For nearly 40 years, HELM has been trusted to manage the complex demands of humanitarian and pharmaceutical supply chains. What began as an inventory and warehouse management tool has evolved into a comprehensive, highly configurable Warehouse Management System (WMS) — one of the most proven and relied-upon components of HELM today.

Inbound receiving and validation

HELM makes inbound receiving both accurate and efficient. The system processes Advance Shipment Notifications (ASNs) sent electronically via EDI or EPCIS DSCSA XML files, giving teams complete visibility before a shipment even arrives. Whether goods are purchased or received as Gift In Kind donations, HELM validates deliveries and ensures compliance — even for serialized pharmaceutical products where accuracy and traceability are critical.

As products arrive, HELM captures an extensive set of details for each item:

Weight, dimensions, and volume (cubes)
Expiration dates, lot numbers, and serial numbers
Cost and valuation
Multiple units of measure, so the same product can be tracked at the pallet, case, or single-unit level

With integrations to First Databank (FDB) and UPC catalogs, HELM can automatically populate drug and product details simply by scanning a supplier’s barcode. This eliminates manual entry, reduces errors, and ensures products are correctly identified and valued from the very beginning.

Inventory management and accuracy

Products can be received into any number of warehouses, zones, or locations, giving organizations flexibility to mirror their real-world operations. HELM also manages specialized requirements such as hazmat classifications, cold chain handling, federal trade zone (FTZ) status, ingredients, and specifications. Inventory can then be transferred between locations or moved across borders, supported by a wide variety of built-in transactions.

To maximize accuracy, HELM uses barcoding and mobile devices for real-time updates, ensuring every scan and movement is tracked instantly. Multiple tools keep records aligned with real-world conditions:

Cycle counting and opportunistic counts
Full physical inventory audits
Detailed audit trails for all inventory activities
On-the-fly updates to quantities or stock properties

Behind the scenes, HELM creates comprehensive audit trails, financial snapshots, and data warehouse records, capturing every transaction for compliance, reporting, and seamless integration with ERP and financial systems.

Outbound fulfillment and compliance

On the outbound side, HELM supports every step of order fulfillment. Orders can be processed through multiple workflows, including picking, packing, overpacking, skid building, and pre-shipment validation. Built-in compliance checks — such as Verified Gross Mass (VGM) automation — simplify international shipping requirements.

Whether fulfilling a small domestic retail order or a large international sea container shipment, HELM ensures accuracy, efficiency, and compliance throughout the process. Every product can be tracked across its outbound journey, maintaining full visibility and accountability.

Reporting and analytics

HELM provides a robust suite of reporting and analytics tools. Users can access everything from standard operational reports to ad hoc queries, dashboards, and custom forms, supporting the essential documentation needed for inventory, warehouse, and logistics operations.

Beyond operations, HELM also supports financial reporting and integrations, ensuring that operational data flows seamlessly into ERP and accounting systems. This alignment provides organizations with complete transparency, bridging warehouse activity with financial accountability.

The results

By combining decades of humanitarian logistics experience with modern technology, HELM delivers precision, traceability, and adaptability inside the warehouse and across the supply chain. The result is a system that not only manages inventory but also ensures every product is received, stored, and shipped with the highest levels of accountability and control.

Ready to see HELM in action? Schedule a demo.