Glossary
Warehouse Management System (WMS)
Also called: WMS
Definition
Software that manages the physical movement of stock inside a building: where it is stored, how it is picked, how it is packed and how it leaves.
A WMS answers questions about space and motion — which bin holds this SKU, what route should the picker walk, was the right item scanned into the box. An OMS answers questions about commerce — what was ordered, was it invoiced, were we paid correctly.
Smaller sellers do not need a separate WMS; the warehouse workflows built into a capable OMS cover receiving, putaway, picking, packing verification, dispatch and cycle counts.
Related terms
- Order Management System (OMS)Software that brings orders from every sales channel into one place and keeps a single authoritative stock number behind them, through invoicing, fulfilment and payment reconciliation.
- PutawayMoving received stock from the receiving area to a specific named storage location, and recording where it went.
- Pick listThe document or screen telling a picker which items to collect, in which quantities, from which locations, ordered by an efficient route.