PrestaShop warehouse solutions: integration with the WMS

Integrating PrestaShop with warehouse management systems (WMSs) is key for e-commerce logistics. Automatic synchronization of stock on the website with that actually in the storage facility not only saves time, but also ensures inventory accuracy. Thus, you avoid wrong orders and the resulting penalties from marketplaces such as Amazon.

In other words, beyond improving the user purchasing experience, the integration of these software programs reduces the shipping error rate, eliminates the risk of stockouts, and helps operators prepare orders. 

In this post, we examine how PrestaShop fits into the logistics planning of an e-commerce retailer. Additionally, we’ll show you how this software can scale — from a small e-commerce company to a firm serving hundreds or even thousands of orders a day — in conjunction with a WMS and without the need for an ERP system.

What’s PrestaShop and how does it work?

PrestaShop is an e-commerce CMS (content management system), like its competitors Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify. It started in France in 2007 with the premise of making the creation and editing of online-store content easier and more accessible. Developed in PHP language, this open-source software has become the platform of choice for over 300,000 stores around the globe, according to the company’s own figures. 

PrestaShop stands out for its usability and intuitive interface. Its installation process is quite simple: in just a few clicks, it’s up and running. Available in over 75 languages, it’s compatible with the most common payment gateways (it can connect to the majority of banks, as well as PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay, among many others). With certain hosting services, it includes a control panel where the e-commerce manager can easily customize the website and monitor orders.

One of PrestaShop’s main advantages is its scalability. The platform adapts to the growth of each e-commerce retailer, offering the advanced functionalities required by each business at every turn. It has a catalogue of more than 5,000 modules and themes. Moreover, it has premium support services supplemented by an extensive network of certified agencies and technicians, as well as over one million members.

Syncing inventory: PrestaShop and real warehouse stock

Synchronizing the stock in the facility with that of the online store catalogue is essential for any digital business. If you only use PrestaShop’s tools, this process turns into an onerous manual task taking several hours a day and prone to mistakes. The probability of error will be high, and, consequently, the marketplaces could penalize the company by removing its products from the portals. This is, therefore, a crucial issue deserving particular attention.

The most effective solution is to integrate PrestaShop with a warehouse management system capable of coordinating with the app and automating goods inputs and outputs in the facility and on the website. 

These digital solutions limit the risk of error in order preparation and guarantee that the logistics manager has exact control of the stock in the warehouse and of the list of products in the sales portal at all times. Thus, a WMS not only syncs stock, but also orchestrates picking to dispatch orders faster while optimizing the use of space (slotting).

For example, Easy WMS, the warehouse management system from Mecalux, can be integrated with PrestaShop via the Marketplaces & Ecommerce Integration module, specifically designed for this purpose.

The Marketplaces module coordinates the online store’s order catalogue with the merchandise in the warehouse, preventing stock errors and purchasing issues that could tarnish the reputation of the e-commerce firm. This software makes it possible to align not only the stock at the retailer’s own point of sale, but also the supply on the multiple marketplaces on which it sells, such as Amazon or eBay. 

Likewise, the module automates the relationship between the online store and the facility: immediately following the payment confirmation, the WMS automatically generates a command for the operator to prepare the order. 

Furthermore, Easy WMS features the advanced Multi Carrier Shipping Software module, which is also very helpful for e-commerce businesses, as it coordinates the WMS with the software of the major international transportation agencies (UPS, DHL, FedEx, USPS, DB Schenker, Colissimo, Seur, MRW, Correos Express, Nacex, Chronopost, Bpost, and so on). 

ERP for PrestaShop? A WMS is all you need

Wondering whether you need an ERP system for managing and shipping PrestaShop orders? From a logistics standpoint, the answer is: not necessarily. With PrestaShop, you can receive customer orders in addition to directly managing the online store. For its part, a WMS will let you create, edit, or delete products from the item master, organize the warehouse based on SKUs stored, and coordinate order prep in line with each customer’s requirements. 

This is the case with Global Freaks, an e-commerce retailer that sells collectible action figures on multiple marketplaces as well as its own website. In just two years, the firm has experienced exceptional growth, from 90 to 300 daily orders. Therefore, it urgently needed to implement a system that would minimize the likelihood of stockouts. 

Thus, the business turned to our company, as we offered it a comprehensive solution that met its requirements: a storage system with picking shelves plus Easy WMS, software capable of being integrated with the various platforms on which it markets its products.

“This warehouse management system provider was the only one that allowed us to integrate with the marketplaces where we sell our products (eBay and Amazon), as well as with the PrestaShop platform to manage our website,” says Daniel Vizcarra, Manager at Global Freaks. 

Thanks to Mecalux, management of our products on PrestaShop is now synced with the stock in our facility, completely eliminating the risk of a stockout. What’s more, Easy WMS shows each operator where to locate each SKU, which prevents wrong orders that would damage the company’s reputation. 

PrestaShop, yes — along with a WMS

The complexity of goods receipt and order preparation and delivery in e-commerce, together with management of the online store, compels companies to lean on a WMS that coordinates and automates operations. Without the supervision of a WMS, procedures such as product slotting or order grouping could turn into a huge headache for the logistics manager. 

Coordination between online stores and logistics has led to a new, e-commerce model effective in terms of both the sales process and customer service. It does away with stockouts and considerably lowers the wrong-order rate, resulting in multiple benefits: the customer receives the best logistics service at the best price, and the e-commerce retailer avoids cost overruns in the warehouse and enhances its brand image.

If you have an online store and you want to improve your warehouse operations while ensuring full synchronization of your stock, don’t hesitate to contact us. An expert consultant will analyse your situation and propose the best solution for minimizing e-commerce risks in your warehouse.