Technology

Warehouse Management System (WMS)

The control tower for all operations, our WMS is our secret sauce.

WHAT A WMS DOES

The Role of the WMS

An efficient warehouse management system coordinates every activity inside a warehouse. From receipt and putaway, to inventory allocation, to pick, pack, ship, the WMS is the brain behind the operation.

Unlike a basic inventory management application that simply tracks product quantities, a WMS controls the physical movement of products throughout the warehouse. It manages the workflows that allow your orders to move from inventory receipt to final delivery.

Every scan updates inventory instantly, giving both our operations team and your business a live view of inventory availability.

a2b’s WMS Manages:

Real-time inventory visibility across every SKU

Inbound receiving and quality inspections

Directed putaway to optimal storage locations

Barcode verification for every inventory movement

Intelligent order allocation & optimized picking routes

Packing workflows and quality control

Shipping coordination with major carriers

Returns processing and inventory disposition

Complete inventory traceability

Basic vs. Advanced WMS

	Basic WMS Functionality	Advanced WMS Functionality
Receiving	Blind	ASN with variance reporting
Putaway	Manual - look for empty	Directed
Inventory Control	Basic in/out	FIFO
Inventory Statuses	No	Yes - On hand
Lot Number / Expiry Control / Serial Number	No	Yes
Cycle Count	Manual	Scheduled and exception-based
Slotting and rewarehousing	No	Automated
Warehouse Selection (DOM)	No	Yes except for handling
Allocation	Hard only	Soft then Hard
Back Order Management	No	Yes
Order Waving	Manual	Automated
Waving Logic	None - all open orders	Dynamic - Groups orders with the same or nearby items to reduce travel
Order Priorities	No	Yes - automatic based on logic (ex. Amazon Prime)
Discreet Pick	Yes	Yes
Group Pick	No	Yes
Single Unit Pick Process	No	Yes
Put-wall capable	No	Yes
Batch Processing	Possibly - manual uncontrolled	Yes with system-driven controls
Picking	Paper and RF	RF
Pick Sequences	Alpha-numerical by location name	Custom path sequences
Packing	Basic scan verify	Scan verify with supply capture
Packing Slip	Basic	Customizable
Custom Labels	No	Yes
Cartonization	No	Yes
Dimensioning	Manual - susceptible to inaccuracies	Automated
Weight Capture	Manual - susceptible to inaccuracies	Automated
Integration with shipping	Yes - basic	Yes with advanced rate-shop
Equipment Management	No - results in wasted time	Yes - tasks married with the appropriate equipment
Quality Control	No	Yes - QC screens
Replenishment	No or basic	Yes - min/max
Kitting and Assembly	No	Yes - Work Order with Bill of Materials and auto inventory conversion
UOM Support	No	Yes - Each
Pickfaces	Yes - Fixed	Yes - Fixed and Dynamic
Cross Docking	No	Yes
Alerts	Possibly	Yes
Notifications to client	Possibly	Yes
Labor Metrics	No	Yes
Integrated with conveyors	No	Yes
Integrated billing	Possibly	Yes - highly customizable
Online reporting	Yes - canned reports	Yes - built in a business intelligence platform. Detailed and highly customizable
Pushed reports	Possibly	Yes - highly customizable
Auto-add items and inserts	No	Yes
SKU and SKUs/items	No	Yes - automatic
Alternate SKU mapping	No	Yes - automatic
Auto-carrier mapping	No	Yes
Returns Management	Yes - basic	Yes - advanced with reason codes
EDI capable	No	Yes

COMPETITIVE EDGE

How Does a2b's WMS Software Give Your Brand a Competitive Edge?

Technology should create operational advantages, not additional complexity.

a2b's WMS has been refined through decades of managing complex supply chain operations  and is tightly integrated with automation technologies throughout our facilities.

Goods-to-Person Robotics

Robots bring product to the picker, reducing costly travel time in the warehouse. This orchestration is made possible by a collaboration of the WMS and the robotics system.

What it does:

Prioritizes incoming orders
Directs autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
Optimizes pick sequencing
Balances workloads
Reduces unnecessary travel
Maximizes picker productivity

Because the WMS manages both people and automation simultaneously, orders move faster while maintaining exceptional accuracy.

Intelligent Automation

Our warehouse management system powers intelligent automation through:

Material movement with zone and station diverts
Automated quality control checkpoints
In-line weight and dimension verification
Automated document print and insertion
Exception handling for order discrepancies
Diversion workflows for personalization, and other value-added services
Carrier sortation to eliminate mistenders

Rate Shopping and Shipping

Shipping costs continue to rise, making transportation optimization increasingly important.

Our WMS integrates in real-time with our TMS, which performs carrier rate shopping to automatically identify the most cost-effective service that meets delivery commitments.

This allows clients to reduce freight spend without requiring manual decision-making for every shipment.

Omnichannel Inventory

Many growing brands struggle with inventory fragmentation.

Instead of separating inventory by channel, a2b's WMS manages one centralized inventory pool that supports:

This omnichannel inventory strategy improves stock utilization while reducing overselling and stockouts.

Real-Time Visibility

Technology should provide transparency, not mystery.

Our WMS continuously feeds operational data into a2b Engage, our client portal, providing live visibility into:

Inventory levels
Order status
Receipts
Returns
Shipment activity
Operational performance
Business intelligence dashboards

Instead of waiting for reports, clients can monitor their fulfillment operation in real time.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER

Why a 3PL's WMS Matters to You

Not every third-party logistics provider invests equally in warehouse technology. Many businesses discover too late that their 3PL relies on outdated or generic warehouse software that creates operational bottlenecks instead of eliminating them.

Even the best warehouse team can only perform as well as the technology supporting them.

An underpowered WMS can lead to:

Inventory inaccuracies & Shipping mistakes

Slow order processing & Limited reporting

Poor inventory visibility & Frustrated customers

Manual workarounds & Increased labor costs

Built and refined over from our operational experience

Technology is most valuable when it's proven in real-world operations. For more than 25 years, a2b Fulfillment has continuously refined its warehouse management capabilities to support evolving customer requirements, new sales channels, increasing automation, and changing shipping networks.

As a result, our WMS offers a diversity of functionality and specialized workflows that can be selected and applied to each client relationship, yielding unparalleled efficiencies.

Ready for peak season growth

Whether you're preparing for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday demand, major product launches, or viral sales events, your warehouse technology must scale with your business. Our WMS dynamically adjusts workloads while directing robotics, automation, picking priorities, and shipping operations to accommodate significant order volume increases without relying on inefficient manual processes.

That means faster fulfillment, consistent service levels, and fewer operational disruptions when demand is highest.

MODERN SUPPLY CHAIN

Built for Modern Supply Chain Management

Warehouse management no longer operates in isolation.

Today's supply chain requires connected systems that communicate seamlessly across purchasing, inventory, fulfillment, transportation, and customer service.

Our WMS works alongside enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms and transportation management systems...

to create an efficient flow of information throughout your entire supply chain. The result is improved inventory visibility, streamlined daily warehouse operations, faster order fulfillment, and better decision-making across your business.

If you're evaluating technology as part of selecting a new logistics partner...

remember that successful fulfillment depends on more than warehouse space. This includes everything from warehouse robotics, warehouse management systems, work execution systems, and transportation management systems. Learn more in our guide to selecting a 3PL service provider.

Connecting Your Entire Fulfillment Operation

Modern ecommerce businesses rely on multiple technology platforms. Orders originate from shopping carts, marketplaces, retailers, and ERP systems before moving into the warehouse for fulfillment.

Once an order is received, the WMS orchestrates every step until the shipment reaches your customer.

Whether you're shipping direct-to-consumer orders, wholesale replenishment, Amazon FBM, Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP), subscription boxes, or retail compliance orders, every workflow operates from one centralized system.

Our WMS serves as the operational hub connecting:

Ecommerce platforms

Online marketplaces

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems

Transportation management systems

Shipping carriers

Warehouse automation

Customer reporting

Easy 3PL Integrations

We're plugged-in with popular platforms.

View all integrations

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a2b's WMS integrate with my ecommerce platform or marketplace?

Yes. Our warehouse management system integrates with all major ecommerce platforms and marketplaces, including Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and many others. Our implementation team manages the integration process during onboarding to ensure a smooth transition.

How does the WMS improve inventory accuracy?

Every inventory movement is tracked in real time using barcode scanning, from receiving and putaway through picking, packing, shipping, and returns. This disciplined process helps a2b maintain 99.9% inventory accuracy, while clients can monitor inventory live through the a2b Engage portal.

Can the WMS handle peak season order surges?

Absolutely. Our warehouse management system is designed to scale during high-volume periods by coordinating autonomous mobile robots, automated picking workflows, outbound conveyors, and labor management resources to maintain speed and accuracy throughout seasonal spikes.

Can the WMS support both B2B and ecommerce fulfillment?

Yes. Our WMS manages direct-to-consumer orders, wholesale distribution, retail compliance, Amazon fulfillment, subscription programs, and omnichannel inventory from a single platform.

How quickly can a new client be onboarded?

Most new SMB clients are onboarded in as little as 2-4 weeks. Every implementation is tailored to specific business requirements, including integrations, inventory setup, testing, and workflow configurations. Our onboarding team develops a structured implementation plan to help ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to your operations.

EXPLORE OTHER TECH

Robotics & Automation

Integrations

Reporting & Analytics

Put Better Warehouse Technology to Work

Your fulfillment partner should provide more than warehouse space; they should provide the technology that helps your business grow. With a2b Fulfillment's advanced warehouse management system, you gain real-time inventory visibility, intelligent automation, robotics integration, scalable warehouse operations, and the data needed to make faster, smarter business decisions.

If you're evaluating 3PL providers, discover how a2b's technology-driven fulfillment platform can help improve accuracy, reduce costs, and create a better customer experience.

Talk to a specialist