NorthStar WMS Software

I like the fact that the same people that made the promises during the sales process are the same people we have direct contact with. Furthermore, they always answer or return our calls promptly. They have continued to customize our experience to suit our unique business needs. We are a wholesale distribution company and all of our shipments will go through this system to retail stores across the country and abroad.

Pros

After talking to Software Advice we looked at a number of warehouse management systems and came away with awarding our business to NorthStar Automation. This was a major technology purchase for us and we appreciated the effort the NorthStar team did to make this the right choice.
Their project management team brought all of pieces together for integrating into our accounting system and our EDI partner, SPS. They also project managed resources for setting up the wireless network for the mobile barcode scanners and printers. The NorthStar WMS is a true pick, pack and ship system. Based on our business rules they set up the best pick logic and processes. At our pack stations we manage the packing process and best method of shipping off the same screen, also producing all shipping documents and shipping labels. The NorthStar WMS integrates to our carriers; FedEx, UPS, USPS and Stamps.com.. In conclusion we are now using real-time and accurate data and we now have reports we never even thought of before that help us drive and grow our business.

This is my first time starting up a warehouse operation and with NorthStars help we were able to accomplish setup and going live status in a small amount of time without hiring any outside help or consultants. We compared NorthStarWMS to 5 other companies and found NorthStarWMS to be our best option. We decided to purchase NorthStarWMS instead of leasing after watching a demonstration of the software. The warehouse statistics are presented to upper management by reports, KPI’s and charts, which is a big part of our companies decision making process. Anytime we want to improve a process, we contact customer service and after explaining what we’re trying to accomplish, we’re offered different options to accomplish the task. NorthStarWMS has been able to do everything we’ve asked for and more.

Pros

Continuous Improvements, Automations with scanners and printers, Intergration with Quickbooks, EDI, and Website. Options on Receiving , Pick ,Pack, and Shipping. Visibility of orders all the way to the customer. Visibility of inventory. Data gathering. We have never been on inactive status due to NorthstarWMS.

Cons

I don’t have any cons at this time

Prior to purchasing, they came to our facility for 1 day and interviewed my people who would be using the software. After that they did a statement of work which detailed everything their software would do for us, implementation plan, the hardware required (label printers, mobile devices…etc), training process, all based on a fixed price.
They showed up on a Monday morning to train and we started receiving live on Monday afternoon, Tuesday we were pick/pack/shipping and Wednesday all parts of the WMS were live.
All features work as expected.

Pros

Great support, if they did not actually answer the phone when we called, we get a call back within an hour or less.
Easy setup with lots of config options.
Inventory control, lot tracking, recall reports.
Great pick/pack/ship features.
Both workstation software and mobile app are easy to use
Connection to QuickBooks works great, imports/exports sales orders, sales receipts, work order, etc.

Cons

I have no complaints.

Advice to Others

Work with a company who is willing to come onsite, do a statement of work and give you a fixed price so you know exactly what you are getting and how much it will cost you.
Talk to other companies using the software, ask about their experience with the software and with support.
We purchased their on-premise version because we wanted to own it, but they also have a SaaS version for those who would rather rent.