BlogHow does a WMS different from an ERP system?
Feb. 27, 2023

How does a WMS different from an ERP system?

Barry Spielman

Director of Product Marketing

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Warehouses are storage spaces where raw materials and finished products are stored until they are ready to be dispatched. Distributors, manufacturers, retailers, and others can either operate their own warehouses or outsource their warehousing operations to a third party.

As warehouses handle large amounts of products and items, manually tracking and monitoring item movements can become difficult. Automating manual tasks at a warehouse can solve many common warehousing challenges, such as misplaced goods, theft, or inefficient picking.

Both tools help companies automate their warehouse-related processes and increase productivity metrics. So it’s no surprise that some businesses face a dilemma when choosing between a standalone Warehouse Management Software (WMS) and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution.

What is a warehouse management system (WMS)?

A Warehouse Management System helps distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers move and store inventory efficiently. It helps warehouse managers easily track each item’sitem’s location and automate monitoring of items received, put away, picked, and shipped. WMS is a warehouse-specific software that streamlines inventory management and often helps businesses reduce costs significantly.

What is an ERP?

ERP solutions are comprehensive backend solutions that help organizations manage their everyday business processes. This includes warehouse and inventory management, sales and marketing, customer service, Human Resources management, finances, accounts, etc. In other words, ERP is a full-fledged organizational management software, whereas WMS focuses on managing warehouse operations only.

What does a warehouse management system (WMS) do?

A standalone WMS helps warehouse managers to track the packing, picking, receiving, and shipping of items.

  • It is usually equipped with RFID and barcode scanners which help record the arrival and dispatch of each item to and from the warehouse.
  • It helps create warehouse layout planning, allowing for the seamless movement of commodities and machinery.
  • It helps locate the best location to store goods and ensure they are easily removed from their storage area and quickly dispatched to their final destinations.
  • Makes inventory location recommendations based on stocking priorities.
  • It ensures compliance with safety regulations

However, the standalone system has limited features, impacting an organization’sorganization’s ability to access a complete operational overview. Operational interoperability often requires additional integrations with disparate data sets from various organizational departments and 3rd party software.

What kind of businesses benefit from standalone WMS?

Standalone WMS solutions are perfect for distributors and suppliers whose main task is storing goods before dispatching them to another location. However, you may have to integrate your standalone WMS with third-party applications for more complex operations and added benefits.

How about an ERP solution?

ERP solutions focus on helping organizations automate their everyday business processes. They focus on inventory management, accounts and finance, sales and marketing, human resource management, customer relationship management (CRM), and more.

A WMS fully integrated into an ERP solution does not require additional interfaces.
With a fully integrated ERP WMS, your organization will benefit from real-time synchronization between automated warehouses and the ERP system for on-the-spot adjustments to work orders, inventory allocation, deliveries, and orders. The integrated ERP WMS calculates exact inventory balances, helps prevent errors and saves valuable time and resources.

Key benefits of WMS vs. ERP

WMS

ERP

Provides advanced features specific to warehouse management, such as pick, pack, and ship, replenishment, receiving and put-away, tracking and traceability, and the ability to scan RFID tags and barcodes.

Comprehensive software solution to automate most business operations, including WMS.

WMS offers limited employee management, payment processing, and access control features.

ERP is a complete business management and process automation tool that can be integrated with a WMS. It offers a complete solution for human resources management, financial administration and role-based authentication features.

Standalone WMS is suitable for distributors, suppliers, and warehouses.

ERP is suitable for full-fledged businesses that not only have warehouses but also opertae customer/client-centric workflows.

WMS may have advanced robotic and AI-enabled features to locate and track items in a warehouse.

ERP’s inventory management tool may not comprehensively manage warehouses like a WMS.

Standalone WMS may require third-party integrations

An ERP with an in-built WMS, such as Priority ERP, negates the need for further integrations.

Choose a scalable and flexible ERP solution with integrated WMS.

A comprehensive ERP solution with an integrated, holistic WMS module helps you easily pick, pack, and ship all your items. Moreover, it helps set picking and shipping waves for specific customers and chart the most optimal delivery route from the warehouse to the destination. Priority’s ERP solution with an integrated WMS module is a good example. Some of Priority’s WMS features include:

  • Making a list of fast-moving items in your warehouse and enabling you to store them in a manner that is easy to pick and move.
  • Access to detailed data helps your warehouse staff move items quickly and safely in order of priority.
  • Checking deliveries against Goods Receiving Vouchers (GRV), Advanced Shipping Notices (ASN), and other shipping documents.
  • Replenishment automation.
  • An advanced Delivery Tracking App that allows Delivery agents to collect signatures on their mobile devices and ensure product delivery to the correct consignee.
  • Easily traceable barcodes and RFID tags Item tracking

Priority’s WMS module helps simplify complex processes and maximize warehouse storage. In addition, you gain access to advanced reports and insights that help optimize your warehouse operations. Priority’s uniquely scalable infrastructure allows you to start with just the WMS. and add other modules as your business grows.

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The Author

Barry Spielman

Director of Product Marketing

Barry Spielman is a seasoned B2B marketing professional. A skilled public speaker and organizer, Barry has managed large teams and executed complex initiatives across PR, analyst relations, events, SEO, and advertising. With a track record of publishing content and achieving industry recognition, he is known for his excellent interpersonal skills and collaborative approach to achieving results.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Product Information: WMS vs. ERP

What is the difference between a Warehouse Management System (WMS) and an ERP system?

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is specialized software designed to help distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers efficiently move and store inventory. It streamlines warehouse operations such as tracking item locations, automating receiving, picking, packing, and shipping, and often includes features like RFID and barcode scanning. In contrast, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is a comprehensive solution that manages all core business processes, including warehouse management, inventory, sales, marketing, customer service, HR, and finance. While WMS focuses solely on warehouse operations, ERP provides a holistic view and control over the entire organization. (Source)

What does a standalone WMS do?

A standalone WMS helps warehouse managers track packing, picking, receiving, and shipping of items. It typically includes RFID and barcode scanning, warehouse layout planning, inventory location recommendations, and compliance with safety regulations. However, standalone WMS solutions have limited features outside warehouse management and often require integration with other systems for a complete operational overview. (Source)

What are the benefits of integrating WMS into an ERP system?

Integrating WMS into an ERP system provides real-time synchronization between warehouse operations and other business processes. This enables on-the-spot adjustments to work orders, inventory allocation, deliveries, and orders. An integrated ERP WMS calculates exact inventory balances, helps prevent errors, and saves time and resources by eliminating the need for additional interfaces and manual data reconciliation. (Source)

What features does Priority's integrated WMS module offer?

Priority's integrated WMS module includes features such as fast-moving item identification, optimized storage for easy picking, detailed data access for quick and safe item movement, delivery verification against shipping documents, replenishment automation, advanced delivery tracking via mobile app, and traceable barcodes/RFID tags. It also provides advanced reports and insights to optimize warehouse operations and supports scalable infrastructure, allowing businesses to start with WMS and add modules as needed. (Source)

Features & Capabilities

What key capabilities and benefits does Priority ERP offer?

Priority ERP delivers integration simplicity, no-code customizations, advanced analytics, industry-specific features, automation, and scalability. These capabilities enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, improve decision-making, and ensure long-term adaptability. Businesses benefit from streamlined workflows, actionable insights, and improved customer satisfaction. (About Priority)

How does Priority ERP help solve common business pain points?

Priority ERP addresses poor quality control with real-time traceability, centralizes data for reliable reporting, optimizes inventory management, automates manual processes, and replaces outdated systems. It also eliminates integration complexity, maintains a single source of truth, enhances customer experience, and streamlines order fulfillment. (About Priority)

What specific features differentiate Priority ERP from competitors?

Priority ERP stands out with integration simplicity, no-code customizations, advanced analytics, built-in automation, cloud-based scalability, industry-specific modules, end-to-end order fulfillment, and a single source of truth. It is recognized by analysts like Gartner and IDC and trusted by companies such as Toyota, Flex, and Teva. (About Priority)

Competition & Comparison

How does Priority ERP compare to other ERP solutions like SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Acumatica, NetSuite, Sage, Odoo, and Business Central?

Priority ERP offers industry-specific modules, ease of use, no-code customization, and flexible quarterly commitments with no lock-in. Competitors often require heavy customization, coding, or integrations, and may lack specialized features, scalability, or cost-effectiveness. Priority ERP is recognized for its intuitive interface, robust support, and compliance with major standards (FDA, GDPR, SOX, ISO9000, ISO27001, SOC 2 Type 2). (About Priority)

How does Priority Retail Management compare to retail-focused competitors?

Priority Retail Management delivers a comprehensive ERP suite enhanced for retail, supporting multi-location, omnichannel, and high-volume environments—all in one platform without requiring additional integrations. Competitors often lack specialized retail management features and depend on integrations to cover ERP needs, which introduces complexity and operational risk. (About Priority)

How does Priority Optima PMS compare to hospitality management competitors?

Priority Optima PMS provides a unified, all-in-one solution that eliminates fragmentation and integration challenges common with competitors. It offers centralized visibility, streamlined operations, advanced revenue management, and a scalable marketplace for easy extension of capabilities. Competitors may be costly, complex, and lack flexible customization or responsive support. (About Priority)

Use Cases & Benefits

Who can benefit from Priority ERP and WMS solutions?

Priority ERP and WMS solutions are ideal for distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and organizations seeking scalable, future-proof systems to streamline operations and improve efficiency. Key roles include CFOs, IT Directors, and Operations Leaders. Priority is trusted by companies such as Toyota, Flex, Teva, Ace Hardware, ALDO, Estee Lauder, and more. (Customer List)

What business impact can customers expect from using Priority's products?

Customers can expect enhanced operational efficiency, cost reduction, improved decision-making, long-term adaptability, and increased customer satisfaction. Priority's integration simplicity, automation, and advanced analytics help businesses achieve measurable ROI and support continuous growth. (About Priority)

What feedback have customers given about Priority's ease of use?

Customers consistently praise Priority for its flexibility, high customizability, and intuitive interface. Allan Dyson (Merley Paper Converters) noted full process automation and ease of use; Martyn Young (Cherwell Laboratories) found Priority matched their needs out of the box; Tomer Lebel (Cyberint) stated Priority is much easier and simpler to operate than other leading ERP solutions. (Case Studies)

Implementation & Technical Requirements

How long does it take to implement Priority ERP?

Implementation times vary: industry-specific off-the-shelf solutions can be deployed within a few weeks, while tailored workflows, multi-site setups, or legacy data migration typically take 1-6 months. Priority offers professional services, configuration, data migration, and training to ensure a smooth process. (Professional Implementation Services)

What training and technical support is available to help customers get started?

Priority provides professional services for configuration, data migration, and training. Customers can access tailored on-site and virtual training sessions, self-service resources via Priority Xpert (knowledge base, video tutorials, support tools), and comprehensive post-purchase support for troubleshooting, system optimization, and updates. (Professional Implementation Services)

How does Priority handle maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting?

Priority aiERP provides automatic software updates and zero-downtime maintenance. SaaS customers receive updates outside work hours, with upgrades tested in a temporary environment before deployment. On-premises customers install updates themselves. Priority offers troubleshooting, fault remediation, system optimization, and extended support for older versions (for a fee). (Priority Support)

Support & Customer Service

What customer service and support does Priority offer after purchase?

Priority provides troubleshooting, system optimization, support for updates and customizations, access to Priority Xpert (knowledge base, video tutorials, self-service tools), professional services, and multilingual support resources. Customers can access documentation, FAQs, and direct contact options via the support page. (Priority Support)

Customer Proof & Recognition

Who are some of Priority's customers?

Priority is trusted by leading organizations across industries, including Ace Hardware, ALDO, Kiko Milano, Estee Lauder, Columbia, Guess, Adidas, Hoka, Toyota, Flex, Dunlop, Electra, IAI North America, Outbrain, Brinks, eToro, Gevasol, Checkmarx, GSK, and Teva. (Customer List)

Has Priority received industry recognition?

Yes, Priority has been recognized by leading analysts such as Gartner and IDC, and was ranked #1 by TEC in 2025. (About Priority)