Peak Season Challenges & WMS User Concerns

Few things have a greater impact on warehouse performance and peak season results than warehouse management systems (WMS). During high-volume ordering periods like Black Friday through Cyber Monday, the right solution (and provider) ensures optimized order management, inventory control and fulfillment operations for accurate, on-time deliveries.

Let’s discuss the top WMS concerns fulfillment networks, third-party logistics (3PL) providers and retailers face during peak season and how leading logistics solutions like Logiwa WMS address them.

Key Takeaways

• Online sales are set to increase by 10-12 percent this year, according to the National Retail Federation, making it more important than ever that WMS solutions perform flawlessly.
• Logiwa WMS maintains 100% uptime during peak season months to prevent delayed order processing, fulfillment errors, customer dissatisfaction and losses in revenue.
• Logiwa oversees a “code feature freeze” (halting updates and feature launches in November) to ensure optimized WMS functionality, but technical support for addressing systems-related needs will continue uninterrupted.
• By providing 24/7 technical support, Logiwa’s average support ticket resolution time is 6 days.
• Logiwa WMS users have been shown to handle as much as 10x their average order volume during peak season. Learn more in the “Driving Impactful Peak Season Results” report.

Why WMS Dependability Matters During Peak Season

Peak season months, typically October through December, test warehouse operations on every level: from the effectiveness of facility setup to the fulfillment strategies and tech stack running day-to-day operations. WMS solutions are no exception.

Even with smart automation rules, live network visibility and an abundance of secure integrations – the influx of orders during peak season can push WMS solutions to the limit. When that happens, streamlined operations become derailed with backlogs and delays that damage short term and long-term profitability, especially given the increasingly competitive fulfillment standards consumers have come to expect:

• 1-2 day delivery (even overnight and next-day options)
• 100 percent order accuracy and easy return processes
• Multiple delivery options (e.g. combining multiple orders into one box)
• Eco-friendly packaging and other customization options

In Logiwa’s DTC Peak Season Benchmark Report, more than 30 percent of respondents indicated that reverse logistics, inventory management and system outages were among their biggest problems last year. With online sales alone set to increase between 10-12 percent this year, according to the National Retail Federation, the pressure is on for WMS solutions to perform flawlessly.

WMS User Concerns & How Logiwa WMS Addresses Them

The good news is that platforms like Logiwa WMS were designed with the challenges of DTC fulfillment in mind, built to handle surges in demand and competitive industry expectations. As a leading provider of warehouse management technology, Logiwa seeks to surpass user expectations and assuage all fears related to peak season.

Here are some of the most prominent peak season concerns by WMS users and how Logiwa addresses them.

Performance and Uptime

With ecommerce trends and consumer demand growing each year, any risk of technological breakdown poses a huge threat to today’s fulfillment operations. For that reason, WMS users are justifiably concerned about system performance and downtime.

Warehouse operators need seamless, real-time data access to ensure accurate inventory levels and timely order fulfillment. System failures and downtime strain warehouse workforces and necessitate manual workarounds, diminishing productivity, employee morale and operational results. Even a short delay during peak periods can lead to a cascade of costly issues, including delayed order processing, fulfillment errors, customer dissatisfaction and irreparable losses in revenue.

The good news is that next-generation WMS solutions like Logiwa WMS are capable of maintaining total functionality during surges in peak season order volumes. Even with the added system stress during last year’s peak season, Logiwa maintained 100% uptime without exception and will continue to do each peak season.

On average, Logiwa WMS users ship 3x more orders within the first three months of adopting our cloud fulfillment platform and have been shown to handle as much as 10x their average order volume during peak season. 

Feature Code Freezes

Another major concern for WMS users during peak season revolves around “code freezes.” Despite the name, code freezing does not always imply the code running a WMS cannot be modified. Nor does it translate to a hold on technical support. A code freeze can be a means of aiding stability and system functionality, and during peak season it works to the direct benefit of WMS users.

Software providers refrain from altering code or pushing out new features during peak season because it lowers the risk of new system errors or bugs arising, allows warehouse teams to remain focused on fulfillment operations (as opposed to training in the use of new features) and ensures system speed and synchronicity continue uninterrupted.

Logiwa takes this precaution, called a “feature freeze,” by halting updates and refraining from launching new feature releases during the month of November. That said, observing a “feature freeze” is not the same as a “code freeze.” It allows for WMS code to be altered if problems or changes need to be made within the system.

Logiwa continues to address critical bugs and systems-related needs for our clients during peak season. Developers and technical support are on-hand year-round, even during busy peak season months, to ensure users get the most out of their Logiwa WMS – including 100% order accuracy.

Customer Service and Response Times

A final area of concern for WMS users during peak season relates to customer service response levels. Peak season brings more than just high order volumes, complex consumer demands and competitive fulfillment standards. It brings unexpected challenges that require technical support and expedient resolution.

Logiwa makes it easy to address and resolve technical issues in a timely manner, ensuring a backlog of issues and open cases never have the chance to occur. In addition to keeping open lines of communication and maintaining tried and true escalation protocols, Logiwa provides WMS users with robust customer portals, dedicated customer success managers and 24/7 technical support to ensure customer service response levels are maintained.

As a result of our 24/7 technical support, Logiwa’s average support ticket resolution time is 6 days.

In other words, business-critical bugs and any other unforeseen systems issues will always be actively addressed, especially during peak season, without exception. The Logiwa team addresses industry-wide WMS concerns early-on by providing insights into our platform’s robust software capabilities, professional services and a variety of resources aimed at peak season success.

In addition to conducting customer health checks, the Logiwa team provides ongoing technical support and strategic guidance to Logiwa users. From educational blogs to webinars and live Q&As, Logiwa ensures our clients never feel alone during the most challenging time of the year. Check out our warehouse checklist for peak season planning to ensure you are on track for this year’s peak season.

WMS Impacts During Peak Season

During peak season, having the right technology and provider supporting your operations can mean the difference between record-breaking profits and months of logistical recovery.

During peak season, performance of a WMS and technical support behind it become indispensable assets. Logiwa’s ability to ensure zero downtime, stable functionality and 24/7 customer support when demand is at its highest ensures operations can focus on achieving fulfillment excellence and nurturing customer satisfaction without interruption.

Logiwa’s dedicated support teams are equipped with the expertise to quickly resolve any technical issues, optimize system performance, and provide timely guidance to warehouse personnel. The difference the right support makes cannot be overstated.

Some examples from Logiwa’s individual retailers, fulfillment networks and third-party logistics providers (3PLs):

• One saved $23K/mo with optimized picking, sorting and packing jobs management
• Another saved $10K/mo by eliminating mobile data entry across a multiple fulfillment processes
• One shipped an average of 2K more orders a day by reducing packing activities from 40+ hours a day down to six hours
• Another saw fulfillment time cut by 600% using mobile serial scanning
• And yet another increased their carrying capacity by 25%

Logiwa’s technical support acts as a lifeline, safeguarding the smooth functioning of warehouse operations when it matters most.

Logiwa’s Peak Season Impact Report

As part of Logiwa’s “Driving Impactful Peak Season Results” report, more than 400 direct-to-consumer (DTC) professionals were surveyed on their technology-use and logistics challenges last year. More than 70 percent of respondents said that WMS technology was crucial to their ability to execute warehouse processes.

For more insights into the average labor savings, shipment increases, and cost savings achieved by Logiwa WMS users, download the complete guide.

When you’re ready to see how Logiwa can help you exceed your customers expectations, schedule a discovery call with one of our fulfillment experts.

FAQs Related to WMS User Concerns During Peak Season

How can you make warehouse operations more efficient during peak season?

Optimize your WMS solution and ensure dependable communication channels with your WMS provider in order to ensure operations remain efficient during increased order volumes. Consider optimizing your facility and software with automation features, employing fulfillment strategies like batch and wave wave picking, and ensuring your technical support team is on standby.

How should my WMS provider be able to improve my fulfillment results?

In addition to providing a WMS with the latest features and competitive capabilities on the market, your WMS provider should offer multiple communication channels, oversee ongoing customer support strategies (e.g. well-timed “feature freezes”) and actively resolve technical support needs in a timely manner.

What efforts does Logiwa WMS make for aiding their customers through peak season?

The Logiwa team addresses client concerns early-on by providing insights into our platform’s robust software capabilities, professional services and  resources aimed at peak season. Our software ensures 100% uptime during peak season months, stable functionality and 24/7 customer support when demand is at its highest.