In warehousing, every time someone “touches” your inventory, be it, picking, scanning, moving, counting, relocating, etc., it costs you time, accuracy, and money.
The more touches your inventory experiences between inbound and outbound, the higher the chances of increasing the operational costs, labour requirements, and chances of error.
In fact, according to industry studies, each additional inventory touch can increase handling costs by 10–15% and compound error probabilities at every stage.
So, the golden rule of efficient warehousing? “Touch inventory as few times as possible.”
Let’s unpack what that really means — and how Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) help make it possible.
Why Reducing Inventory Touches Matters
Each “touch” involves:
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Labour cost: Every additional movement or recording task consumes valuable time and manpower that could be directed toward more productive activities.
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Equipment cost: Frequent use of MHE (like forklifts or conveyors) increases fuel consumption, wear and tear, and maintenance requirements.
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Space cost: Double handling often means goods occupy staging or temporary storage areas longer, reducing available floor space for core operations.
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Error cost: The more times items are moved or recorded, the greater the chance of mismatches, misplacements, or inventory inaccuracies.
Reducing touches directly translates to:
- Lower operational cost
- Higher speed and throughput
- Better accuracy and visibility
- Improved worker safety and efficiency
In short, fewer touches = faster fulfillment and lower cost per order.
10 Practical Ways to Reduce Inventory Touches (and How a Warehouse Management System Helps)
1. Receive Right, Once
Problem: Repeated checks, re-counting, and manual GRNs create multiple touchpoints.
Fix: Automate inbound receiving with barcode/RFID scanning.
WMS Impact: Tracks every incoming unit in real-time, validates PO against receipt automatically — ensuring “touch once and done.
2. Cross-Docking
Problem: Goods often enter storage even when they’re immediately required for outbound orders.
Fix: Enable cross-docking to move goods directly from inbound to outbound without storing.
WMS Impact: Matches inbound POs to existing sales orders and routes items directly, cutting storage and picking touches entirely.
3. Smart Putaway Strategies
Problem: Random storage leads to unnecessary movements later.
Fix: Store items based on demand frequency, pick path, or item affinity.
WMS Impact: Suggests optimal putaway locations automatically to minimize future travel and handling.
4. Zone Picking & Batch Picking
Problem: Pickers walk too much and handle items individually.
Fix: Adopt zone picking (specialized zones) and batch picking (multiple orders together).
WMS Impact: Optimizes pick paths and combines orders intelligently — reducing walking, handling, and time per pick.
5. Pick-to-Pack Integration
Problem: Picked goods often go to staging areas before being packed, adding an extra touch.
Fix: Combine picking and packing zones for seamless flow.
WMS Impact: Enables pick-to-carton or pick-to-tote operations — minimizing transfers and re-handling.
6. Reduce Replenishment Chaos
Problem: Frequent, unplanned replenishments disrupt workflow and cause double-handling.
Fix: Automate replenishment triggers based on reorder points and pick-face thresholds.
WMS Impact: Predicts when to replenish and from where — cutting unnecessary stock movements.
7. Automate Cycle Counts
Problem: Manual inventory counting halts operations and causes repetitive handling.
Fix: Shift to system-driven cycle counting during idle hours.
WMS Impact: Digitally schedules counts without stopping operations, minimizing repeated physical verification.
8. Optimize Packaging & Kitting
Problem: Separate packaging or kitting steps lead to multiple handling events.
Fix: Integrate kitting and packaging into the main workflow.
WMS Impact: Creates pre-defined kitting recipes and automates component allocation — eliminating manual reassembly touches.
9. Manage Returns Efficiently
Problem: Returns are handled manually and moved across multiple zones.
Fix: Create dedicated returns processing zones.
WMS Impact: Classifies returns automatically (QC, repair, restock, scrap) and routes them intelligently, avoiding confusion and rework.
10. Integrate Systems, Eliminate Duplication
Problem: Data entry duplication between ERP, OMS, and WMS causes human touches without value.
Fix: Build seamless integrations.
WMS Impact: With API-based integration, stock, orders, and shipment data flow automatically — no need to “touch” data twice.
Bonus Tip: Automate Exception Handling
Every unplanned event — missing item, damage, short pick — adds a touch.
A WMS with alerts, dashboards, and audit trails helps detect and resolve exceptions faster, preventing additional handling and confusion.
How WMS Makes “Low-Touch Warehousing” Possible
Here’s how a robust WMS changes the game:
- Real-Time Tracking: Know exactly where each SKU is — no physical checks.
- Smart Workflows: Guided processes mean no repeated manual decisions.
- Reduced Human Dependency: Automated putaway, replenishment, and picking reduce manual errors.
- Optimized Space & Movement: Intelligent layout utilization means shorter travel and minimal handling.
- Scalability: Even as order volumes grow, touches don’t increase proportionally.
With Pyrops WMS, these capabilities come together to create a low-touch, high-visibility warehouse environment — where every movement is optimized, every decision is data-backed, and every process runs with minimal manual intervention.
The Bottom Line
Every touch in your warehouse is a silent cost.
The fastest-growing supply chains in India — from D2C startups to enterprise 3PLs — are realizing that the real ROI of WMS lies not just in “better tracking,” but in touch reduction.
By designing your workflows to be low-touch, high-visibility, you’ll:
- Cut cost per order
- Improve inventory accuracy
- Boost customer satisfaction
- Prepare your warehouse for scalable growth
And that’s what a modern WMS does best — it helps you touch less, move faster, and deliver smarter.