FreightPOP Blog

Command Your Shipping: The Fusion of WMS and TMS Software

Written by FreightPOP | Aug 29, 2023

Since 2020, we’ve seen the impact on our businesses when disruptions to supply chains or consumer behavior change abruptly. While most companies no longer operate in crisis mode, continuing concerns about inflation, supply chains, and economic uncertainty have organizations turning inward to optimize every phase of operations and eliminate inefficiencies.  

Yet, less than 30% of warehouses and logistic centers operate efficiently. Many still rely on legacy systems that no longer provide the modern tools shippers need to gain a competitive advantage. 

Combining a warehouse management system (WMS) with a transportation management system (TMS) is a logical step for high-volume shippers to streamline operations. With a more holistic approach to managing inventory and shipping, FreightPOP's TMS and its WMS partners provide a seamless solution. Here's how.

The Benefits of TMS + WMS 

An integrated TMS + WMS solution helps shippers manage their biggest challenges, including inventory management, fluctuating carrier fees, capacity, labor shortages, and supply chain bottlenecks. Operations can become more efficient by utilizing the power of industry-leading TMS and WMS solutions.

Benefits include: 

  • End-to-end Order Tracking 

Access complete oversight of your entire supply chain and inventory, offering greater precision for incoming and outgoing shipments from suppliers to warehouses to final delivery. This gives a comprehensive view of goods movement, from start to finish, not just within the warehouse.

  • Improved Visibility 

Integrating your TMS with a WMS service enhances visibility throughout each operational phase, with real-time updates on materials, inventory, and order status. This helps in reducing stockouts, overstock, and dead stock. Moreover, accurate inventory management across all sales channels boosts the ability to track demand, reorder points, and safety stock, even with ever-evolving customer behavior.

  • Streamlined Order Fulfillment 

Together, WMS and TMS software can automate the pick, pack, and ship processes, from warehouse handling to shipping for order completion. A unified system amplifies warehouse functionality with optimized pick routes, ensuring cost-effective shipping. Automated data processing reduces error rates by cutting down manual data entry, ensuring the information you see is always up-to-date and precise.

Reduce Operational Costs—Save on Labor 

Optimizing the entire supply chain by streamlining processes helps cut labor costs. With the prevailing warehouse labor shortage, this is of paramount importance. The 2023 State of Warehouse Labor report indicates that about two-thirds of shippers had to forgo business opportunities due to staffing challenges, amounting to nearly a quarter of their 2022 revenue.

Reclaiming Your Time 

WMS services can aid in designing your warehouse layout to make the most of your space and enhance throughput, which leads to efficiency boosts by reducing travel and cycle times. FreightPOP further simplifies comparing carrier rates across various modes, encompassing multi-carrier and multi-modal shipments. With visibility into over 300 carriers in one place, you can compare rates effectively, saving 5-10 minutes per shipment and cutting shipping costs by an average of 30%. FreightPOP’s auditing tools for parcel and freight also help in time conservation by automating:

  • Matching purchase orders with invoices
  • Reconfirming discounts and contractual rates
  • Spotting errors and concealed charges

Data Analytics 

Pairing TMS and WMS functionalities also allows high-volume shippers to harness in-depth data analytics and reports, analyzing pivotal performance metrics. Insights concerning order cycle durations, transportation expenditures, punctual delivery rates, and inventory turnover can pinpoint areas ripe for enhancement. FreightPOP’s prescriptive analytics engine delves into your logistics strategies, offering actionable advice for betterment.

WMS + TMS: A Winning Combo 

FreightPOP, in collaboration with its WMS partners, can also be integrated with other software systems, ranging from shopping carts and CRMs to ERPs and financial systems, ensuring synchronized data.

Teaming with FreightPOP and its WMS partners guarantees a top-tier customer experience, offering precise order fulfillment, expedited delivery times, and economically efficient logistics. Request a demo to dive deeper!