ShipHawk Warehouse Management for ERPs

If you find yourself still needing a Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) for your ERP, or the ERP you are considering, this resource provides you with a peek at ShipHawk WMS.

As order volume, SKU counts, channel complexity, and warehouse labor requirements increase, companies typically face two warehouse management system (WMS) paths: basic tools that support simpler workflows, or enterprise platforms that often involve longer deployment timelines, broader process redesign, and higher total cost.

Many ERP platforms include embedded WMS functions that can support lower-volume, lower-complexity operations, but gaps often emerge as fulfillment requirements become more demanding. In those cases, companies may need capabilities such as directed movement, cycle counting controls, optimized picking logic, scan-based packing, and tighter coordination between warehouse execution and shipping.

ShipHawk

ShipHawk WMS is positioned to provide those capabilities without the implementation scope often associated with tier 1 platforms, while also connecting to ShipHawk’s shipping functionality.

ShipHawk is a warehouse management platform intended to support core execution workflows such as receiving, put-away, inventory control, picking, packing, and shipping. It is available for Acumatica, Infor, Microsoft Dynamics 365, NetSuite, Sage, and SAP environments.

Core ShipHawk WMS capabilities include:

•    Operational analytics
•    System-directed cycle counting
•    Configurable omnichannel pick strategies
•    Receiving and directed put-away workflows
•    Scan-based pack verification
•    Shipping execution capabilities
•    Role-based user workflows
•    Continuous wave optimization

Labor Impact on Warehouse Operations

Labor is one of the largest operating costs in most distribution environments, so process inefficiency directly affects cost per order, throughput, and service levels. A WMS can improve warehouse execution by reducing non-value-added travel, standardizing task flow, and increasing inventory and location accuracy. Operational benefits may include:

•    Improve labor utilization and reduce non-productive time
•    Improve slotting and space utilization within current capacity
•    Reduce unnecessary inventory touches
•    Improve inventory placement and replenishment logic
•    Reduce exceptions and improve task throughput
•    Reduce travel time for operators and inventory movement
•    Support task interleaving, sequencing, and scheduling

Managing Warehouse Space and Operations

Warehouse space utilization is closely tied to slotting discipline, replenishment rules, and inventory profile management. In many operations, review of quantity and location data shows cartons stored in pallet positions, duplicate storage assignments for related items, or bin usage that does not align with movement velocity and order patterns. Other areas where warehouse space can often be used more effectively include:

•    Aisles
•    Cross aisles
•    Dock space
•    Processing areas
•    Storage lanes
•    Wasted bin space
•    Wasted rack space

Summary

If your operation has outgrown the WMS functionality available within your current ERP, or if the ERP platforms you are evaluating do not support your required warehouse processes, ShipHawk WMS may be worth reviewing. It is intended to support more advanced warehouse execution requirements without extensive customization across many of the ERP environments covered by The ERP Update.