The benefits of a WMS in returns processing

When you run a webshop and have a warehouse with stock, it is important to have an overview and insight into your stock. Especially when you sell via multiple sales platforms. Instead of keeping Excel overviews and making manual stock adjustments, automate by using a Warehouse Management System. 

What is a WMS?

A Warehouse Management System is a software system that processes all the different information needed in a warehouse. To get started with this, it is necessary to set up and link the various data properly once. Much of this data can be retrieved automatically. By using warehouse software, you know exactly where which product is located and how many orders still need to be processed. This allows everyone to work in the warehouse with more peace of mind and overview. 

Provide overview

Do you know exactly which stock is where, and also how many items? There is often one person in the warehouse who knows everything by heart. But what if this person is not there one day or your range expands considerably? Then it is difficult to keep an overview. How easy it will be when everything can be found digitally. You save time and avoid mistakes. In short, time and energy that can be used for other important activities, such as managing stock locations and optimising the returns process.  

When the product number and/or turnover rate grows, so does the likelihood of errors. These errors affect administration, extra costs and even no-sales. To minimise this risk, it is a good idea to keep track of this through a WMS. This prevents errors and ensures a calm and orderly warehouse. 

You can also process returns in an overview. Thanks to the links with Returnless, the returns reported by consumers can be viewed, together with returns from a marketplace, for example. This allows you to process the returns and immediately put the products back in the right location in the warehouse so they can be sold again quickly. This way, returns need not be a stumbling block and you avoid unnecessary no-sales.

The advantages of working with warehouse software

If you get started with WMS, it is a one-off set-up and then enjoy the benefits every day. Here are some of the benefits;

• Go for insight

When there is an overview in the warehouse, it is very easy to gain insight into the stock. By linking products to a stock location, it is very easy to pick an order without collecting the wrong products. This also allows you to process and clear returns faster. 

• Everything in one place

Links with various parties ensure that you collect a lot of different information in one place. This allows you, for instance, to have all sales orders from different sales platforms in one place and to easily generate shipping labels from different shipping providers. Product offerings also come together under the same SKUs. The products you sell on different sales platforms can be linked in a WMS. As a result, you use the same stock everywhere, which is automatically updated whenever there is a change. So you do away with manual operations that are behind the times. This also eliminates the risk of misplacing stock in the warehouse and therefore less frustration for the pickers. In addition, there will be no more no-sales because you can no longer sell stock you do not have.  

• Correct order processing

Processing your orders correctly is crucial for optimal stock control. By making the order picking process as easy as possible, you minimise the chance of stock discrepancies. In addition, processing orders correctly is important for proper stock forecasting. By facilitating the picking process by working with stock locations, you can also automate the pack process. For instance, the software can issue notifications based on set rules. Such as that a product should be packed extra well or that an extra product may be added to the order. In addition, the shipping method can also be determined so that the shipping label rolls directly from the printer.  

• Easy return processing

From an overview, you can view, create and process returns from different sales platforms. You no longer need to work with separate papers or files, so you have all information in one place. For customer service, it is immediately clear when a return has been processed in the warehouse; departments do not have to wait for each other, which also reduces the return processing time for consumers. 

When to choose warehouse software

Do you work with several people in the warehouse or do you do everything on your own? In every organisation, there comes a time when Excel overviews can no longer be kept up to date. It is never too late to start using warehouse software but try to avoid that moment. 

Do you sell via multiple sales platforms? Then it is wise to start working with warehouse software immediately anyway. So that the valuable time does not have to be spent on manually adjusting stock, but can be used for, for instance, optimising the product range. 

Further automate returns processing

By linking your WMS to Returnless software, you gain more insight into the returns registered and it becomes even easier to keep consumers informed of the status and refunds. 

You also simplify the processing in the warehouse and promote cooperation between different departments such as customer service. A win-win situation for both your consumers and employees. You can do all this by linking your Returnless account with GoedGepickt's warehouse software. 

About GoedGepickt online shop warehouse software

With GoedGepickt's warehouse software, we help webshop owners process orders flawlessly in less time and without frustration because there will never be a miss, regardless of which platform the products are sold on.

This blog was written by Marleen, sales and support officer at GoedGepickt web shop warehouse software.