The Best 8 Free and Open Source Warehouse Management Software

Delivering very distinctive and exceptional customer service is merely impossible without a well-managed and integrated warehouse system. Whether you are a world-class retailer, an independent business owner, or a franchise, you need to realistically seek to achieve a balance between the demand and the supply system. Consumers today come with a raised expectation. Your warehouse system should be able to function on a global level with an integrated network of data and processes. A sound warehouse management software will today quickly and effortlessly allow any business to be aware of the situation and to function with predictive capabilities as per the demand for today and the future.

What is warehouse management software?

Warehouse Management system (WMS) is the process that allows organizations to manage the daily supplies and deliveries of warehouse operations. A typical warehouse system deals with services related to inventory management, inbound and outbound operations, inventory tracking, demand forecasting, processing orders and shipments, order processing, shipping, receiving, inventory cycle counts, inventory turnover, picking processes, put-away, and auditing.

What are the features of warehouse management software?

You should consider the following points in your warehouse management software so that you can choose the right WMS tool for your business:

• Inventory Control- WMS software allows companies to track inventory levels by enabling the use of advanced tracking systems. It makes use of various functionalities like barcode scanners, RFID (radio frequency identification) to make sure that goods can be searched whenever they are required to move.
• Real-time capabilities- To enable real-time inventory processing, the products can be included through integrated hardware and software programs. This feature allows for receiving real-time information.
• Serial Number Tracking – The items which are received can be assigned individual serial numbers and across warehouses and shipments that serial number can be tracked with serial number tracking functionality.
• Automation ERP Integration – In real-time, the warehousing department can connect with all other departments through smooth ERP integration. You can improve the overall productivity in your supply chain process by employing this feature.
• Picking Management- In a great deal, you can improve the efficiency of your warehouse with the help of the advanced picking management feature. You can experience active picking paths along with paperless order picking with this characteristic. It offers you a variety of picking techniques.
• Mobile –readiness – The managers and warehouse staff can perform the tasks effectively through mobile devices and tablets. Users can have access from mobile devices and tablets.
• Shipping- lading- The warehouse management system can send bills of lading before shipment. This feature allows users to send invoices of the consignment and advanced shipment notifications to the customers.
• Warehouse Modeling - The users can create a warehouse workflow change and can have the report card metrics through warehouse modeling functionality. The warehouse managers can shift workflows so that they can boost efficiency. This feature can proactively advise optimizations.                   
• Order and Fulfilment Management- You can enhance the order management by controlling the flow of a product through your warehouse with order management trait. The users can track, manage, and analyze the fulfillment times of their products through fulfillment monitoring peculiarity. The items can be tracked and located by the users to check whether they have timely arrived at the final destinations.

The other required features in warehouse management software are as follows:

• System Security
• Physical Inventories
• Stock Rotation Methods
• Advanced Reporting and Analysis
• Dispatching goods
• Tracking stock
• Receiving goods
• Labor Management features
• Packing goods
• Simple and user-friendly Interface
• Technical Support
• Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Support
• Dashboards and Communication
• Automation and Artificial Intelligence
• Backups and Integration

Why is warehouse management software essential?

The warehouse management system (WMS) is vital in your business due to the following reasons:

• Customer Service and Tracking - It provides excellent customer service by making sure that products are not out of stock. The customers get the right products. Through automation, the warehouse management system can make organizing and tracking shipments easier.
• Optimized Processes- The versatile warehouse management system manages input methods, tackles barcodes, and works in collaboration with equipment automation. You can incorporate the variety of algorithms that includes wave and batch picking. The process automation manages outgoing shipments.  
• Well-organized labour allocation- Logically and efficiently, the warehouse management software assists with variables such as the size of the facility and specialised material handling requirements on the floor tasks.
• ERP Integration – You can integrate with your existing business management system with the help of the excellent warehouse management system. This system evolves to fit your growing business needs.
• Return on Investment- You can improve your sales and increase profit by selling faster to the customers. In less time, your workforce can pick and receive more items with fewer errors by employing a warehouse management system. It provides accuracy that helps in simplifying customer support.
• Meet customer demands – Businesses can maximize the efficiency of the inventory with the help of a warehouse management system. The WMS tool allows companies to send more shipments out on time which in turn helps in meeting growing customer demands.
• Saves money – It gets easier to monitor the inventory of the product and decide when to increase or slow down the production of any specific product. Moreover, a proper warehouse management system can enable companies to develop an estimate of the expected customer demand by using historical data, which results in saving the company’s money.
• Improves security and safety- An automated warehouse management system lessens pilferage and helps in providing intensive training to the workers regarding transactions. There is better security and safety with a warehouse management system.

Other benefits:

• Managers can have a more comprehensive view of the warehouse floor
• Actionable data and better decisions
• Enhances data accuracy
• Shares information quickly and effortlessly
• Lessens manual intervention
• Integrates with other ERP solutions
• Allows real-time transparency and analytics
• Removes expensive physical work along with counting inventory
• Maintains the third-party logistics to manage shipments
• Throughout the warehouse, you can track and optimize fulfillment times of inventory

What does a warehouse management system do?

Typically, a warehouse management system can be divided into three categories;

1. Inventory Management
2. Work Execution
3. Reporting and Analytics

Inventory Management

Within the warehouse or DC (distribution centers), the warehouse management system tracks and allocates inventory. The WMS software helps in planning storage, managing locations, and inbound receipts. The user can plan and schedule product moves and can manage outbound order release, load/ route planning, and inventory counts.

Work Execution

The warehouse management system plans specific work activities by task and area. It directs inbound and outbound functions like delivery, replacement, picking, packing, loading, and returns. By business and field, it manages and allocates labour. The work assignments are created, released, and maintained by WMS.

Reporting and Analytics

The warehouse management software looks after inventory, storage, labor productivity and performance, order status, equipment, work, task, and assignment execution. In a new and exciting way, the WMS tool can look at data. It manages the tasks related to the number of transactions done per hour, how much percentage the warehouse utilized, or can better rates be negotiated with the parcel service. 

Although you can choose any of the below discussed free and open source warehouse management software, Inflow deserves a special mention. It is one of the most effective warehouse management systems that cover everything you need to run your warehouse 24/7.  

Inflow

Inflow warehouse management software is an industry-grade software application used by thousands of small, midsized, and large businesses. You can streamline the complete operations of your warehouse business by using a comprehensive warehouse management system such as Inflow. It is an easy-to-set-up warehouse management system that takes you onboard quickly. You can efficiently manage your warehouse, optimize your picking routes, maintain accurate inventory levels, and operate multi-location warehouses using inflow warehouse management software. It has features that let you manage your storage space in an efficient way. It provides you ultimate metrics and insights to improve your warehouse’s functioning. 

Source-Inflow

Key Features: 

• Transfer, deliver, pick, and receive stocks from your phone
• Improve your inventory accuracy in the warehouse with a mobile app
• Supports multi-location warehouses
• Review pick lists, and transfer stock instantly 
• Scan barcodes to check stock levels using phone, USB, or Bluetooth 
• Notifies you when to replenish inventory 
• Set specific reorder points for each location 
• Multiple methods to reorder stock such as PO, stock transfer, or work order
• Full control on a user-by-user basis.
• Make real-time changes in stock levels

If you are into small business and have lower software costs, then you can make use of free warehouse management software. Along with that, the open source warehouse management system allows more customization. So without purchasing the expensive licenses, you can explore the features of high quality free and open source warehouse management software. Let’s move ahead to have a profound understanding and knowledge on the same along with the comparison chart of free and open source warehouse management software.

Free and Open Source warehouse Management system

1 openboxes (open source, free)

openboxes is the open source warehouse management system that will help you in improving your workflows due to its intuitive user interface. This supply chain management system provides better visibility and can view stock history for any product. The users are informed about the stock levels, which in turn help in reducing the risk of stock-outs.

This free warehouse management tool reduces wastage by employing FEFO (first-expiry-first-out) strategy that makes sure medicine will be used before the expiration. The users can analyze easily accessible demand data as this warehouse management tool provides the functionality of better forecasting.

By employing data standards, this web-based application helps in improving traceability. It can efficiently handle exceptional product lifecycle events as product recalls.  

(Source: openboxes)

Key features:

• Inventory Management
• Electronic stock Card
• Stock Movements
• Inventory Tracking (lot and expiry tracking)
• Dashboard
• Reporting
• Flexible Location Hierarchy
• Security
• Support for Multiple Languages
• Custom attributes
• Email Notifications
• Stock List Management
• Flexible deployment options
• Shipment Tracking
• Purchase orders
• Stock requisitions and fulfillment

2 Odoo MRP (free and open source)

Odoo MRP is the open source warehouse Management Software that helps in creating a new warehouse and new location. You will find the unique value proposition of this free warehouse management tool fully integrated and easy-to-use.

You can maximize your warehouse efficiency with this warehouse management tool. With the help of the smart double entry inventory system, you can organize your warehouse functionalities efficiently. The software allows its user to improve performance and process time effortlessly. In your supply chain, you can experience total traceability with Odoo. It provides clear and complete real-time reports.

Sales, purchase, and accounting functionalities are fully integrated with this application. The user can manage any warehouse by using cutting-edge automation and advanced routes of this software.

 (Source:Odoo MRP)

Key features:

• Multi-warehouse
• Drop-Shipping
• Inventory adjustments
• Channel Management
• Backups and Integration
• Labor Management
• Location Control
• Shipping Management
• Tracking and Analysis
• Quality Control
• Stock management
• Demand Planning
• Barcoding /RFID (radio frequency distribution)
• Cross-docking

3 myWMS (open Source, free)

myWMS is the open source warehouse management software for manually operated warehouses. As per your requirements, you can slickly customize this free warehouse management tool. The source code of this application can be used and enhanced by anyone. It has a modular framework design for WMS.

This WMS tool has an easy user interface and supports all relevant processes along with mobile devices and barcode scanners. It provides the data model and essential services for the inventory management that helps in supporting the development of a warehouse management system. The software can offer an individual and efficient inventory management process through different ways of integration.

(Source: myWMS)

Key features:

• Shipping Management
• Inventory Management
• Demand Planning
• Tracking and analysis
• Channel Management
• Backups and integration
• Stock Management

4 Flowspace (free)

If you are looking for a free warehouse management tool, then Flowspace provides on-demand warehousing for your business. This warehouse management system is capable of handling the storage, transportation, and service of the inventory on a monthly basis.

You will find this platform easy-to-use. Companies adapting this software can confidently assure one and two-day delivery with its national on-demand warehousing and fulfillment network. It is used by all kinds of companies like Amazon Sellers, Shopify Stores, furniture, liquidators, construction, and foodstuffs.

(Source: Flowspace)

Key features

• Modern Inventory Management
• Dashboard
• Book Transportation
• 3PL Management
• Channel Management
• Location Control
• Stock Management
• Shipping Management
• Barcoding /RFID (radio frequency distribution)
• Backups and Integration
• Tracking and Analysis

5 Zoho Inventory (free)

Zoho Inventory is a free warehouse management tool that can manage multiple warehouses. You can efficiently fulfill the orders and increase sales in your business by making use of Zoho Inventory. This software has a multi-warehouse system that can effortlessly track and manage your inventory across different locations. It has central control of all your warehouses. Based on the demand, you can transfer products across your warehouses. It has an extensive integration list and is apt for your growing business.

This cloud-based warehouse management application has powerful inventory control and order management features. You will find this application easy-to-use and quick. The users can invoice, ship and track products by making use of this software. 

(Source:Zoho Inventory)

Key Features:

• Multi-location warehouse system
• Generates accurate reports
• Built-in shipment estimating
• Tracking and delivery confirmation
• Accounting and bookkeeping solution
• Track inventory
• Product listing
• Stock adjustments
• Automatic re-ordering
• Powerful inventory control
• Inventory Optimization
• Pricing Management
• Shipping
• Reporting/ Analytics
• Order Management
• Mobile Access
• Order Fulfilment
• Manufacturing and Purchasing

6 Xinerji – Free warehouse management software

Xinerji is free warehouse management software that allows users to plan the resources in their warehouse efficiently. This software provides decision support systems in warehouse simulation along with warehouse design and modeling.  

The users can improve the efficiency of the tracking inventory along with the supplies with the help of Xinerji. The user can make the process of receiving and picking products faster and accurate by employing this WMS tool.

 (Source:Xinerji)

Key Features:

• Real-time Traceability
• Active Auditing and Counting Management
• Workforce and Resource Planning
• Barcode Management
• Business Process Management (BPM)
• Workforce planning
• Serial Number Tracking
• Warehouse Simulation
• Mobile device Monitoring
• Personnel and KPI (Performance Tracking System)
• Dynamic barcode design and printing
• Inventory Tracking
• Packaging and Shipping Management
• 3PL Management
• Backups and Integration
• Quality Control
• Tracking and Analysis
• Stock Management
• Dashboard
• Category Customization
• Location Control

7 Foysonis (30 days free trial)

If you are looking for the warehouse management software that can simplify your warehouse operations, then Foysonis can be the ideal pick for you. This cloud-powered modern WMS can improve the efficiency and accuracy of logistics operations.

This WMS solution provides a free trial of 30 days and makes use of SaaS software model. This perfect solution for your warehouses is affordable. It has a modern user interface that can run on all devices. This application provides 24x7 support by phone, email, and chat. It is easy to setup and can run a warehouse in a few hours. It is apt for small-to-medium-sized enterprises.

(Source: Foysonis )

Key Features:

• Receiving
• Picking and Replenishment
• Orders and Shipments
• Inventory
• Reports
• Mobile
• Item Management
• Area and Location Management
• Scalability
• Kitting
• Dashboard
• 3PL

8 Intellitrack (30 days free trial)

Intellitrack provides simple and effective warehouse management solutions to your organization. You can have full control over your warehouse and inventory operations by employing this intuitive and versatile warehouse management software. 

This flexible software provides quick and secure visibility to data which in turn allow you to perform your inventory task efficiently. 

It can centralize all warehouse operations along with information and is appropriate for large-scale warehouse business, SMB distribution, e-commerce fulfillment enterprise and home-based use. The users can make intelligent business decisions with the help of this WMS tool. 

(Source:Intellitrack)

Key Features:

• Barcode Printing and scanning
• Lot Control
• Pallet Tracking
• Real-time mobile computer application
• Terminal Messaging
• Cycle counts
• Paperless directed receiving and picking
• Deeply data capture
• Physical inventory
• Kitting
• Inquiries
• Directed picking and put-away
• Real-Time mobile computer application
• Cross-docking notification
• Pallet Tracking
• Inventory Movement
• Order Fulfilment
• Movement Tracking

Although the above mentioned free and open source warehouse management software are valuable and provide you with promising results, simultaneously, you can go through the prominent features of one of the popular software- Orderhive that can give you immense benefits in your warehouse operations. Let’s move ahead to have a look at the core functionalities of Orderhive.

Orderhive (Popular)

Orderhive serves as the complete warehouse management system for your eCommerce operations. With minimum time and effort, you can maximize your warehouse performance by employing this software. You can optimize your warehouse resources with Orderhive.

This feature-packed warehouse management system manages warehouse functions efficiently. As per your business requirement, this software allows users to avail customizations. You can have inventory accuracy with this WMS tool. It allows you to boost productivity with the help of faster picking and packing functionality. This software can powerfully eliminate paperwork and manual errors, which in turn helps in saving the time and effort of your warehouse staff.

 (Source: Orderhive)

Key Features:

• Real-time inventory updates
• Batch and location-based inventory
• Order tracking and allocation
• Efficient picking and packing
•  Multi-warehousing
•  Latest barcode technology
• Inventory Tracking
• Generates packing slips and shipping labels
• Order fulfillment

Wrapping up 

The warehouse management system in your warehouse helps you in simplifying customer service and, eventually, customer retention activities. Companies employing a free warehouse management system can have accurate inventory counts and tracking. The warehouse management system helps manufacturers to grow competently. The whole warehouse management system is revolutionized with the help of real-time monitoring. The entire supply chain performance is improved due to the accuracy, scalability, and speed provided by the WMS tools.

The list of free and open source warehouse management software allows users to streamline their billing process. You can enhance inventory visibility and reduce operating expenses with the help of a warehouse management system. Effortlessly and quickly, you can improve the success and profitability of your business with the help of well-designed free open source warehouse management software.

With open source warehouse inventory management software, you can accommodate your business’s unique demands. If you have come across any of those mentioned above free and open source warehouse management software, then we are eager to listen to your feedback on the same. Feel free to share your valuable opinion.

In case you prefer to have more advanced features of warehouse management software, then go through the list of best warehouse management software that will help you in meeting your business demands seamlessly.

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