WMS Modules

Receiving	The receiving module lets you track the receipt of material from vendors or from internal production operations. Ideally, the warehouse will be receiving via Advanced Shipment Notifications (ASN) or Purchase Orders (PO) electronically from manufacturing sites, freight forwarder, suppliers, etc. ASN functionality enables warehouse managers to better predict future workloads and helps synchronize cross-docking activities. This means order turnaround is faster, which improves customer service, and staffing can be optimized, which cuts costs. Resource planning can be optimized further when systems combine historical data with current order information to predict workflows. Manually receiving merchandise without ASN’s or PO’s is a cumbersome task that will delay the flow of goods. As a first step, the Receiving module will verify the goods receivied against the ASN and rectify the descrepency if any. If no ASN is received, the WMS has the ability to manually create an ASN or if there is insufficient information to create an ASN a dummy ASN can be created. At this point as well, any item or quantity required for special handling (eg. QC, notification of rework required, etc) will be flagged in the system for diversion or hold. Once the receipt has been started LPN (Licence Plate Number) can be created and placed on each unit. The LPN will then become the primary data point to follow the unit thorough the warehouse. Many companies compliance manuals will require LPN information be affixed to each package prior to receipt. This significantly increases receipt throughput. In a warehouse, Receiving via Radio Frequency, cases or SKU’s can be automatically received with a simple scan. In non RF scenarios receipts can be done unit by unit or worksheets can be printed for manual receipt. Once all discrepancies are resolved, receipts can be closed, the host computer updated with new inventory and put away moves will be generated. *^Top*
ASN Receiving	ASN is the Advanced Shipment Notification that is used to notify a customer of a shipment. It contains details of the shipments expected to arrive in the warehouse from a particular a vendor/ supplier or own manufacturing units or internal production operations. It could be paper-based or in some EDI format (Electronic Data Interchange) received through ERP system. ASN often include PO (Purchase Order) numbers, SKU (Stock Keeping Units) numbers, lot numbers, quantity, pallet or container number, carton number, etc. Once the ASN is received and recorded into the WMS, the same is verified upon actual receipt of material from vendors and incase of any discrepancy, the same is rectified and informed to the vendor. ASN receiving can be fully supported at both a carton and pallet ID level. When an ASN ID is scanned, the system can automatically receive the item and quantity that were specified for that pallet or carton during the original ASN transmission. The user also has the ability to override the stored information in the case of shortages or damaged shipments. *^Top*
Automatic Printing of Barcode Label	WMS includes integrated product labeling capabilities as a part of receiving to provide for bar code labeling of inventory for goods received without labels hen it enters the warehouse. Labels may be printed by selecting the Bar Code function from the main menu, and entering or scanning the product number and quantity of labels to be printed. This is typically performed during receiving for products coming in without bar code labels. The system supports multiple printers so that different style or size product labels may be printed. Bar code labels may be produced for items, containers or pallets. *^Top*
PO Receiving	The purchase orders can be received from the Host ERP system into the WMS. On actual receipt of inventory, WMS will check the inventory details against the purchase orders and will ensure that only the ordered quantity is received. When the receiving person is satisfied with all receiving entries for a carton or PO, the carton or PO can be closed. Then WMS creates the inventory at the receiving location and reports the new inventory to the ERP system. *^Top*
Non PO Receiving	Inventory may be received without a purchase order, given a reason code. Reason codes are set up and maintained by the supervisor at an administrative PC. *^Top*
RF Receiving	It ensures Real-Time Inventory Updating. As the warehouse operator receives inventory using RF and scans a bar code identifier, inventory is concurrently updated. Receiving with RF enables the receipt dock supervisor or even the unloading forklift operator to initiate the receipt process, confirm the receipt quantities, generate the putaway location assignments, generate lot/ batch or serial number records, assign dispositions to received stock, etc. With RF enablement, staging of receipted stock is managed entirely by electronic means. Stock can be dropped at receipt staging docks for additional work or testing prior to actual putaway, all as part of the RF process. In addition, all transactions can be monitored/ managed on the RF queue. *^Top*
Paper Based Receiving	WMS has the flexibility to manually update receipts if Radio Frequency is not utilized within the warehouse environment. WMS allows product to be received in piece, case and pallet quantities using pallet IDs and/or carton IDs to provide a tracking mechanism within the warehouse. *^Top*
Blind Receiving	Goods received without any prior notification, are termed as unexpected or blind receipts. For such inventory, details can be entered manually and thus received is update in the records, *^Top*
Customer Returns	Goods are returned by customers either because customer has received wrong shipment or have received damaged goods. WMS supports both the situations and routes the inventory to the specified location according to the requirement like damaged goods area, second’s area, inventory area, repacking area, etc. *^Top*
Container Receiving	This module enables the process of receiving products into the warehouse against the inbound manifest rather that individual purchase orders. This simplifies check-in, improves accuracy, and speeds your operations. *^Top*
Putaway	The Putaway module is used to move material from staged receiving locations to final storage locations. Based on system configuration, material may be moved to prime locations, locations holding like items, empty locations and more. Users may specify the Putaway sequence or use the system's suggested sequence which directs users through the warehouse in an optimized travel path. *^Top*
Replenishment	The Replenishment module lets you move material from bulk storage to forward pick locations that are running low on material. Visual Warehouse maintains maximum and minimum quantities for any desired item and location. As an on-hand quantity falls below the defined minimum, Visual Warehouse creates a replenishment requirement for that item and location. Users are later directed to move material to depleted locations. *^Top*
Compliance Labeling	WMS enables you to suggest a label format based on the customer, item, order type, carrier, or other entities related to the material. Warehouse Configuration The actual printing of the label is performed by a third party label printing system. Label generation and format selection are performed within WMS, either at predetermined points in the business process, or at user request. Goods are supplied to different customers in different parts of the world. Surely the customers require specific labels with the shipment that is acceptable in their distribution market. WMS should have the capability to print customer specific labels using customer compliance labeling rules whenever requested. Custom labels can be created using standard off the shelf third party label printing software. Labels can be printed at a workstation printer or from a remote RF device printer. *^Top*
Multiple UOM (Unit of Measure)	Companies stores and manages different types of products owned by different customers. And surely they have different unit of measures (UOM). A WMS should have the capability to track items with different unit of measure (UOM). UOM include the packages, quantities, weights, or volumes for SKUs. UOMs can include meters, feet, boxes, pounds, grams, cubic meters, containers, rolls, etc. WMS should have a large number of predefined UOM and should allow additional UOMs to be created. UOM groups should be able to establish the relationship between the various units of measure. *^Top*
QC Procedure	For certain specific supplier or high value goods customers’ would surely want to ascertain the quality level. Through this quality check feature a percentage of received inventory will be automatically diverted for quality checking, based on certain predefined rules & algorithm related to inventory type or supplier. WMS ensures that goods stored in the picking area should always be in a ready to ship stage i.e. no damaged goods should be stored as this will hamper the order picking process and shipments will be delayed. The quality checker scans the SKUs inside the carton and verifies the quality & quantity of the carton. If any discrepancy is found the system is updated accordingly. *^Top*
Expiry Date Control	For Food, Beverage, Pharmaceutical & other related products, expiration control feature is must. It prevents the allocation of expired inventory to fill orders. Expiration dates are calculated from the inventory date, or manufacture date, plus the shelf life of the SKU. Once the inventory expiration date is reached the system automatically assigns an expired condition code. *^Top*
Item Conversion	WMS is a highly flexible system and provide wide option of item/ SKU conversion. The user can easily convert the status of any SKUs, which is similar to one, ordered (which is in short supply) and send it for shipment. This increases the order processing time and generates faster delivery. *^Top*
Backorder Processing	For orders, which were partially shipped due to non-availability of stock, can be later processed. WMS can easily processes the backorders and ship them whenever inventory for the same is arrived in the warehouse. *^Top*
Truck Loading and Shipping	Truckload shipments can be easily handled through WMS. As a product is loaded onto a truck, each pallet or carton is required to be scanned as confirmation that the correct pallet or carton is being loaded onto the proper truck. Once the truck is fully loaded and “closed”, verification is performed to ensure that the entire product on all the pallets for all the bills of lading assigned to a truck have been loaded. If there are discrepancies the warehouse operator is notified and the truck close operation stops until the discrepancy is fixed. All the appropriate shipping documents such as bills of lading, load consolidation reports, compliance labels etc. are generated by the system. *^Top*
Pack out verification	Verification/ validation is done to ensure that each carton moving to the dock has been completely processed and is ready to be shipped. The fixed scan is performed on the conveyor with an inline scanner as it comes from the weighing station. System generates distinct audible tones as each carton passes or fails. *^Top*
Inventory Audit (Cycle Counting)	Inventory Audit is the key requirement of any 3PL company. Broadly, WMS provides for Physical Inventory & Cycle Counting. Physical Inventory: A physical inventory is a count of what is currently in stock in the warehouse, comparing that count to what the computer thinks is in stock, and making any necessary adjustments to get the computer counts to match the warehouse counts. It is the process of counting all inventories in a single event. Some warehouses do a full warehouse physical inventory only once a year. Others do a full warehouse count on a monthly basis. Cycle Counting: Cycle Counting is a method for auditing inventory accuracy and reconciling errors on an ongoing basis rather than once a year. Unlike physical counting, you don’t need to stop the entire operation of warehouse. Only a section of warehouse is halted for audit, rest of the warehouse remains functional. Over time, entire warehouse gets counted several times a year. *^Top*
Inventory Adjustments	Inventory Adjustments are required when Inventory discrepancy is found between the quantity of a product in the warehouse and the perpetual inventory maintained by computer system. Inventory adjustment will be done in following cases: · More of a product is in inventory than is recorded in the warehouse system. · Few damaged products found in inventory storage area. · Inventory outdated which cannot be sold. · When the product is obsolete. The system will accurately record the reason for each adjustment. Every month, a summary of adjustments (by item and reason) will be reviewed to see if changes to policies and procedures can help prevent future discrepancies. *^Top*
Cross Docking	Cross Docking is the process of moving newly received inventory from a receiving dock to a picking/ shipping location to fill an active order that is below its minimum quantity. Cross-docking enables a quick distribution of materials without processing many steps or even Putaway in the distribution centers. Cross docking is an effective way to minimize handling costs, process back orders, and manage just in time inventory requirements. Before suggesting a put away location, the WMS Rules Engine checks for backordered sales order lines that might be fulfilled by the incoming material. If the system finds an eligible line, then it prompts you to put away the incoming material directly to an outbound staging lane. Thus, cross docking enables backordered demand to be met immediately. Cross docking avoids unnecessary material handling and eliminates the extra steps of having to store the material in a storage area, before moving it to the outbound staging area. If only a partial quantity of the material being put away needs to be used to fulfill a backordered sales line, then the system prompts you to put that quantity away to an outbound staging area. The rules engine then determines an optimal storage location for the remaining portion of material *^Top*
Web Order Entry	This module enables purchase orders to be entered into WMS through Web Dispatch. Web order entry is used by warehouses that do not have a host system, by third-party logistics (3PL) providers that do not use a single host system, or to provide a web order-entry portal suitable for B2B sales. *^Top*
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)	With Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), you can optionally automate receiving and shipping order requests from your customers, and trading partners. Your receipts and shipments, and the designation of inventory for specific customers is handled with little or no manual data input. *^Top*
Advanced Pick Load	Advanced pick load enabled you to tailor the picking process. Configuration capabilities may be used to create one or more variants of the mobile pick/load page, setting up the field behavior of most fields and buttons. These can differ from user to user and from pick mode to pick mode. In addition to this flexible configuration capability, the UI flow has been optimized using a two-page approach. The main page deals with the transaction details and quantities at an item-level. Where required, a second level is used to handle detailed breakdowns, such as lot and serial information. Finally, additional capabilities have been provided to allow the user to control the way that LPN's are treated during the pick and load operations (e.g. moved, nested, repacked). *^Top*
Bulk Picking	Bulk picking is the consolidation of multiple picks for a single item, perform a single pick in bulk, and then deconsolidate these into their component picks at drop. This process is allows for increased operational efficiency in certain situations. Bulk Picking supports consolidation across Deliveries or Work Orders. This consolidation can be automated through Pick Release and/or controlled through the Task & Labor Planning Control Board and/or through a batch process. The Warehouse Management mobile screens are optimized for deconsolidation of bulked material at drop, including the handling of short picks and over picks. *^Top*
Catch Weight	Catch weight allows the stocking and transaction of material in the primary quantity (each, reel, case). However a secondary quantity and unit of measure can be entered during the picking step, or at any other point prior to ship confirmation using a new stand-alone mobile UI. You can use this information to control pricing and invoicing. You can use item configuration options to control the use of this feature and how (or if) default conversions should be performed. In addition, you can establish tolerances to minimize the potential for user error. *^Top*
Item Based Putaway	Many warehouses receive pallets or cases (LPNs) comprising multiple items. In some instances a received LPN may contain hundreds of items. These items may have to be putaway into different stock locators residing in various areas of the warehouse. It can increase efficiency if the operator has the option to control the put way process by selecting items from the LPN. The Item based putaway functionality allows the user to perform putaways in this mode by providing a new mobile UI. The user can then choose one or more items from an LPN and put them away. In addition, the "Drop All" feature enhances putaway efficiency by allowing the operator to putaway multiple loaded LPNs by routing him/her via the most optimal path through the warehouse. *^Top*
Over Picking	Over Picking allows you to over pick material, with ease and flexibility, when transacting Sales Orders and Manufacturing Component Move Order Requisition or Replenishment Picks. This feature enables over picking of material through the mobile interfaces and helps streamline and speed up the execution of the entire material picking process. *^Top*
Kitting & Assembly	Kitting is increasingly becoming a warehouse task. Most of the 3PL companies provide value added services to its customers by performing Kitting & Light Assembly process on its customers’ behalf in its warehousing facility. WMS fully supports these operations in 3PL environment. Kitting is the process of taking quantity of two or more SKUs and packing them together to create a new SKU as per some instructions. As the new SKU is created, they are confirmed into the system and Putaway transactions are generated. Once Putaway is complete, the stock is made available to fill outstanding orders. WMS is designed to process kits as items that are priced and sold as one piece, but that actually consist of a collection of other individual stock items, which may be sold individually. It can also provide flexibility, so that the processing of kits can be manual or fully automatic in operation. *^Top*
Order Consolidation	Orders where different products are picked from different zones by different pickers are consolidated in dock floor areas or shipping lanes. *^Top*
Remote Monitoring	Remote monitoring is a method of monitoring your warehouse network using your SNMP-enabled switches, to keep your network and hardware running error free and at top performance. Using a secure VPN, our remote monitoring partner, Adeste, connects to your network, and by using just two ports (Ping and SNMP), confirms that all devices are performing as expected.. If any irregularities are discovered (including possible intruders), your IT staff are notified instantly by email.
License Plate Number (LPN)	A License Plate Number (LPN) is a unique number (typically bar-coded) that can be assigned to any arbitrary group of inventory. LPNs enable users to perform complex inventory transactions via a single bar code scan, improving perform complex inventory transactions via a single bar code scan, improving efficiency and accuracy. LPN is a "mobile locator" that may be assigned to any set of inventory and which may then be used to transact against that inventory. This is sometimes called container management. Each LPN is typically associated with a unique barcode. In WMS, LPN's may be nested inside one another to an infinite depth and may contain a mix of different items, lots, serial, etc. The details of how an inbound receipt is packed (including full lot and serial information) can be sent in advance to WMS as LPN details contained in an Advance Shipping Notice (ASN). In addition, WMS has full capabilities for packing and unpacking items into LPN's. Use of LPN's greatly simplifies transaction processing in a warehouse. Every vendor carton that is processed through the distribution facility has a unique barcode license plate number. LPNs are automatically applied to cartons in the print and apply area during the receipt process. Carton LPNs are critical to the operation of the facility as they are used to track the movement of cartons from the point of receipt through processing, storage and distribution. Vendor, purchase order, SKU, and quantity information for the carton is associated to the LPN. *^Top*
Return Material Authorization	Return Materials Authorization provides your customer service and sales representatives the power to track return products from customers. RMA helps improve customer satisfaction by providing a centralized application for entry and resolution of material returns from customers. RMA processing allows you to provide your customers with a RMA number and later re-ship or credit the customer for the return. *^Top*
Staging Area	Shipping and receiving staging areas are often the first victims of contraction when other operations or functions require increased space. The sizing of a receiving area is dependent upon three principle elements: (1) the type of functions to be conducted, (2) the volume of goods handled and, (3) the frequency of shipments and receipts and number of items. Likewise the type, frequency, size, number of ship-to locations, delivery sequence, and shipping and loading time window dictate its size requirements. Staging area sizing must be at a minimum 15 to 40 linear feet of clear space from the doors to the storage area. The general rule of thumb for sizing a receiving staging area is to allow square footage equal to the footprint surface of the average receipt vehicle times the number of receipts anticipated at the peak of activity. This allows for the receipts to be off loaded upon arrival and held in a controlled receiving area until they can be inspected and accepted into inventory. Similarly, an operation that requires shipments to be consolidated for carrier pick ups at day's end must allow a shipping staging area equal to the square footage of the peak number of outbound pallets to be shipped. Such rules of thumb are only for staging space requirements and exclude the space requirements for return goods handling, packing, damage goods, packaging materials, pallet storage, battery charging area, truckers lounge, shipping office or trash handling *^Top*
Hold Codes	There are certain inventory items for which hold codes are assigned prior to their receipt in the warehouse. The moment they are received into the warehouse, the same is put on hold to fulfill a particular order waiting to be fulfilled. This prevents the inventory from the possibility of picking for some other order. *^Top*
Slotting	Inventory slotting or profiling is the process of identifying the most efficient placement for each item in a distribution center. Since each warehouse is different, proper slotting depends on a facility's unique product, movement, and storage characteristics. An optimal profile allows workers to pick items more quickly and accurately and reduces the risk of injuries. Slotting software will generally use item velocity (times picked), cube usage, and minimum pick face dimensions to determine best location. *^Top*