Basic Features of a WMS

Warehouse Management Systems serve to manage local warehouse stock in real time, supporting the processes of storage and retrival. The aim of all logistics is to provide goods in the right quantity, of the right quality and at the correct time and place, optimising both cost and performance. Decisive factors are the flexibility of hard and software, the effeciency of the warehouse staff and supply readiness.

All WMS systems must perform certain basic functions in the area of goods receival, storage, warehouse control, picking, retriaval and goods issue, as does our WMS solution, PROLAG® World.

Goods Receival

Support for:

• unscheduled deliveries
• the handling of goods receipts
• the delivery of goods under one order number but split into several part-orders
• sampling, recording the quantity to be sampled or formulae for their calculation (Quality Assurance).

Storage

• Storage of goods on delivery: manual or automatic allocation of storage location.
• Store goods in both article-pure and article-mixed load units; add new goods to mixed load units.

Warehouse Control

• Cross-docking: Routing goods directly from point of receival to outgoing goods area, without first adding to storage.
• Relocation within the warehouse, creating a transportation order from initial to target location.
• Evacuation of entire areas with a single order (r.g. for renovation).
• Reorganisation of existing stock.

Picking

• "Goods-to-man" principle.
• "Man-to-goods" principle.
• Creation of all relevant types of picking order.
• Bildung von Versandeinheiten unter Berücksichtigung spezifischer Anforderungen.
• Generierung von Packschemata, die die exakte Positionierung und Ausrichtung jedes einzelnen Packstücks auf der Palette beschreiben.
• Picking by printed document or using mobile devices over a wireless data connection.
• Support for pick-by-light and pick-by-Voice.
• Retrieval verification by scanning location or article barcode.

Retrieval

• Custom retrieval strategy or strict first-in-first-out (FIFO).
• Quantity-based or smooth FIFO strategy.

Shipping

• Preparation of goods at goods issue.
• Transport management system, or support for Courier services.
• Management of certain data via definition of shipment unit
• Restorage of pallets at goods issue that are not required, or the option to stack palettes.
• Generation of tour-specific freight lists or load lists
• Vehicle loading in reverse order of delivery.
• Determination of the optimal shipment method (see, air, rail, road)
• Calculation of expected shipment costs
• Automatic selection of the appropriate transport container *(container, package, barrel) based on destination and shipment costs.
• Allocation of carriers to tours.
• Automatic allocation of carrier to tour based on set criteria such as distance, load weight and number of delivery stops.
• Controlling of freight cost (distance travelled, number of packages, number of delivery stops, load weight).