In today’s data-driven world knowing how your warehouse is performing and finding areas to improve efficiency and speed of delivery are like gold to management and customers. Regularly running reports in your warehouse management system is critical for diagnosing the health of your inventory and warehouse management processes.
In this blog, we will discuss 9 reports that can help you identify which products are raising your inventory holding costs, improve the use of your warehouse space and define best practices for your labor force.
Massive amounts of data can be correlated at the touch of a button in order to spot trends, discover inefficiencies, and speed up the entire process. Workforce management is made simple and can be customized by need. You can maximize relationships that increase your bottom line and eliminate time and resource waste.
Warehouse Reports: How to determine which are the most useful to run?
Well, we have done the work for you and have compiled what we have seen as the 9 most telling reports that your warehouse manager should be running to improve your overall warehouse efficiency:
1. Bulk Picking Report
This WMS report groups together items that ship in the same general direction so that shipping costs and lead times are reduced. It also reduces the time employees spend in picking products for shipping by locating fast-moving products in the most time-efficient ways so that employees don’t pick the same product over and over, eliminating wasted steps.
2. Vendor/Supplier Report
Statistics about suppliers that shape the relationship between your warehouse and theirs. Get reports on supplier performance, complaint history, returns, and information about specific products. These reports help you make the decisions that improve your relationship with suppliers or terminate relationships that no longer fit your company’s vision.
3. Direct/Indirect Labor Report
This report is used for planning your labor force efficiently. You can use it for making hourly, weekly, monthly, and seasonal adjustments to your labor force. Use this report to predict how many employees you need at a given point and only use the workforce you need.
4. Cycle Counts
Your WMS can keep track of incoming and outgoing inventory eliminating the need for physical inventorying, saving time and money. The cycle count will show you where each item is at any given moment.
5. Inventory on Hand
A WMS report on the amount of inventory available for shipment at any given time. This report can be used to adjust your inventory due to miscounts, theft, or other mishaps. Setting inventory maximums and minimums reduces slow-moving inventory that sits too long, while also reducing instances where items are on backorder.
6. Empty Bin Report
My newest favorite is the empty bin report. This report allows warehouse operators to see what space is available for incoming shipments, assisting in decreasing put-away time by eliminating the need to drive around the warehouse looking for an empty bin. This report is very beneficial, especially to 3PLs. It allows warehouse operators with multiple tenants to identify and utilize the space available in the most efficient way possible to increase profits.
7. Advanced Receipt Notice (ARN)
The ARN is the recipient’s side of the Advanced Shipment Notice (ASN) that is sent from the shipper to the warehouse. It represents the expected material that will arrive at the warehouse on that shipment. This report helps the warehouse plan for future receipts and follow-up on receipts that don’t show up when expected.
8. History By Supplier
This report allows for personalizing your relationship with your supply chain. Identify the suppliers that boost your bottom line. Spot the low producers and identify ways to improve the relationships you have with your suppliers overall.
9. Shipments By Customer
This final report is used for personalizing your relationship with your customers. This report can help you customize the experience your customers have with your business. Small changes that make your customers experience great encourages repeat business and word of mouth recommendations.
These 9 reports are a great starting point to analyzing and understanding the health and well-being of your warehouse, fulfillment, distribution, or e-commerce facility and they should be run regularly to establish a trend and monitor efforts. Quick and easy access to these reports in your WMS is also necessary but that is a whole different blog on outdated warehouse processes.
In the 21st century, there is a plethora of technology to help warehouse operators but the key to optimizing business is with the data and how you utilize it so get with your warehouse manager and get these 9 reports up and running today!
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Implementing Automated Warehouse Reporting Systems
Modern warehouse management reports require automated systems to deliver real-time insights without manual intervention. Automated reporting eliminates human error while ensuring critical data reaches decision-makers when they need it most. Warehouse reporting systems can be configured to generate and distribute reports on predetermined schedules, whether hourly for urgent metrics or weekly for performance trends.
Key automation features for warehouse management reports include:
- Scheduled report generation: Set daily, weekly, or monthly delivery of critical WMS reports directly to stakeholder inboxes
- Exception-based alerts: Trigger immediate notifications when inventory levels, order delays, or quality issues exceed defined thresholds
- Dashboard integration: Connect warehouse reports to visual dashboards that update in real-time for instant operational visibility
- Custom report builders: Enable managers to create specialized reports without IT involvement, focusing on specific KPIs or time periods
Automated warehouse inventory reports prove especially valuable during peak seasons when manual report generation becomes impractical. Distribution centers processing thousands of orders daily rely on automated systems to identify bottlenecks, track fulfillment rates, and monitor resource allocation without dedicating staff time to report compilation.
Report Data Accuracy and Validation Methods
Accurate data forms the foundation of effective warehouse management reports, yet many organizations struggle with data integrity issues that compromise decision-making. Implementing robust validation methods ensures your WMS reports reflect actual warehouse conditions rather than system discrepancies or input errors.
Essential validation techniques include:
- Cross-system verification: Compare warehouse reports against ERP and accounting systems to identify data inconsistencies
- Regular audit trails: Maintain detailed logs of data changes, user actions, and system modifications that affect report accuracy
- Barcode scanning validation: Use scanning technology to verify physical inventory matches system records during routine operations
- Exception reporting: Generate alerts when data patterns indicate potential accuracy issues, such as impossible inventory movements or duplicate entries
Many warehouses discover significant discrepancies between their warehouse reports and actual conditions due to inadequate validation protocols. Establishing daily accuracy checks on high-volume SKUs and weekly comprehensive reviews of slower-moving inventory helps maintain data integrity that supports reliable reporting and informed operational decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important warehouse reports for operational visibility?
Essential reports include daily inventory snapshot reports showing stock levels and locations, order fulfillment reports tracking pick accuracy and on-time shipping, and labor productivity reports measuring units processed per hour. Receiving reports monitor inbound performance while aging inventory reports identify slow-moving stock requiring attention. These reports provide the foundation for data-driven management decisions.
How often should warehouse reports be generated and reviewed?
Operational reports like order status and daily shipments should be generated in real-time or hourly for immediate issue response. Weekly reports work well for productivity trends, inventory turns, and exception analysis. Monthly and quarterly reports support strategic planning with metrics like cost per order, space utilization, and year-over-year comparisons. Establish a reporting calendar aligned with management meeting schedules.
What inventory reports help prevent stockouts and overstock situations?
Inventory velocity reports identify fast-moving items requiring frequent replenishment attention. Reorder point alerts notify managers when stock falls below safety thresholds. Days of supply reports predict when items will run out based on current consumption rates. Overstock reports highlight excess inventory consuming valuable space and capital that could be better utilized elsewhere.
How can warehouse reports improve labor management?
Individual productivity reports compare worker performance against standards and peer benchmarks. Task completion reports track work progress throughout shifts. Overtime analysis identifies scheduling inefficiencies and workload balancing opportunities. Training needs become apparent when accuracy reports show consistent errors by specific employees or departments requiring additional coaching.
What data should warehouse KPI dashboards display?
Effective dashboards show real-time metrics including orders in queue, units picked today versus target, and shipping completion percentage. Include quality indicators like pick accuracy and inventory accuracy alongside productivity measures. Financial metrics such as cost per order and labor cost percentage provide business context. Use visual indicators like gauges and trend charts for quick status assessment.
