What is the difference between ERP and WMS?

It is important to understand the difference between Warehouse Management System (WMS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

Though many of today's ERP systems have tightly integrated WMS systems, the earlier version ERP systems had a limited participation for WMS. This may be the reason why many companies installed a WMS software separately to manage their warehouse activities.

An advanced system takes into account the data of the product, status, lot, dates, dimensions, location, area, region, owner and inventory details. For this function, WMS determines which would be the best location to store the recently received product. Some of the ERP package is not supported to determine the proper location. The selection of an ERP system with all these functions must be evaluated thoroughly before implementing it.

An effective ERP package gives the possibility to assign tasks automatically to the staff using rules and parameters previously defined. An intelligently integrated WMS module in an ERP system can give directions to the workers in an organized way.

WMS is to control the inventory -mostly (quantities only) and where to find a particular item inside the Warehouses(Racks, Bins...) but ERP will control quantities and costs (money) but most of the ERP systems do not deal with bins inside the warehouses..also WMS in my opinion you must use the Hand-held devices (Barcode scanner) to keep the data Live

WMS now a days is one of the modules in the ERP systems that revert us with the needed data for a seamless flow of information that can help any company to improve product life cycle and also to enhance the avilabilty of liqudity like-as said before

where to store 

how many do we need (Economice Reorder Point)reduce warehouse costincrease inventory turnover

and this are some of the benifites of having an ERP system.

WMS it's care for work in the warehouse and related processes , the ERP it's integrated system for all process in company ( HR , procurement , maintenance , inventory , .... )