Blog
Chainlink WMS blog
Articles for warehouse and operations managers on inventory accuracy, picking, RFID, peak season and WMS implementation.
- Articles
- 27
By the Business in a Wave team
Recent articles
Permanent reference guides are in Guides; everything published, by topic, is in the resource hub.
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Carta Porte in Mexico: the data your warehouse provides
What Mexico's Carta Porte requires, who issues it and which shipment data (goods, quantities, weights, packaging) must come from the warehouse floor.
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Direct thermal vs thermal transfer labels in a warehouse
How direct thermal and thermal transfer labels differ, how long they last, what they cost and which fits shipping, product and location labels.
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E-commerce fulfillment in Mexico: organizing the warehouse
How to organize a warehouse in Mexico for one- and two-unit e-commerce orders: slotting, carrier cutoffs, picking, packing with evidence and returns.
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WMS ROI: how to calculate it with your own data
How to estimate the return on a WMS with your own warehouse data: baseline, measurable benefits, three-year total cost, payback period and risks.
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How to reduce picking errors: causes and controls
The causes of warehouse picking errors, how to measure them by type and the controls that stop each one before an order reaches the customer.
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Inventory write-offs in Mexico: destroying damaged stock
What a warehouse in Mexico must prepare to write off damaged, expired or obsolete goods before year-end: segregation, records, SAT notices and evidence.
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NOM-251 food warehouse requirements in Mexico
What Mexico's NOM-251-SSA1-2009 requires when storing food, beverages and supplements: stacking, FIFO, refrigeration, chemicals, recalls and records.
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OTIF (on time in full): how to measure and improve it
What OTIF means, how to calculate it by order and by line, why supplier and retailer numbers differ and what the warehouse can do to improve it.
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Preventing employee theft in a warehouse: five controls
How to detect and reduce repeated small-scale employee theft in a Mexican warehouse: access control, segregation of duties, targeted counts.
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Product master data: what to clean up before a WMS
Which product master data a WMS requires (codes, units, lots, weights and dimensions), which system owns each field and how to clean the data.
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Receiving inspection: how to organize quality checks
How to inspect goods at receiving: what to check, how to sample, when to hold in quarantine and how to record results without stopping the dock.
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RFID tags for metal and liquids: how to choose them
Why metal and liquids make UHF RFID reading difficult, which tag types exist for each surface and how to test them before buying in large volume.
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Rugged handheld vs smartphone for warehouse work
When a rugged handheld is justified and when a smartphone is enough on the warehouse floor: scanning, durability, battery, updates, RFID and cost.
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How to train seasonal warehouse staff in one day
A one-day training plan for seasonal warehouse staff in Mexico, with the labor law and safety rules a US manager needs to know before peak season.
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What inventory errors cost your company
The five costs of inaccurate inventory, how to calculate each one with your own data and which controls reduce them first.
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Dimensional weight: cutting shipping costs at packing
What dimensional weight is, how carriers calculate it in Mexico and the US, and what the packing area can do to stop paying to ship empty space.
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How to get GS1 barcodes in Mexico for your products
Requirements and steps to get official GS1 barcodes in Mexico, whether a US GTIN works there, and what the warehouse should set up before printing.
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Moving from Excel to a WMS without stopping operations
How to move a warehouse from a spreadsheet to a WMS in six weeks: catalog, locations, training, opening inventory and go-live day.
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Nearshoring to Mexico: what changes in warehouse operations
What nearshoring demands from a plant or distribution center warehouse in Mexico: traceability, advance ship notices, the corporate ERP and new staff.
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NOM-006-STPS-2023: Mexico warehouse safety requirements
What Mexico's NOM-006-STPS-2023 requires of warehouses using forklifts and other machinery: maintenance, procedures, storage areas and training.
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Preparing the warehouse for El Buen Fin and December
An eight-week warehouse plan for Mexico's peak season: capacity, inventory, temporary staff, carriers and January returns, with the 2026 dates.
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Seven RFID implementation mistakes in a warehouse
The most common RFID implementation mistakes in a warehouse, from tags that will not read on metal to reads with no document behind them, and a pilot.
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Barcode types in a warehouse and when to use each
UPC, EAN-13, Code 128, GS1-128, QR and DataMatrix in a warehouse: what each holds, where it is used and which fits products, locations and pallets.
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Warehouse layout design: planning zones and flow
How to design a warehouse layout: U-shaped or straight-through flow, receiving, reserve, picking, packing and shipping zones, and aisle widths.
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Year-end close: what the warehouse needs by December 31
What a warehouse in Mexico must prepare for the year-end count: count date, document cutoff, third-party goods, damaged stock and the audit file.
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Fixed asset tracking with RFID: how to implement it
What RFID solves in fixed asset control, its components, which tag fits each surface and the steps to implement it with a pilot.
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Hospital RFID traceability: supplies, equipment, instruments and linen
How UHF RFID is applied in a hospital to trace biomedical equipment, linen, surgical instruments and supplies, and why it is best implemented in stages.
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