A slow and inefficient receiving and issuing process can affect the entire supply chain cycle and result in an underperforming logistics department.
The usual culprits are inadequate resources, shortage of time, increased workloads or incorrect use of technology and excess use of paper to maintain audit information of the process.
A WMS system like StockTrax significantly reduces the cost and process inefficiencies with using paper in warehouse operations as well as the costs associated with data entry by clerical staff.
Improving warehouse processes through automation
An organization can identify opportunities for cost savings process improvement through implementation of an automated warehouse management system.
Consider the following scenarios and the automation best practice which increases the ROI for the implementation.
| Process |
Offline Process/Drawback |
Best Practice/Benefits |
| Receiving |
- Use of paper receiving documents for goods receiving notes
- Requires manual consolidation and error corrections
- All receiving information is manually re-entered into ERP
|
- Download Purchase orders and receiving documents to mobile device
- Automatic consolidation of receiving information from single or multiple shipments along with immediate notification of excess or shortage
|
| Labeling and Identification |
- Handwritten labels which may contain wrong information
- Difficult to read due to handwriting and distance
|
- Clear printed and barcoded labels
- Easy to read and may be scannable from larger distances using long range barcode scanners
|
| Put-away |
- Manual identification of put away locations
- Recording locations on paper forms which take time to update into stock causing delays in availability of stock for issuing
- Misplaced or ‘orphan’ items which are separated from its lots
|
- Automatic recommendation of put-away location
- Directed putaway to avoid delays and incorrect placement of items
- Information is immediately updated to server for near real-time availability for issuing
|
| Picking |
- Collection of pick-slips or sales orders in paper form
- Manual assignment of pick-slips makes it difficult to track who is responsible for completion
- Picking time is longer as person has to manually hunt for items
|
- Pick-slips may be automatically assigned from the system or user can take ownership of the pick-slip
- Once assigned, the user is solely responsible for picking process
- Faster picking by use of location suggestion
- Accurate picking by use of barcode scanning of item and location to confirm system recommended picking
|
| Returns |
- Returned items need to be manually identified and if found to be resalable require manual putaway
|
- Items are identified quickly using barcode scanning
- Items can be put-away speedily using location recommendation
- Items are quickly moved to damaged, expired or first available resalable location for faster issuing to new sales orders
|
| Inventory check/cycle count |
- Paper based process taken multiple days to first collect date and then manually enter data into system
- Halts complete process of receiving and issuing
- Customer dissatisfaction due to delay in deliveries due to downtime
|
- Automatic assignment of inventory check groups to one or more mobile devices
- Separation of work to speed data collection process
- Does not require double-entry – data collected from the floor is immediately updated into the system
- Improves location identification and placement of items in the correct location
- 50% reduction in manual labor
- Audits can also be done in short batches to reduce downtime
- Elimination of stock shortage
- Tighter inventory control by location
|
StockTrax is a modular mobile solution that applies the best practices above to enable automation required to adapt to varied physical storage systems and meet diverse operational needs.
Companies can implement the system to get a near real-time view of their stock as it moves from receiving to packaging, to putaway and issuing against sales orders for shipment.
It also includes inventory and cycle counting processes to increase stock visibility and availability and at the same reducing errors and shortages in stock and items.
StockTrax increase the operational efficiency within the warehouse and logistics operations by:
- Complete traceability of items and stock movement through location recommendation and barcoding
- Reduce slowness in receiving and shipping
- Reduce chances of out-of-stock or spoilage due to excess
- Maximize the efficiency of handling processes
- Increase optimal use of resources
For a demo or learn more about StockTrax, contact Unique Computer Systems on info@ucssolutions.com
