoming and outgoing goods. Keeping track of this is vital for every company. If you have a wrong idea of your stocks, sometimes deliveries may not be made or production may falter.

Warehouse management software gives the self-employed, SMEs, and large companies a precise overview of their warehouse. This means that you not only know at all times what is in the company (or on the way to or from the company) but also where each individual item can be found.

This can mean a lot of effort, but a good warehouse management program makes this work a lot easier for users. The EDP solution provides companies with several advantages:

Record Arrivals and Departures: With simple functions (e.g. a barcode scanner), every movement is recorded and recorded in the system.

Sorting Planning: A good warehouse management program knows the storage capacities and independently finds the best place for an item that has arrived.

Record Movements: When items are moved from one location to another within the warehouse, the warehouse software records the movement – either automatically or through simple input options.

Overstock or Understock Alert: Good warehouse software warns users when an item is understocked or overstocked.

Increased Efficiency: Since there are no more problems with managing the warehouse, all other processes in the company run more smoothly.

Make Analytics: A system that continuously monitors inventory and also collects data that provides interesting insights and more confident planning for the future.

There are usually two different types of warehouse management software: ongoing and periodic systems. The latter determines the inventory through regular checks – in the form of inventories.

A running system updates the entire inventory with every transaction, i.e. with arrivals and departures or other movements. For this to work, the software must be equipped with technical solutions such as barcode readers or RFID sensors.

Warehouse management software is often offered under other names: Especially the terms warehouse management system (WMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), or merchandise management system(WWS) you will come across, again and again, looking for suitable software.

Although the programs are named differently, they are often designed for the same purposes. The difference usually lies in the respective focus and sometimes in the scope: A WMS is warehouse software that can also be used for very large warehouses.

An ERP system is intended more as an all-in-one solution and also includes numerous accounting functions. A merchandise management system, on the other hand, focuses primarily on simplifying sales and monitoring the ordering process.

Warehouse Management Software: Comparison of the Best Programs

There are many different warehouse management programs on the market. We present the three most interesting applications.

1. sevDesk

Most users probably only know sevDesk as a manufacturer of accounting software, but the company offers solutions for the entire administrative apparatus of a company. With the sevDesk warehouse management, you always have an overview of the inventory.

For this purpose, the program contains an item search, filter options, and sorting by category. The purchase and sale prices of the individual items can also be accommodated in the system, which leads to interesting insights.

The posting of arrivals and departures works via a simple input mask. It is practical that you can automatically transfer the stock by creating and sending a delivery note.

All bookings are documented and can therefore be traced. Writing a delivery note is done quickly because items can be entered easily, and the software ensures that all important information and details are included.

Like the rest of the sevDesk program, the storage software is available online. That means you don’t have to install any programs on company computers or provide your own server – everything is in the cloud and can therefore be accessed from anywhere.

The company also offers an app for iOS and Android, which is primarily suitable for scanning receipts and monitoring orders. If you want to access the warehouse management software from sevDesk, you must book the most expensive package, “Merchandise Management”.

2. OpenZ

The open-source solution OpenZ is primarily aimed at SMEs and startups. The software is a complete ERP system. The solution is designed to be cross-sector, but thanks to interfaces to WooCommerce and Shopware, OpenZ is particularly well suited for use in online trade.

To simplify work in the warehouse, scanners can be connected and connected directly to the software. POS systems can also be connected to warehouse management software.

A big advantage of OpenZ is that it is completely browser-based. This means that you are relatively free in terms of the devices used. The operating system of the PCs or mobile devices is therefore irrelevant.

Each company can also decide for itself whether to host the software on its own server or use the OpenZ cloud, the manufacturer’s online service. No matter which solution you choose, communication between the client and server is always encrypted to secure sensitive company data.

OpenZ has a modular structure and is therefore easy to scale. The software can be customized to meet the exact needs of the business. Since it is an ERP system, accounting, project management or CRM functions are also available in addition to warehouse management.

Adaptations to your own needs can either be made in cooperation with the manufacturer or, thanks to open source, you can do it yourself. Integrated scanner functionality in the OpenZ ERP system – Work independently of hardware and platform!

3. LogControl

The LogControl warehouse software offers you a comprehensive solution that is particularly suitable for large and complex warehouses. The advantage of this software: It can be constantly expanded with additional modules and thus adapts to the size of the company and the associated requirements.

Overall, the company advertises over 1,000 functions with which you can easily and correctly manage your warehouse.

The warehouse software relies on helpful automation processes for this, which also includes the integration of additional hardware. Electronic scales or barcode scanners can be connected to the system in order to make it easier to record products – both when entering and leaving.