Software / Supply Chain / Warehouse Management

Warehouse Management Software ( WMS ) can provide an organisation with the ability to know where stock is, when it’s required, and what to do to move it correctly in the shortest time. WMS ensures that stock touches your warehouse for the minimum time possible, and that everyone within the information chain is instructed and informed immediately.

Most modern WMS packages provide a high level of flexibility in operation and powerful reporting and enquiry capabilities that generate predictive and concise information. Many packages are also designed to integrate with existing ERP/Supply Chain solutions such as SAP, BAAN or Peoplesoft.

TouchStar work with a multitude of software houses throughout the World ( use the enquiry form in the ‘Contact us’ section if you wish to request more information on the WMS partners we work with ).

Typical areas within the warehouse that can be governed by a WMS package, and where radio frequency can be applied, are as follows:

Goods Receiving

With advance notice of the Expected Receipts of individual product and the quantities from suppliers or other warehouses, the Warehouse Management System allows the team to plan in advance and management of expected deliveries.

Goods arriving at the warehouse can be receipted either manually against the supplier purchase order or scanned for accurate verification of the receipts, at which point the Warehouse Management System will allocate putaway tasks to clear the good inward bays quickly and efficiently.

Task Management

The WMS controls the release and allocation of orders, deliveries and warehouse activity and allows the assignment of tasks, groups of tasks or load to warehouse staff. It will also dynamically assign tasks to warehouse staff to achieve efficiency of activity during the working day.

The Warehouse Team can view task activity and priorities tasks to meet the changing demands of the business to meet customer service targets and load requirements.

Resource Management

The WMS enables the warehouse team to define the equipment available, that operates within each warehouse. It also provides the ability to map operators/warehouse staff qualified to use each equipment type.

This is particularly useful to comply with the Health and Safety requirements and ensures only trained staff uses specific equipment.

Users will be tracked whilst logged on and a record kept of equipment used, by whom and the period of usage.

Pick Management

The WMS helps enhance the efficiency of picking, by allowing the grouping of orders for picking purposes. Examples of criteria commonly used for grouping are:

• Delivery area
• Delivery method
• Date required

Pick Plans can be created prior to sales order entry. Orders can be automatically assigned to the appropriate pick plan based upon selected criteria, and the corresponding details associated with the relevant customer and order. The picking criteria associated with the customer, including delivery method and route, are set up on the customer account and attached automatically to the order, with override if required. Alternatively, the pick plan can be set up after the orders have been entered and the orders assigned to it.

Radio Frequency infrastructure and terminals can be added easily to the syste, with the latest RF technology requiring no specialist programming of the terminals themselves. The server ‘sees’ the radio frequency terminal like any other terminal on the system. This simplifies initial implementation and system maintenance, keeping running costs as low as possible.

Picking, putaway, replenishment, and stock taking instructions are all transmitted directly to the warehouse personnel on either hand held or truck mounted devices to provide a paperless and highly efficient warehouse environment.

Load Planning

The WMS allows the assignment of orders to a load plan, which can be created prior to sales order entry, and orders can be assigned to the appropriate load plan based upon selected criteria, and the corresponding details associated with the relevant customer and order. The picking criteria associated with the customer, including delivery method and route, are set up on the customer account and attached automatically to the order with override if required.

Load plans can be released to the Warehouse for picking and orders can continue to be added to the load whilst the picking is in process and load can be prioritised or re-prioritised whilst in progress to meet changes in delivery or collection requirements.