Read Software Trends

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Advanced Supply Chain and Warehouse Management Systems

Whether the warehouse is at the plant holding raw materials and parts, or dedicated to finished goods somewhere in the distribution chain, companies want to get the best usage of the space available and the people and equipment employed in the handling of the items stored.

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is dedicated to those goals. Basic functions of WMS include directed put-away and picking, in conjunction with optimizing the use of space. Without computer assistance, goods are usually assigned to a specific location or at least segment of the warehouse. With computerized put-away (also called random location system), the computer can direct incoming goods to the ‘right’ location – one that makes the best use of space while placing the goods in the most convenient location for picking.

In addition to optimizing space and resources, WMS, working with and interfaced ERP system, can share the duties of inventory control including batch/lot traceability, and monitoring and enforcing shelf-life and first-in-first-out and other picking strategies. More advanced WMS functionality can develop and manage dock schedules, interfaces and directs automated material handling equipment including guided vehicles and carousels, and gathers detailed data on all warehouse activities for analysis and process improvement efforts.

To learn more about the Advanced Supply Chain WMS for manufacturers and distributors, and the features they can provide, visit the Advanced Supply Chain Software website.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about the latest editions.

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

 
Follow Us on Twitter

No comments:

Add to Technorati Favorites