Main opportunities of the WMS systems

The main functional units of large WMS platforms, as a rule, include the following: acceptance, repacking, storage, selection, loading, inventory.

Now, to meet high requirements of customers, solution providers considerably expand functionality of the platforms, offering, for example, human resource management or functionality of the systems of transport management.

Let's consider as the main, and additional opportunities of warehouse management systems.

Goods acceptance

A WMS system provides goods acceptance in real time using radio terminals or paper carriers, printing of shaped codes. Flexible identification as with the purchase order or arrived from the supplier prior notices of shipment, and without them is usually provided. Acceptance on safe custody and check of compliance and adjustment of data is performed.

Warehousing

Warehousing

Use of warehouse management systems means automatic warehousing or warehousing by control of personnel. The configured rules of warehousing maximize use of warehouse space and/or performance of warehouse transactions.

Work with packagings and returnable container

The WMS system supports work with packagings — the special type of storage locations allowing the contents in itself other packagings. Packaging of goods is processed as a unit. Rules of formation of the addresses of packagings are set by the user that allows to monitor all movements of separate packaging in the course of warehouse processing. A system provides reports on a commodity remaining balance in different units of storage.

Storage

Management of the commodity nomenclature

A system supports creation of the database with any hierarchy for the commodity nomenclature. In the database the user can create any characteristics for each type of goods.

Management of storage locations

At accomplishment of any operations on processing and storage of loads the warehouse management system allows the indication of the address of storage location on which this or that stage of transaction is made.

The address of storage location can reflect features of the organization of storage locations in a warehouse. The structure and depth of the address are set by the user independently and can change during operation of a system. Also the user independently defines rules of uniqueness of the address of storage location. For each storage location the indication of any set of features is allowed.

Storage batches

A system has a possibility of consolidation of separate commodity units in groups (a storage batch). For such batch it is possible to set a set of the additional signs used when processing the goods entering this batch.

Functions of creation, removal and management of structure of batches are supported. It allows to manage the strategy of placement and selection of goods, to control goods availability for these or those warehouse transactions.

"Warehouse logistics"

The WMS systems consider existence of several warehouse or isolation of sections in one building. Each section can be designated as a separate logical warehouse. Logical warehouses can have the isolated characteristics:

• structure of the addresses of storage locations and packagings;
• rules of placement and selection;
• templates and scenarios of technology transactions;
• resources — the workers and the equipment processing a load in this warehouse.

For example, at team building a system develops optimal routes of movement of the equipment across the territory of a warehouse complex, reducing, thus, a single run of loading means. A system appoints that loading equipment which use most fully answers an assigned task to execution of operations.

Selection of orders

A system automatically creates sending tasks to the employees on a complete set of orders. The complete set is made directly in a pallet taking into account requirements of ergonomics and also the sizes, weight and other parameters of goods. The complete set on a conveyor tape or batches, using radio terminals or labels, on voice commands of a system is possible. Further packaging, different options of assembly follows: discrete, group, integrated. Personalisation of orders during an assembly time, generation of identification numbers of the sent containers and their tracking is possible.

Loading

A system makes the schedule of shipment of goods taking into account priorities, arranges and integrates goods when loading depending on the sequence of delivery. Loading, check and closing of transaction are controlled radio terminals. A system defines also the choice of carrier, marks on compliance and creates accompanying documents.

In WMS it is possible to implement simultaneous processes of loading and shipment. For example, an overload of the received goods for sending to customers, transit shipment of products through a warehouse.

Inventory and inventory management

Inventory

A system can make intermediate partial inventory, a complete physical inventory, control stocks in real time. Inventory management can be made with the help to zoning, trackings of series and batches and also an expiration date of goods and other.

Inventory management

In systems the configured settings of need of replenishment, including incomplete pallets are put. Perhaps joint replenishment of group of goods on one pallet. Automatic formation and sending tasks of replenishment, the configured strategy of replenishment, different options of replenishment (piece, a box, a pallet) is provided.

Additional opportunities

Work planning of a warehouse

The WMS systems include means both for long-term planning of work of a warehouse, and for operational management of the resources performing this or that warehouse transaction. Creation of working schedules of a warehouse on a certain planning period is supported. For each planned activity a system allows a task of the planned start time and duration, and fixes real operation length.

Management of production capacities

In a system determination of the exact place of a store cell, progressive optimization of storage, automatic replenishment and movement of auxiliary warehouses, movements in the organization, control and processing of dangerous materials, inspection of the warehouse equipment and planning of refueling and another can be implemented.

Management of problem situations

The WMS systems are capable to analyze the problems (such as shortages, excesses, regradings, defects, damage of goods, wrong shipments) arising in warehouse process and to offer the user different options of continuation of problem transaction.

Human resource management of a warehouse

Human resource management (labor management) was initially not included into basic functionality of WMS platforms, but as now this block is very demanded, it is offered by many suppliers.

This functional area allows to keep a time recording, to trace tasks to personnel, to keep the reporting under human resources, to project standards of their use, to determine planned labor productivity and to create the systems of encouragement and motivation of personnel on the basis of accomplishment of this plan.

Except the above-mentioned in some systems, for example in the Solvo.WMS system, for example, there is a so-called function of Spy thanks to which it is possible to define, than this or that employee is busy at present. After inclusion of the function "hang the spy", on the screen of the manager there is an image which is completely duplicating the screen of the operator. The manager can control work of several operators at once.

Reporting

Based on work of a warehouse or to a warehouse status a system collects data which can how to be told to a corporate system of the company that allows to create reports, and to be printed. The quantity and a type of necessary reports is defined by the customer at a stage of writing of technical specifications.