Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) - Engineering Industries eXcellence

The Logistics of Manufacturing

The ability to correctly track and manage the storage and movement of inventory within a warehouse is paramount to the success of any manufacturing organization. Accurate inventory information is also required to plan and execute production, and mistakes can cause high product losses and unnecessary downtimes. The most competitive manufacturers today leverage technology to synchronize material movements between the warehouse, the production floor and other operational processes, such as quality and regulatory compliance. Material synchronization drives significant efficiencies and cost savings by enabling flexible operations, lean manufacturing, just-in-sequence manufacturing, just-in-time inventory and other optimization initiatives.

What is a Warehouse Management System (WMS)?

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software that enables manufacturing organizations to optimize the control and administration of all warehouse operations, from the moment a good or material enters a warehouse until the moment it is moved out. The system tracks the movement of every raw material, in-process item and finished good throughout its lifetime, covering receiving, picking, packing and shipping. A successful Warehouse Management System automates and optimizes inventory receiving and put-away, picking and shipping of orders, and stock replenishment. A WMS can be a standalone application, a Cloud-based solution, or part of a greater Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Supply Chain Execution (SCE) platform.

A Warehouse Management System provides visibility into an organization's inventory at any time and location, whether in a facility or in transit. It can also manage supply chain operations from the manufacturer or wholesaler to the warehouse, then to a retailer or distribution center. A WMS is often used alongside or integrated with a Transportation Management System (TMS) and an Inventory Management System (IMS) in order to streamline and align business processes. WMS can also interface directly with automation and controls to optimize the management of material-handling equipment, such as conveyors, sort stations and warehouse AGVs. This closed loop design allows manufacturers to achieve real-time visibility and control to reduce costs and inventory, improve service, collaborate effectively and meet quality and compliance initiatives at the same time.

Features of Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

Warehouse Inbound Process Management:

Registration of inbound documents (PO, ASN, goods receipt)
Receiving (workstation, customer return, recall, etc.)
Acceptance of goods
Qualitative and quantitative controls for each type of item (raw material, semi-finished or finished product)
Multi-package management (box, bale, pallet)
Sorting and repalletization
Quality inspection and smart sampling management
Lot generation, RFID and other labeling (for tracking and tracing)
Item allocation and assignment according to configurable rules
Kanban management

Inventory, Stock & Material Management:

Storage location management (shelves, areas, drive-in, etc.)
Warehouse mapping and route optimization
Refilling picking locations by rules and/or request
Kitting (Make-To-Order, Make-To-Stock)
Rework and reconditioning
Labeling and relabeling
Real-time material visibility (levels, location, movement, etc.)
Material tracking and management (e.g. expiration dates)
Inventory replenishment and adjustments
Rotating and massive inventory management
Physical and/or accounting transfer management
Shuttle service management
External warehouse management (3PL)
Automatic alignment of stock levels, planning and operations

Warehouse Outbound Process Management:

Receipt of sales, work, procurement and/or preparation orders (from ERP, TMS or manual entry)
Configuration and management of item delivery parameters
Configuration and implementation of withdrawal methods
Merchandise booking and assignment
Picking and packing
Weighing, sorting and packaging
Load and truck loading management
Issue of transport documentation (packing slip, Bill of Lading, etc.)
Authorization and final sign-off
Shipping and shipping adjustment management
Yard and dock management
Integrated transportation and supplier management

Warehouse Monitoring, Reporting & Analytics:

Real-time performance monitoring
Inventory levels and reporting
Warehouse operational reporting
Traceability reporting (electronic audit trail)
Analytics reporting (KPIs and productivity)
Automated alarms, notifications and alerts
Customizable dashboards and user profiling
Task monitor
Available via web, smartphone, tablet, Andon, wearable devices, etc.

Benefits of Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

Achieve the paperless warehouse
Improve planning
Synchronize workflow of warehouse materials
Improve performance of warehouse workforce
Increase throughput
Improve flexibility in order handling
Improve production and assembly efficiency
Ensure "dock-to-dock" traceability and genealogy
Minimize inventory and costs
Increase visibility into warehouse and access to data
Improve customer service
Streamline and optimize supply chain execution

Engineering’s Expertise

Tracking and managing warehouse operations in manufacturing is a critical process that can be extremely time-consuming and error-prone, so industry leaders are looking towards digitalization to help them better manage this process. Engineering Industries eXcellence can deliver the capabilities of the latest WMS technology on the market together with our unified approach to warehouse management in order to synchronize logistical operations across your entire production process and supply chain. Together with our expertise, your organization can make warehouse and inventory management a strength of your enterprise Supply Chain Execution strategy.