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 6581 3431

Warehouse management system in Singapore, from the receiving dock to dispatch

Episcript builds warehouse management systems in Singapore that know where every item sits, down to the bin. Goods are scanned in at the dock, put away to a suggested location, picked and packed against each order and counted through the year, with handheld scanners and phones doing the work that clipboards and spreadsheets do today. AI features, such as reading supplier packing lists and checking stock count variances, can be added in their own phase.

Built for third-party logistics (3PL) providers and for distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers and online sellers running a warehouse in Singapore.

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  • Built and supported in Singapore
  • Eligible for government grants
  • Barcode scanning on handheld scanners and phones
  • Web-based, hosted by Episcript or in your own environment
  • AI features that work with your own warehouse records
Pallet racking with labelled bin locations beside a tablet showing the day's pick list and a handheld scanner confirming a carton

Warehouse flow

A warehouse management system that tracks every carton from receiving to dispatch

Receiving, putaway, picking, packing, dispatch and stock counts all work from one record of each item and each bin location, confirmed by a scan at every step.

  1. 1

    Receive

    Scan goods in against the purchase order or advance shipping notice, and record shortages, damage and batch numbers at the dock.

  2. 2

    Put away

    The system suggests a bin for each pallet or carton, and a scan at the shelf confirms where it went.

  3. 3

    Pick

    Pickers follow a list sorted by walking route, by single order, batch or zone, scanning each item off the shelf.

  4. 4

    Pack

    Packers check each order by scan, record cartons and weights, and print the packing list and labels.

  5. 5

    Dispatch

    Orders are confirmed against the lorry or courier at loading, and the stock leaves the warehouse record at that moment.

  6. 6

    Count

    Cycle counts run bin by bin through the year, and any variance waits for a supervisor before stock is adjusted.

Inbound

Goods receiving, advance shipping notices and putaway

Most receiving problems start with a delivery that does not match the paperwork: three cartons short, one crushed, a batch number nobody wrote down. The receiving module checks each delivery against the purchase order or the supplier's advance shipping notice (ASN) as it is scanned, and the difference is recorded at the dock instead of turning up at the next stock take. Where suppliers send packing lists as PDF files, AI can be added to read them and prepare the expected receipt.

Once goods are accepted, the warehouse management system suggests where each pallet or carton should go, following rules you set: fast movers near the dispatch area, heavy items on the lower levels, one batch kept together. The storeman scans the bin label on arrival, and the stock can be picked from that moment.

  • Receipts against purchase orders, supplier ASNs or a 3PL client's inbound notice
  • Shortages, overages and damaged goods recorded with photos at the dock
  • Batch, lot, serial number and expiry date captured on receipt
  • Putaway suggestions by zone, product type, size and rate of movement
  • Cross-docking for goods that go straight to a waiting outbound order
Storeman scanning an incoming pallet at the receiving dock while a tablet compares the delivery with the advance shipping notice

Outbound

Order picking, packing and dispatch in the warehouse

Picking is where a warehouse spends most of its labour and makes most of its mistakes. Orders arrive from our order management software, a 3PL client's portal or an online store, and the WMS turns them into pick tasks that suit the day's order profile: a handful of large trade orders in the morning, or hundreds of small parcels before the afternoon courier collection.

Single-order and batch picking

Large orders are picked one at a time. Small orders are grouped into a batch and sorted at the packing bench, which saves a picker walking the same aisle again and again.

Zone and wave picking

Each picker works their own zone, and orders are released in waves timed to the lorry, the courier collection or the cut-off you promise your customers.

Pick routes and stock rotation

Pick lists are sorted by walking route, and the system chooses which stock goes first: first in, first out, or first expiry, first out for goods with a shelf life.

Scan-to-confirm picking

The bin and the item are scanned as each line is picked. A wrong product or a short quantity is flagged on the scanner, long before the carton reaches the customer.

Packing and labelling

Packers scan each item into a carton, record its weight and size, and print the packing list, carton labels and shipping labels from the same screen.

Staging and loading

Packed orders are staged by route or courier and confirmed at loading. Where you run your own lorries, dispatched orders can pass to our transport management system as delivery jobs.

Storage

Bin locations, storage zones and multi-warehouse stock

A warehouse that relies on one experienced storeman to remember where everything is runs well until that person goes on leave. The WMS gives every rack, shelf, floor position and bin a scannable location and holds the stock against it, and anyone with a scanner can find what they need.

Shelf bin carrying a barcode location label with its aisle, rack and level code

Location codes for every rack and bin

Warehouse, zone, aisle, rack, level and bin make up a location code that prints as a barcode label. Pallet racking, bulk floor storage, small-parts shelving and chilled or frozen rooms can each follow their own scheme.

Pallet being placed on a racking level marked with a size and weight limit

Storage rules and slotting

Fixed locations suit spare parts that always live in the same bin, while dynamic locations let fast-moving pallets go wherever there is space. Capacity limits stop the system sending a full pallet to a half-height shelf.

Stacked cartons beside a status card showing available, reserved and on-hold quantities

Stock by location and status

Every bin shows what it holds by item, batch and quantity, and separates stock that is reserved, on hold, damaged or in quarantine from stock that is free to pick.

Two warehouse buildings joined by an arrow carrying a pallet between them

Several warehouses and sites

A main warehouse, a production store and an overflow unit run in one system. Transfers between them are tracked from the moment goods leave until they are scanned in at the other end, with nothing lost in transit on paper.

Scanning

Barcode and RFID scanning on handheld scanners and phones

Paper pick lists and counts keyed in at the end of the day are where warehouse errors creep in. With barcode scanning, every movement is confirmed by a scan that records the item, the bin, the quantity and the person who did it. The warehouse screens are built for the devices your team actually carries: a rugged handheld scanner, a phone with a clip-on scanner, or a tablet on a trolley or forklift.

Labels are printed from the system for bins, pallets, cartons and any item that arrives without a usable barcode. For pallets that move often, returnable containers or high-value goods, we can build RFID tag reading into the same workflows, which records a whole load as it passes a reader instead of carton by carton.

Scanner screens can also be built to keep recording in a cold room or a far corner with weak Wi-Fi, and to send the scans once the connection returns.

Handheld scanner reading a bin location barcode on warehouse racking, its screen confirming the item and quantity picked

Stock control

Stock counts, batch and expiry tracking, replenishment and warehouse tasks

This is the control work that keeps the screen and the shelf in agreement → week after week. Open a group to see what can be built into it, and choose which parts your first release covers. If you are still working out how a warehouse management system works from end to end, that is a good place to begin.

Stock counts and cycle counting

Count a few bins each day instead of closing for a weekend.

  • Cycle count schedules

    Bins are counted on a rota set by value or movement, with fast movers counted more often than slow ones.

  • Blind counts

    Counters see the location but not the quantity the system expects, which keeps every count honest.

  • Variance approval

    A difference above your tolerance goes to a supervisor for a recount or approval, and every adjustment is logged with its reason.

  • Full stock takes

    Year-end stock takes run zone by zone on scanners, and the results reconcile against book stock without anyone retyping count sheets.

Batch, lot, serial and expiry tracking

Know which customers received a batch before anyone asks.

  • Batch and lot numbers

    Recorded at receiving and carried through every move, pick and delivery, for food, pharmaceutical, chemical and other regulated goods.

  • Expiry dates and first expiry, first out

    Goods with a shelf life are picked by earliest expiry, and stock nearing its date is flagged ahead of the cut-off you set.

  • Serial numbers

    Equipment and high-value items are tracked by serial number from the receiving dock to the customer who bought them.

  • Recall and trace reports

    One search shows where a batch was stored, which orders took it and which customers received it.

Replenishment, kitting and repacking

Pick faces are topped up before a picker finds them empty.

  • Pick-face replenishment

    When a picking location falls below its minimum, a task is raised to bring stock down from bulk storage.

  • Reorder points

    Minimum and maximum levels for each item raise purchase suggestions, which pass to purchasing for approval.

  • Kitting and repacking

    Components are picked and assembled into kits, or bulk stock is repacked into smaller units, with the stock moved from the components to the finished item.

Warehouse staff tasks and productivity

Each scanner shows the next job, not a whiteboard.

  • Task queues

    Putaway, picking, replenishment and count tasks are queued by priority and assigned to a person, a team or a zone.

  • Supervisor board

    Supervisors see open tasks, who is working on what, and which orders are at risk of missing the day's cut-off.

  • Productivity records

    Lines picked, cartons packed and tasks completed per person and per shift, for planning labour on real figures.

Returns, damage and quarantine

Returned goods are checked before they go back on a shelf.

  • Returns receiving

    Each return is booked against its original order and delivery, inspected and graded as resaleable, repairable or scrap.

  • Quarantine locations

    Damaged, suspect or recalled stock moves to a quarantine location and cannot be picked until it is released.

  • Write-offs

    Stock written off is approved and recorded with a reason, and its value passes to accounts.

Warehouse reports and KPIs

The figures your manager asks for, without a spreadsheet.

  • Stock on hand and stock ageing

    Stock by location, client, batch and age, with slow-moving and dead stock listed first.

  • Order accuracy and fulfilment time

    Orders shipped on time, mis-picks caught at packing, and the time from order release to dispatch.

  • Space utilisation

    Occupied and empty locations by zone, which shows the racking filling up before it is full.

  • Inbound and outbound volumes

    Receipts, picks and dispatches by day, client or product, for planning shifts and dock times.

Integrations

Orders and stock pass between systems without retyping.

  • ERP and accounting

    Purchase orders, goods received, deliveries and stock values pass to and from your ERP, or to Xero or QuickBooks. Where warehousing is one part of a wider business, the WMS can be built as part of our custom ERP software.

  • Online store and sales channels

    For businesses that also sell online, stock levels can be synchronised with your online store and other sales channels, and their orders brought in for picking.

  • Courier services

    Shipping labels and tracking numbers from the courier services you use, where they offer an API.

  • Customer and supplier systems

    Orders, advance shipping notices and stock reports exchanged with large customers or suppliers through an API or a scheduled file exchange.

Third-party logistics

3PL warehouse management with client billing and a client portal

A third-party logistics warehouse holds stock that belongs to other businesses, and every one of them expects to see it and to be billed for it correctly. The WMS keeps each client's items, locations and orders apart inside one warehouse, and each client's staff see only their own stock through the client portal.

Billing is where a 3PL quietly loses money. Storage charged by the pallet or the cubic metre, handling charged per carton in and out, and the small jobs such as relabelling or kitting are recorded as the work is done, then priced from each client's rate card at the end of the period. It pays to settle how your storage and handling charges are structured before the rate cards are loaded.

Billing and portal

What the 3PL billing and client portal cover

Storage charges
By pallet, bin, square metre or cubic metre, per day, week or month, worked out from the stock actually held.
Handling charges
Per pallet, carton or order line received and dispatched, with minimum charges where your contracts have them.
Value-added services
Labelling, kitting, repacking and special handling recorded as tasks and billed once completed.
Client portal
Stock on hand, inbound notices, order entry, order status and monthly statements, for each client's own account.
Invoicing
Charges reviewed by your team, then invoiced with GST applied where you are registered.

AI capability

AI features for warehouse management software

AI features in warehouse management software are most useful on the paperwork and the checking: reading delivery documents, spotting a count that does not add up, answering clients who want to know what is in stock. Each one is scoped with you and built in its own phase, using information from your own warehouse records, and your staff confirm anything that changes stock.

Document with highlighted fields being read and lifted into a form

Supplier documents read at receiving

AI reads packing lists, delivery orders and advance shipping notices that arrive as PDF files or photos, and prepares the expected receipt for the receiving team to check.

Magnifying glass over a list with one line flagged as unusual

Anomaly checks on counts and adjustments

AI flags what does not look right: a bin that comes up short at every count, adjustments made outside shift hours, or a pick rate far outside the usual range.

Question typed into a search box with an answer drawn from business records

Questions about your own warehouse data

A manager asks which items have not moved in ninety days, or which client used the most pallet space last month, and gets the answer with the records behind it.

Chat and email messages answered by an assistant

WhatsApp and email agents for stock enquiries

Agents answer customers or 3PL clients asking whether stock has arrived or an order has shipped, from the live WMS record, and pass anything else to your staff.

Rising trend line with an early warning marker ahead of a peak

Volume and replenishment forecasts

AI projects inbound and outbound volumes by day from past orders and seasonal patterns, which helps you plan shifts and top up pick faces before the busy days arrive.

Draft message with a pen ready for review before sending

Drafted discrepancy reports and notices

When a delivery arrives short or damaged, AI drafts the discrepancy report to the supplier with the dock photos attached, for a supervisor to check and send.

Buying decision

Custom warehouse management system compared with packaged WMS software and spreadsheets

Packaged WMS software gives you a broad set of ready-made features and a quick start. A custom warehouse management system follows your own locations, picking rules, clients and charges. Many smaller warehouses begin with spreadsheets or the stock module of their accounting software, which records how much you hold but not where it sits. The table sets out the differences, and what to settle before choosing a WMS goes further.

Point of comparison EpiscriptCustom WMS Typical productPackaged WMS software Common startSpreadsheets or accounting stock module
Stock by bin location Every rack, shelf and bin, in your own location scheme Location structures within the product's options Usually a total per item, not per bin
Picking methods Single-order, batch, zone and wave picking set to your order profile The methods the product supports, which can vary by edition Printed lists, picked from memory
Scanning devices Screens built for the scanners, phones and tablets your team uses The devices and apps the vendor supports Quantities keyed in by hand
Batch, lot and expiry Captured at receiving and traced to each customer Usually available, sometimes as an add-on Kept in extra columns, if at all
3PL client billing Your own storage, handling and service charges for each client Billing options set by the product, where it supports 3PL work Worked out by hand at month end
Integration with your other systems Connected to your ERP, accounting software, online store and courier services Depends on the vendor's connectors or API Figures copied between files
AI features Scoped around your own warehouse records and built in its own phase AI capabilities are those the vendor provides None
Cost model Quoted as a project, and eligible for government grants Usually a subscription priced by user, warehouse or order volume Little to start, paid for later in staff time and stock errors
Speed to start Needs scoping, design and a build before the first release Usually faster to start, because the product already exists Immediate
Best fit Warehouses whose locations, clients or workflows do not fit a standard product Warehouses that can follow the product's standard workflow A small store room with few items and one person who knows it well

Swipe to see the full table

Getting live

WMS implementation, data migration and go-live

A warehouse cannot stop for a new system. Receiving, putaway, picking and stock counts usually come first, because they decide whether the stock on the screen matches the stock on the shelf. Billing, the client portal, integrations and AI features follow once that core is steady.

The opening stock count matters more than any other step: it becomes the system's starting balance, and we plan it with you around your quietest days. The WMS can be hosted by Episcript or in your own environment, depending on the agreement. Our solutions are eligible for government grants, and we talk that through with you at scoping.

  1. Warehouse walk-through

    We follow goods from the dock to dispatch with your supervisors, including a batch-tracked item, a 3PL client or a returns day if you have them, and agree what the first release covers.

  2. Location plan and labels

    Zones, racks and bins are named and their barcode labels printed, along with labels for any items that arrive without one.

  3. Screens tested on real devices

    Your pickers and storemen try the scanner and phone screens in the aisles, not only at a desk, before the build is finished.

  4. Data migration

    Items, units of measure, suppliers, customers, 3PL clients and rate cards are imported from spreadsheets or your current system, then checked with your team.

  5. Opening count and go-live

    A full count by location sets the starting stock, and the warehouse switches over at a quiet point in the week, one zone or one client first where that helps.

  6. Later phases and support

    Billing, the client portal, integrations and AI features follow in their own phases, supported by the Singapore team that built the system.

Common questions

Warehouse management system FAQs for Singapore businesses

A warehouse management system (WMS) runs the physical work inside a warehouse: receiving, putaway, bin locations, picking, packing, dispatch and stock counts, each confirmed by a scan. An inventory management system tracks how much stock you own, what it is worth and when to reorder, often across several outlets. Many businesses need both, and we build them on the same item records.

Third-party logistics providers storing goods for several clients, distributors and wholesalers holding trade stock, manufacturers with raw material and finished goods stores, and retailers or online sellers shipping from their own warehouse. What they share is too many items, locations or orders for anyone to track from memory, and customers who expect the right goods to leave on time.

That depends on how much warehouse detail your ERP holds today. Many ERP and accounting systems record stock per item and per warehouse, but not per bin, picking method, batch or scan. If yours stops there, a warehouse management system fills that gap, either connected to your existing ERP or built as one module inside a custom ERP on the same item records.

We build a web-based warehouse management system: the office works in a browser, warehouse staff use screens built for handheld scanners and phones, and 3PL clients log in to their own portal. Hosting is by Episcript or in your own environment, depending on the agreement, and the proposal sets out where the data is held, how it is backed up and who can reach it.

The cost depends on scope: the number of warehouses and location types, the picking methods, batch and expiry tracking, the scanning devices, 3PL billing, integrations, the data to migrate and any AI features. We quote against an agreed specification after a scoping session. Our solutions are eligible for government grants, and we talk that through with you as part of scoping.

Warehouse screens are built for the devices your team uses: rugged handheld barcode scanners, phones with the camera or a clip-on scanner, tablets on trolleys or forklifts, and label printers for bins, pallets and cartons. RFID tag reading can be built in for pallets, returnable containers or high-value items, where reading a whole load at once saves scanning carton by carton.

The warehouse management system exchanges purchase orders, goods received, deliveries and stock levels with your ERP, or posts to accounting software such as Xero or QuickBooks. Stock can be synchronised with your online store and other sales channels, and shipping labels and tracking numbers can come from courier services that offer an API. Each connection is scoped against what the other system makes available.

Batch or lot numbers and expiry dates are captured when goods are received and carried through every move, pick and delivery. Picking follows first expiry, first out where you set it, and stock nearing its expiry date is flagged in advance. In a recall, one search shows where the batch is stored, which orders took it and which customers received it.

Each client's stock and orders are kept apart, and storage, handling and value-added services are recorded as they happen. At the end of the period the system prices them from that client's rate card, by pallet, bin, carton or order line, and passes the charges to your team for review and invoicing. Clients check their own stock and orders through the client portal.

AI features work with information already held in your warehouse records. Common examples are reading supplier packing lists and advance shipping notices, anomaly checks on stock counts and adjustments, plain-English questions about your own stock and orders, WhatsApp and email agents for stock enquiries, volume forecasts for shift planning and drafted discrepancy reports. Each feature is scoped with you and built in its own phase.

Implementation time depends on the agreed scope, the number of warehouses and the integrations required, and we give you a timeline once those are settled. Locations are labelled and items imported before go-live, then a full count by location sets the opening stock. The switch is planned for a quiet point in the week, and one zone or one client can go live first.

Access is set by role: a picker sees tasks and locations without costs, a supervisor approves count variances, and each 3PL client sees only its own stock and orders. Every movement and adjustment is logged with the user and the time. These controls support your PDPA obligations for the customer and staff details held in the system, alongside your own policies and staff practice.

Related solutions

Related software for warehouse, order and transport operations

A warehouse management system shares items, customers and orders with the rest of the business. Where you also need stock valuation and stock levels across your retail outlets, inventory management can be built on the same item records, and it helps to know where a WMS ends and an inventory system or ERP begins.

Custom ERP software

Run the warehouse as one part of a wider system covering sales, purchasing, invoicing and accounts on the same records.

View solution

Transport management system

Turn dispatched orders into delivery jobs, with a driver app, proof of delivery and trip billing.

View solution

Order management software

Take sales orders, allocate stock and track back orders before the warehouse picks and packs them.

View solution

Next step

Plan your warehouse management system with Episcript

Warehouse managers usually know exactly where things go wrong: the pallet nobody can find, the order picked from the wrong batch, the stock count that never matches the books, the client invoice worked out on a spreadsheet at month end. Walk us through a normal day, with a delivery coming in and a busy afternoon of orders going out, and we will show you how a warehouse management system would handle it and what a first release would cover. We build and support it here in Singapore.

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