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SECTOR REPORTS SO FTWARE & TEC HNO LO GY: NEX T-GE N WM S Warehouse management systems can improve labor productivity and increase visibility into the warehouse. 6 Ways WMS Can Improve Operations Getting better results with the latest warehouse management systems. By Maria Hoffman I n the fast moving world of food and beverage warehouses, reducing spoilage and improving order and shipment accuracy is essential for business. Utilizing the latest warehouse management systems (WMS) can assist warehouse managers towards that goal. Industry drivers Recent government regulations coupled with the need to manage and increase warehouse velocity and throughput is driving food and beverage companies to implement and upgrade warehouse management systems. Earlier this year, the FDA rolled out the Preventative Controls rule, part of the larger Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) legislation. The proposed regulation will affect food facilities that manufacture, process, pack and/or hold food products. Additionally, a 46 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 food facility will be required to have a written food safety plan that monitors and prevents food contamination issues. Product traceability and responsiveness to product recalls are also big drivers to using WMS. Growing companies are also attracted to the benefits of WMS. According to Chad Collins, chief marketing officer and SVP of Colorado Springs, Colorado-based Accellos, emerging niche food companies that are experiencing rapid growth are often hindered by their manual or paper-based processes. WMS not only alleviates this challenge, but also provides many other advantages for food and beverage companies. The top 6 benefits Keeping the various driving factors in mind, along with the rising demands of the fast paced food and beverage industry, there ��� FOOD LOGISTICS are various gains associated with implementing software solutions such as warehouse management systems. Below are the top six ways WMS can improve operations: 1. Traceability: Food and beverage customers are looking for ways to keep track of the freshness of their products from a food safety perspective and an efficiency perspective. Warehouse management systems give food and beverage managers a closer look into their products and help them determine what shipments need to ship first due to time constraints. ���Traceability has been a big initiative for a lot of food distributors because of the obvious perishability of the products and the management of expiration dates,��� says Rik Schrader, EVP of sales for Plano, Texas-based Retalix. ���The ability to be very proactive in terms of www.foodlogistics.com