Warehouse management and WMS
Warehouse management and WMS
We build and integrate warehouse systems that keep stock levels honest. Barcode picking, automatic stock mirroring to your webshop and a link to your ERP.
- Stock matches across every channel
- Picking with a phone camera
- Stocktaking without closing the warehouse
What is a WMS?
WMS stands for Warehouse Management System and governs the physical flow: where an item sits, who picks it and when the balance changes. An ERP knows how many you own. A WMS knows where they stand and in what order to pick them.
Locations
Every article has a place, so staff stop searching and new hires get productive immediately.
Goods receipt
Incoming goods are scanned against purchase orders and discrepancies are caught at reception.
Picking
Pick lists in optimised order so one round is enough instead of three.
Real time balance
Stock updates on every movement rather than at the next count.
Stocktaking
Rolling counts of parts of the warehouse instead of shutting down once a year.
Traceability
Batch, serial numbers and expiry dates where your industry requires them.
What a warehouse system should solve
Most companies get in touch when stock levels can no longer be trusted. The symptoms are always roughly the same.
You sell what you do not have
The webshop shows a balance that lags reality by hours, and the customer gets an awkward email afterwards.
Picking takes too long
Staff know where things usually sit, but only those who have been there for years. New people never get fast.
Stocktaking shows big gaps
The difference between system and reality is found once a year, when the cause is long forgotten.
The same item in several places
Store, warehouse and webshop each hold their own balance and none of them is right.
Connecting the warehouse to e-commerce and your ERP
Stock data is rarely valuable on its own. It becomes valuable when it appears in the right place at the right second, and that is decided by the integrations.
- Stock mirroring to the webshop so balances update on every movement
- A link to the ERP for purchasing, orders and finance
- Product import from suppliers with automatic price and stock updates
- Shipping bookings and labels straight from the pick flow
- Multiple warehouses and stores sharing one balance
Barcodes, picking and stocktaking
Handheld terminals and phones do the same job today. What matters is not the hardware but that every movement is registered the second it happens.
Scan with a phone
The camera acts as a barcode reader, so you can start without investing in dedicated hardware.
Pick against orders
The system shows the next article and location, and confirms the right item was scanned.
Check at packing
A final scan before the parcel closes catches mispicks before they reach the customer.
Rolling stocktakes
Staff count a few shelves at a time and discrepancies are fixed while the cause is still traceable.
Off the shelf or a custom warehouse system?
Most companies do not need a custom WMS. Usually it is the integrations that are missing, not the system.
Off the shelf is enough when
- Your flow looks like any other warehouse
- The ready made integrations cover your needs
- Article count and movement volume are stable
- No special traceability is required
Custom or integrated pays off when
- Your flow differs from the template
- Stock must mirror to several channels in real time
- You have your own batch or serial number requirements
- The standard system's integrations cost more than they save
- You want to keep the ERP but replace the warehouse part
How it works
ContextA warehouse system is one example of custom system development.
RelatedPicking and stocktaking happen in the hand out in the warehouse. Read more about how we develop apps for iOS and Android.
Free intro call
We walk your flow from goods receipt to dispatch.
Proposal in 48 hours
Scope, timeline and fixed price.
Pick flow first
The part with the biggest impact goes live first.
Integrations
E-commerce, ERP and shipping are connected as we go.
Frequently asked questions about warehouse management
What is a WMS?
A WMS, Warehouse Management System, governs the physical flow: locations, goods receipt, picking, packing and stocktaking. The difference from an ERP is that the ERP knows how many articles you own, while the WMS knows where they stand and in what order to pick them.
What is the difference between a warehouse system and an ERP?
The ERP handles finance, purchasing and orders. The warehouse system handles the physical side: locations, pick rounds and real time movements. Many companies already have an ERP that works and only need the warehouse part and the integration between them.
Do we need dedicated handheld terminals?
Not to get started. A phone camera works as a barcode reader and goes a long way. Handhelds become relevant at high pick volumes or in environments where phones do not survive.
Can stock be mirrored to our webshop?
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons companies contact us. We build the integration so the balance updates on every movement rather than with hours of delay, which is the difference between selling correctly and selling what you do not have.
Can we run several warehouses and stores on one balance?
Yes. We build it so each location holds its own balance while there is a shared view of total availability, letting an order be picked from whichever warehouse sits closest to the customer.
How are batches and serial numbers handled?
We build in traceability where the industry requires it, such as batch and expiry for food or serial numbers for electronics. Every movement is logged so an item can be traced from goods receipt all the way to the customer.
What does a warehouse system cost?
An integration connecting an existing warehouse, webshop and ERP normally starts around 150,000 SEK. A custom warehouse system with pick flow and stocktaking lands higher and depends on scope. You get a fixed price before the build starts.
How long does an implementation take?
An integration usually takes 4 to 10 weeks. A custom system is built in stages with the pick flow going live first, since it delivers the biggest immediate effect, and the rest is built while you already benefit.
Tell us how your warehouse runs
Describe your flow and the systems you run today, and we will get back to you within one business day.