Mastering the accelerating supply chain as a result of the fast-paced consumer culture and adapting to today's technology has become a necessity rather than a choice for businesses. Trouble-free operation of the warehouse, the most important element of the supply chain, is essential. Warehouse Management System (WMS), Warehouse Control System (WCS), Warehouse Execution System (WES), or a combination of the three? This is the decision point at which companies looking to invest arrive.
The overlap of these softwares in many places can make the decision process confusing. By examining each software in detail and determining its overlap with other software, you can more easily decide which software is better for your business and which combination of software is more efficient throughout the process.
To understand the function of these 3 softwares, we can compare the warehouse to the human body. We can compare warehouse racking systems, heavy-duty racking systems, light-duty racking systems, iron racking systems, conveyors, separators, and other warehouse technologies in warehouse to the skeleton. It is heavy and difficult to relocate. The WMS also functions like a brain. It tells the rest of the body what to do. The WCS is like the spinal cord. Without it, it is impossible to walk, run or move in any way. WES is a combination of these two systems.
What is a warehouse management system (WMS)?
Warehouse Management System - The Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a sophisticated software solution that manages the flow of inventory within one or more distribution centers inside or outside a company.
The Warehouse Management System provides information about the company's inventory and enables easy management of the supply chain and operations.
The warehouse management system can check invoices, empty inventory, replenish empty inventory, and send products to the pickup area. In short, it can manage the whole process from the receipt of the product to the exit of the warehouse. Among these three systems, warehouse management system is the most intelligent, comprehensive and well-known. It is preferred by most companies because it manages inventory, order descriptions and purchase orders.
The inventory management system allows companies to easily manage inventory in the distribution center and monitor each of its movements. The inventory management system always knows where the product is and keeps track of it. Inventory and warehouse management is their key differentiator. Neither WES nor WCS can manage all inventory components in a distribution center.
What is a Warehouse Control System (WCS)?
Here is how to express the difference between a Warehouse Management System (WMS) and a Warehouse Control System (WCS);
- WMS: Deals with general processes such as orders, shipments, and personnel management.
- WCS: It is an integrated control solution that controls the movement of cartons/pallets on conveyors, sorters or autonomous vehicles such as pick-to-light and other warehouse tasks.
- WCS: It can perform real-time communication, command processing, and material optimization. WCS does not have most of the features of WMS, although the gap is gradually closing thanks to manufacturers' intensive research and development efforts.
What is a Warehouse Execution System (WES)?
WES is a very new system compared to WMS and WCS. While some manufacturers integrate WMS with WCS, some prefer to develop WES from scratch. We can say that WES is an integrative system that emerged from the inadequacy of WCS. It has all the features of WCS and some of the features of WMS. We can say that WES is a warehouse management system with a control function.