The Benefits of Investing in a Wireless Warehouse Management Solution (WMS)
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With skyrocketing labor and logistics costs and constant pressure on margins, warehouse efficiency is a must.
Before wireless WMS came into the picture, stores received boxes of stock accompanied by paperwork detailing items in the delivery. Staff members then manually checked each box’s contents against the manifest. Using this method, store staff could not see what items should be in which box, or whether items were missing until each box had been checked. It was also difficult to tell whether all ordered boxes had been received.
How does wireless WMS solution works Wireless warehouse solution works by linking warehouse workers to the backend application server where warehouse activities are being recorded via a wireless handheld device. The device tells employees where to go to pick, put away, count, or move product within the plant. This translates to a better control over the movement and storage of materials within the warehouse, it maximise the efficiency of the receipt and shipment of goods, optimise warehouse space utilization and know at all times exactly where goods are stored,- allowing employees to improve and maintain high customer service levels.
How would it Benefits your warehouse p icking The wireless solution allows staff to streamline workflow. On entering employee ID, the device shows the next batch to be picked up according to priority. The system directs the picker via the wireless handheld device to the specified location and scans the product barcode to confirm the correct item has been picked in the correct quantity. In other words wireless WMS assign employees specific areas of responsibility in the warehouse. The barcode data is entered into the WMS, including the measurements, location, number of products in a box, number of boxes on a pallet and storage conditions and provides up to minute information for picking of a single order, multiple orders for different customers.
Receiving When items are received to be put away, the staff members scan a bar code on the box. The bar code when scanned reveals information about the box’s contents. Items from the box are scanned and results are compared so discrepancies are immediate obvious. The software then directs warehouse staff to put away items into a suitable location. Solution also allows partial deliveries and stores can elect to receive stock carton by carton, depending on immediate needs.
Streamlining WMS workflow & prerequisites With WMS solution, sales staff can provide accurate information to customers about stock availability; Warehouse staff can find items quickly and easily. The WMS solution combines front and back end technology and because it is a web based solution it’s highly extensible and platform independent; all you need is a browser and a wireless handheld device to work with. WMS retrieves and stores information in the centralised database as the server; it cuts the risk of data synchronization errors and eliminates duplicate entries.
The WMS is aid to offer greater efficiency and accuracy to businesses, through increased pick rates, decreased errors, higher compliancy, and accurate forecasting of warehouse resources and demands.
“The new system has drastically reduced the manual workload for our staff. Our staff has estimated that the productivity gains from WMS picking and receiving is around 40%,” Isotherm group logistics manager, Zahid Said.
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