• Inbound
    • Staging

      Typically product is unloaded and staged for putaway to quickly capture product and lots.

    • O/S/D Capture

      Product Overages, Shortages, and Damage are identified during unloading based upon the ASN or paperwork.

    • Manual Put-Away

      Manual putaway occurs when the operator determines the putaway location and records it during processing.

    • Directed Put-Away

      This is when the operator is directed to the putaway location.

    • Product Labeling

      Product is not always labeled when it arrives at the warehouse. Inbound labeling can sometimes streamline subsequent work.

  • Inventory Management
    • Floor Moves

      Floor initiated moves record location transfers during re-warehousing operations.

    • Replenishment

      Replenishmen moves re-stock forward pick areas from overflow locations.

    • Stock Status

      Stock status displays allow operators to determine stock availability, FIFO sequencing, and locations.

    • Physical Inventory

      Physical inventory counts can be captured quickly and accurately with RF devices.

    • Cycle Counts

      Cycle counting activities based upon a cycle count program can be directed activities.

    • Activity Logging

      Activity logging captures the details of every RF transaction.

  • Outbound Processing
    • Picking

      Picking becomes a directed activity in a paperless environment. Assignment schemes determine the distribution of the picks to the available pool of operators.

    • New Order Notification

      A shipment synopsis and shipping notes are presented to the operator as they change orders during picking.

    • Lot Selection

      Mixed lots in location can be supported accurately. Selected lots are posted as move completion.

    • Problem Reporting

      Even with a tightly controlled inventory, problems can occur. They can be recorded an the operator can move on.

    • Perpetual Inventory

      Perpetual inventory maintains accuracty by having the operator record the quantity left in location during picking.

    • Product Labeling

      As product is picked to a pallet and pallets are recorded as complete, order configuration is maintained and pallet labels can be produced.

    • Order Scanout

      Order scanout by a checker or as the order is loaded onto a truck insures order accuracy.

  • Management
    • Labor Planning

      Shipment attributes and performance metrics can be used to plan associate workloads.

    • Movement Queues

      Move queues organize activites so that move priorities or specific assignment can determine the next associate move.

    • Prioritization

      Prioritization can be used to raise or lower a specific activities importance and drive how quickly it will be assigned.

    • Problem Resolution

      Problems reported by associates can be reviewed, the appropriate action determined, and returned to the queue for assignement.

    • Work Assignment

      Work assigments can determine the type of work appropriate for an associate.

  • Reporting
    • Movement History

      Movement history is posted immediately as each move completes, so all associates involved in a shipment can track its status.

    • Account Status

      Account status inquiries tap the move queue and history to determine overall status throughout the day.

    • Replenishment

      Replenishment reporting can help identify effective re-warehousing activities.

    • Labor Statistics

      Labor statistics reports and inquiries help to measure an operation's performance.

Radio Frequency

Using mobile computing devices and bar coding technologies you can automate communications to the warehouse and eliminate bottlenecks caused by paper-based warehousing. Placing radio frequency devices in the hands of the warehousemen allows the operations manager to direct the activities of the labor force and record their progress.

Efficient receipt and recording of inbound shipments is key to reduced carrying costs, inventory accuracy, and identification of over/short/damage conditions. RF technology teamed with WDLS capability reduces the effort and speeds the communications between the warehouse and the office staff. Suggested put-away matches incoming product to existing stock locations and locates products within appropriate zones for efficient use of space.

Within this WDLS module there is an ability to identify one location of an item in the warehouse as the pick line location. When stock is committed for each line item of an order, a calculation is made to determine if the quantity constitutes a full or a partial inventory unit pick. Any partial pick is directed to the pick line location and full unit quantities are directed to open stock locations. When smaller quantities are picked from the pick line, the composition of the carton/pallet is captured to automate product labeling at the dock.

Movement queues, prioritization, and work assignments allow the operations manager to effectively use the workforce. Through assignments and priorities a manager can isolate the work force to specific tasks or locations. This allows multiple operators to simultaneously pull and order without conflicting work.  Operators can achieve better performance since only moves in their part of the warehouse will be presented. It is also easy to bump the priority on hot moves.

When problems are encountered in the warehouse, such as product not in location, they are reported by the operator.The operator then moves on to their next assignment. An operations manager will review the problem, re-identify the product or re-direct the move and return it to the active queue for the next available operator.

Labor and workflow performance reporting are byproducts of the system that provide managers with accurate metrics for planning labor requirements.  Account status inquiries and reports give a quick snapshot on the current workload.  Movement histories give warehouse level detail of the time and the operator that completed each move.