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A Warehouse Management System (WMS) offers a paperless, nearly error free way to keep track of items in your warehouse. Specifically, the practice of lot tracking can be improved exponentially with a WMS. Lots are of product that share the same manufacturing or run date. Relying on a manual lot tracking process leaves room for mistakes and loss of data, while using a WMS ensures accuracy and proper data storage. Take a look at the comparison of what happens if a product has to be recalled, with and without a WMS:

  Without a WMS With a WMS
Step 1 Manually write or type the product’s serial number, leaving room for human error. Scan the product’s serial number.
Step 2 Manually write or type the lot number, leaving room for human error. Scan the lot number.
Step 3 Find out the lot has to be recalled. Find out the lot has to be recalled.
Step 4 Comb through your spreadsheet or notes to find every serial number associated with the recalled lot, and hope that you don’t miss any. Pull up the lot information on your WMS, and have a complete list in front of you, including location.
Step 5 Search your warehouse for the recalled product, and find out that your spreadsheet is not as accurate as you thought. Process the recall, knowing that all product has been addressed. Move on with other business.
Step 6 Process the recall, hoping for the best.
Step 7 A week later, find more recalled product that you missed because it was not properly tracked to begin with.
Step 8 Kick yourself for not implementing a WMS sooner.

Are you seeing a pattern? In today’s heavily automated world, a WMS is an absolute must for an efficient warehouse. If your competitors can offer guaranteed product but you can’t, who do you think customers would choose?

Along with a simplified recall process, lot tracking with a WMS can also be set up to flag a product that will soon expire. This ensures that your customers are receiving only the best from you, which gives you a great reputation for reliability. Plus, keeping track of serial numbers in an accurate database, instead of a spreadsheet, gives you peace of mind knowing that every item is present and accounted for.

Check out DPS Zap, our 99.8% accurate WMS, and get organized now!

 

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Lot Tracking Made Easier with a WMS