If you’re anything like me, you’ve either never heard of or heard very little about the “PFMS” before. You may know it as an automatic pilot system, but it is much more than that. It’s a computer that keeps track of what you have ordered from a variety of vendors (and the software is available for free) and what you have shipped out. A “real time” software system like this can save a great deal of time and money in the long run, and keep your warehouses organized and running smoothly.
PFMS is very helpful for companies who want to reduce their overhead, and it works best for online vendors. Think about this: with a standard warehouse management system, you have to buy and maintain heavy-duty forklifts to move around the merchandise. That costs money, which means you have to pay more in labor and equipment costs when you use them. This means you are paying not only for the equipment itself, but for the labor, which make warehouse jobs that much harder and much longer.
But with warehouse management systems, you don’t have to pay for anything. All you have to do is set up the software and all of your inventory will be automatically moved around your warehouse. You’ll no longer need the expensive, heavy duty equipment that is used in traditional warehouse operations. You’ll just need to keep an eye on your stock, and if you’re not running low on anything, you can simply order more.
Another advantage is that you won’t waste time. When you do have to run out of something, it takes time to find the right place to get it and bring it back in the right amounts. With a traditional warehouse management system, you’re always finding it, pulling it, getting it put back, and then doing it all over again. That doesn’t happen with PFMS.
However, it also doesn’t work as well for a traditional warehouse management system. Because it’s so new and because the software itself isn’t quite ready for use in large warehouses, you won’t always be able to have everything that you need. For example, some of the vendors that offer it have it for just pennies on the dollar. And if you use one of the lower end programs, you won’t always have everything. working as optimally as it should.
But if you have the right software, which is available for under $200, and if you implement the right programs, you can use PFMS in almost any size warehouse with great results. It helps you reduce your labor and operating costs while making things much easier for you, your customers, and your employees. In fact, it’s great for both of those.