GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 22, 2026

Warehouse Management System (WMS)

Unlike a basic inventory module, a Warehouse Management System (WMS) orchestrates all operational warehouse processes on a single real-time software platform.

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Last updated: 22 June 2026Published: 19 June 2025

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warehouse_management_system

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Definition & Explanation

Unlike a basic inventory module, a Warehouse Management System (WMS) orchestrates all operational warehouse processes on a single real-time software platform. It assigns storage locations according to defined putaway strategies, directs goods receipt and dispatch, manages picking orders, and maintains continuous, bin-level stock visibility across the facility. Freight forwarders, contract logistics providers, and distribution centres rely on WMS to maximise throughput, reduce mispicks, and keep physical stock aligned with inventory records. Modern platforms connect via standard interfaces to ERP and transport management systems (TMS), as well as to automation hardware such as conveyors and sorters. A WMS is sometimes conflated with the inventory module of an ERP system—the key distinction is that a WMS controls the physical execution of warehouse tasks in granular, step-by-step detail that no standard ERP inventory module provides.