WMS

A WMS (warehouse management system) is software that controls the receipt, storage, and dispatch of cargo in a warehouse, distribution center, or port terminal shed. At bulk and general-cargo terminals it tracks each lot by location, stock level, condition, and ownership, directs putaway and picking, manages stacking and weighing, and exchanges data with the terminal operating system, customs, and transport planning. It cuts dwell time and double-handling and gives the terminal an audit trail of every consignment from gate-in to gate-out. A WMS differs from a TOS (terminal operating system), which sequences vessel, yard, and gate moves for containers; the two integrate where stored and containerized cargo meet.