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PathGuide Technologies ● 22745 29 th Drive SE, Suite #150, Bothell, WA 98021 ● www.pathguide.com ● clientservices@pathguide.com A WMS can be used to automate the process of printing hazmat or special e-commerce labels and bills of lading. In fact, a WMS with a built-in manifest and shipping system will give retailers the flexibility to automatically produce third-party shipping papers on behalf of internet retailers like Amazon. On the back end, the WMS can automatically transmit all of the necessary data to the appropriate carrier for billing, and it can provide multi-carrier compliance for major international and national carriers, regional carriers or less than truckload (LTL) orders. THREE PAIN POINTS, ONE SOLUTION Pain Point #1: e-Fulfillment To become an e-fulfillment supplier, a company requires the technology that enables it to satisfy orders quickly, accurately, and in many cases, anonymously. Keeping this fulfillment process hidden creates a smooth buying experience for the customer. Ideally, a strong WMS solution should be able to provide any supplier with seamless e-fulfillment capabilities, allowing it to ship products as though those products came directly from the internet retailer. Packing slips and labels can be printed using the retailer's logo and name. This level of customization would be virtually impossible without a WMS, especially in a paper-based warehouse. In addition, the WMS should automatically be able to send shipment information back to the retailer with package tracking numbers that help keep everyone, including the customer, in the loop. According to Tom Lorenz, vice president of Lorenz & Jones Marine Distributors, they are able to ship orders on behalf of web-based companies, directly from their warehouse to the customer without the customer every knowing where they product came from, thanks to the use of a PathGuide WMS solution. "We strive to be anonymous in the transaction. We want the consumer to assume the product came from the internet retailer's own warehouse. Keeping the entire fulfillment process hidden creates a seamless buying experience for the customer; shipping times can be faster, and the customer never knows the difference," he says. Pain Point #2: Customization Many standalone shipping systems lack customization, forcing suppliers to devise a variety of cumbersome workarounds to get what they need. While ERP systems and WMS solutions can cater to the needs of a split shipment, for example, many independent manifesting systems cannot handle the logic of putting inventory from multiple zones back together in a single shipment. Alternatively, a WMS solution will provide expertise in warehouse distribution, physical equipment, software, and the processes involved in coordinating and managing all of the moving parts. Every company needs some degree of customization to suit its operations, so finding a vendor that takes the time to understand these needs is a critical first step of any WMS deployment. "A WMS engineering team can often leverage dozens of years of experience to develop tailored solutions for customers," says Greg Laycock, PathGuide's vice president of research and development. "Whether it's a new or existing customer, the WMS solution should be flexible enough to accommodate changes and unique warehouse processes with the end goal of simplifying daily workloads." Pain Point #3: Pre-manifesting Pre-manifesting is the process of creating shipping papers and labels before an item is picked. It is used for items that are already securely contained in

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