Warehouse Management System is a computer program that provides a process for automating the management of warehouse processes in an enterprise.

The system allows you to optimize all internal business processes of the enterprise, increasing the efficiency of processes and resources, helping to reduce costs for each operation in the warehouse.

WMS-warehouse management system provides effective management of goods turnover at the enterprise of various industries. A set of certain functional characteristics of the system allows you to systematize accounting in a warehouse that has a different hierarchy of accounting and the level of complexity.

WMS warehouse management system will allow you to:

• human resource management;
• document management;
• monitoring warehouse operations;
• product identification in the system;
• warehouse operations with goods.

The automated warehouse management system allows you to quickly navigate the database of a warehouse of a large industrial enterprise, a wholesale and retail base, a customs terminal, transport company with a significant cargo turnover, a pharmacological company and other enterprises and organizations that carry out fast and error-free processing of goods.

This system is selected for each enterprise individually in accordance with real needs. It is possible to integrate WMS with other enterprise information systems, allowing you to check the entire turnover. In this case, all necessary reporting can be transferred to corporate system companies. It is not always advisable to use a WMS system with a full set of functionality. These systems require appropriate technical (server solution and Web technologies) and software.

An automated warehouse management system can be a ready-to-install software product. Such a system is developed on the basis of SAP, Oracle, Axapta and others ERP systems. It will be the optimal solution for a warehouse with simple standard technical processes. The system limits the ability to automate processes due to the versatility of the product. This system is designed for 10-25 WMS users.

A custom WMS system is being implemented on large enterprise with complex business processes. This system can be used on multiple platforms (typically IBM iSeries (AS/400) and Unix). Oracle and other high-tech DBMS are used as a database coordination system. The system is designed for 50 or more users. The functionality of the system is developed individually for the needs of the enterprise. The period of development and implementation can cover 1-2 years. World suppliers of these systems are Manhattan Associates, Catalyst International, RedPairie.

The WMS warehouse management system manages the material, cash and information flows that pass through the warehouse in real time. The system provides a comprehensive check of inventory at all stages of the technological cycle, taking into account all the characteristics of the product and the requirements for its storage. WMS allows you to streamline and optimize the course of warehouse work, significantly increasing its efficiency by reducing the duration and complexity of operations in the warehouse, increase the efficiency of accounting and the safety of goods during transportation.

The following automated warehouse management systems are in the greatest demand:

• Solvo.WMS (SOLVO firm) allows to control the turnover in medium and large warehouses with various forms of goods accounting;
• RadioBeacon WMS (Radio Beacon Inc.) is designed to automate complex distribution operations in the warehouse and increase the accuracy of work;
• the Exceed WMS 1000 system (developed by SSA Global) will be the optimal solution for warehouse accounting automation in small and medium-sized enterprises;
• Distribution Center Solution by Columbus IT Partner Russia has a number of developments for automating processes at trade enterprises, warehouses based on ERP systems and distribution centers;
• AWACS from Lambda Business Systems will be the best solution for a warehouse based on ERP systems;
• Avalon system vision (AVALON group) will allow online access to reporting data in the warehouse;
• COS.WMS of the Center for Open Systems and High Technologies;
• System #1 by Adalius will be the optimal solution for managing production warehouses and terminals, distribution centers and safekeeping warehouses;
• solutions based on 1C:Enterprise 8.0 products: Warehouse Management System and others.

WMS - warehouse automation through the eyes of the customer

E. Valkin, general
Director of Folio 2000 LLC
O. Serzhantova, Sales Manager at Folio 2000 LLC

Warehouse Logistics Automation, or WMS, the warehouse management system that is so popular these days, is usually viewed from a developer's perspective, yet potential customers often feel that the issues they care about are not covered. In this article, we will consider the application of a warehouse logistics automation system from the point of view of a consumer, and not a professional supplier. The theses set forth in it can be taken as a kind of guide for understanding the need to use a warehouse logistics management system for business, an overview of the options and opportunities that it can give.

So, imagine that you are a potential user of the WMS system, and we, in turn, will try to consider the most pressing issues that arise when choosing it.

What is a Warehouse Management System (WMS)?

WMS (Warehouse Management System) is a warehouse management system based on automatic identification technology using the principle of address storage and a remote method of personnel management.

The warehouse management system allows you to automate and optimize the procedures for receiving, placing, storing, processing and shipping goods in warehouses of various types.

Dividing the warehouse into zones for the most effective work, WMS manages the work and movement of warehouse equipment and employees on its territory, controls it, promptly plans tasks for personnel, taking into account the current situation. Her task is to manage the entire warehouse process - from waiting for the receipt of goods to their delivery according to customer orders.

At the same time, based on the real needs of the customer, the volume of system implementation may vary. from entry level(solution based on paper worksheets) to a full-featured version that manages the warehouse in real time, using bar-coding technologies, radio equipment for data transmission (radio terminals and data collection terminals), positioning systems for warehouse equipment and other automation tools.

Tasks of WMS and benefits from its implementation

With ten years behind me practical experience implementation by the company "Folio" warehouse logistics systems, we see that customers want to use WMS to solve such urgent tasks as increasing profitability of warehouse operation and trade by increasing turnover, reducing losses and costs, intensifying the work of personnel and increasing the level of control.

At the same time, the desire is expressed for a quick payback of investments made in the automation of warehouse management, which is achievable only under certain conditions. To do this, we can recommend a not too expensive and easily implemented system, tested on a large number of objects.

Through the implementation of the WMS system, the customer receives:

• orderly work of the warehouse– all actions in the warehouse (shipment, acceptance, etc.) are performed in accordance with the tasks issued by the WMS;
• increase the speed of work due to faster shipment and receipt of goods, no downtime and unorganized work;
• full control current state warehouse: during address storage, the program at any time determines the location and number of desired product in each cell (where and what lies); accounting can be conducted in several packing units;
• reducing the number of errors in the receipt, shipment and picking of orders due to the availability of procedures for automatic verification of the task and the fact of its completion using radio terminals or data collection terminals with memory (excluding regrading and theft);
• billing - billing of services in safekeeping warehouses, automatic billing for warehouse tenants on the basis of the history of warehouse operations stored in the computer with the goods of this company and the terms of tariffication under the contract;
• optimization and control of product placement when receiving and shipping using information about the storage conditions of this product and the location parameters of the warehouse cell (including information about batches of goods, expiration dates, storage specifics, etc.);
• efficient storage area management will allow to increase the turnover with the same area of ​​the warehouse, to determine the "slow" goods, excess space for use in another type of activity;
• personnel control and increased responsibility for their actions- fixing the moment of performing operations of unloading, receiving, moving, reconciliation, inventory, etc. and accounting for the employees who initiated this operation and performed it with the preservation of history. The execution time is recorded in the database and thus a report on the performance of each employee can be obtained. Accurate knowledge of the load of each employee increases labor productivity and is an additional motivation to improve its quality;
• unloading staff from routine work and coordination staff work, reduction in the number of employees involved in loading and unloading operations by reducing the time it takes to search for goods in the warehouse and the time it takes to enter goods into a document. The program gives the loader a task for the radio terminal or a route sheet, according to which he accurately finds the right product;
• automatic calculation of piecework wages for warehouse workers using the data on completed transactions available in the program;
• the use of WMS eliminates dependence on the qualifications and mood of the staff, as it allows you to quickly train and use workers with low professional qualifications due to the simplification of work in the warehouse.

In what areas are WMS systems used?

The use of a warehouse logistics management system is relevant for all types of trade (wholesale, wholesale and retail, retail, retail chains with remote warehouses, trade from a warehouse in the presence of all types of traveling trade).

WMS suitable for automation all types of warehouses(warehouse complexes, warehouse networks, warehouse terminals, distribution centers, 3PL operators, warehouses industrial enterprises producing consumer goods, including food products and warehouses of refrigeration plants, warehouses for safekeeping), for automation archival storage and all activities related to the reception of large volumes of storage, their movement and preservation. They are also used to account for the storage and movement of material and technical assets.

When should you consider implementing WMS?

A warehouse logistics management system is necessary in all cases where the business process contains:

• large storage volumes and a large number of storage locations;
• a large range of stored goods and materials (more than 500 units);
• a large volume of the warehouse (over 1000 m 2), which requires optimization of the placement and address storage of goods.

WMS is necessary in safekeeping warehouses for billing customer services, as well as in the absence of too fast goods movement (most of the goods remain in the warehouse for at least one day).

WMS system selection criteria

Here are the criteria that a user needs to make a decision in favor of a particular program, in order of their importance, which was determined by Folio employees as a result of many years of observation of thousands of working and potential clients of the Folio WMS solution.

1. Evaluation of WMS capabilities in relation to the needs of the customer's existing business process. For a correct assessment, a description of business processes should be presented or at least a pre-project survey should be carried out. Otherwise, a misunderstanding of the processes can lead not only to an erroneous assessment, but also to fundamental errors in the work.

2. The cost of the proposed WMS solution.

3. History of implemented WMS implementations.

4. The breadth of WMS functionality and its flexibility.

5. The prospect of developing the program in parallel with the development of business solutions.

6. Easy to use WMS for staff.

7. Ease of staff training.

8. Availability of the developer for prompt resolution of warehouse logistics issues, if necessary.

9. Adaptability of the system to existing software.

10. Adaptability of the system to the existing practice of business mentality and workflow (this is especially true when choosing imported systems).

Features of warehouse automation depending on the purpose

Despite the apparent uniformity of warehouse management procedures - the receipt, storage and movement of goods using the principle of address storage, warehouses for different purposes will have their own specific application, and these features should be taken into account when automating the functionality of warehouse logistics. Folio's long experience of working with various clients has made it possible to identify some typical solutions for different areas of activity, which we will briefly discuss below.

When automating control distribution warehouse it is necessary to ensure the entire cycle of acceptance and shipment of goods belonging to different owners and received from different suppliers. Intensive trade requires fast work with large volumes and a large range of goods, a clear identification of their location. It is necessary to form orders and send them on the day of receipt of the order, while their types and specifics of formation may have different execution algorithms. It should provide automatic control of the shipped goods and automatic tracking of sorting, take into account returns and make adjustments to the distribution already made.

Warehouse logistics in real time must guarantee the efficient use of warehouse space, determine the optimal (and, if necessary, minimum) level of warehouse stocks, and resolve the issue of their timely replenishment. And this, of course, is only a small list of tasks that should be solved in warehouses of this type.

With automation pharmaceutical and food warehouses necessary requirements for a WMS solution are address storage and automatic control of storage conditions in accordance with the specified parameters (temperature, humidity, etc.), automatic identification of consignments of goods by shelf life, work with certificates, serial accounting of goods.

Automatic reconciliation of the shipped and declared goods in case of intensive turnover will exclude regrading, provide control over the quantity and range of shipped goods. At the same time, all actions of the personnel and all movements of goods are recorded, including intra-warehouse movements and shipment to remote warehouses.

For production warehouses, having an intensive turnover with a large range of materials used and finished products, the warehouse logistics automation solution will allow automatic labeling of places and storage units in different packaging, automatic recording of receipts and write-offs, generated orders in the WMS system, automatic verification of the declared order range, fixing defects, marking, movement and accounting of finished products, control staff actions.

In addition to the above features, the functionality for working 3PL operators must minimize costs, associated with the processing and storage of goods, provide work with goods of different owners, automate intra-warehouse and inter-warehouse transfers, implement cross-docking work, as well as work with certificates, identify batches by expiration dates, automate the assembly of kits and products, packaging and repacking, make additional complete sets , carry out the return of goods that did not fit in the car, carry out correction of an already made distribution.

In addition to a large set of automated algorithms for receiving and distributing goods, it is possible to advisory(arbitrary) nature of distribution, in which the distribution decision is made depending on the current situation, but information about the action taken automatically fixed in the system.

The program for managing warehouse logistics should have an open and simple configuration interface that allows the user to set the new parameters of cells (storage locations), goods and algorithms for optimal placement, shipment and movement of goods.

This non-exhaustive list of features is based on the needs of our very diverse clients, who over the years have optimized their inventory management using the Folio suite of software. All these options are implemented and actively used in the Folio WMS system.

How much time and money is needed to implement WMS?

The proposed Warehouse Management System (WMS) is an implementation solution, not a production run, although the main part of the tasks necessary for implementation has already been solved in a ready-made replicated system. In practice, there are cases when highly qualified employees of the customer, using only the advice of specialists and teaching materials, themselves carried out the successful implementation of the WMS Folio.

The scope of WMS implementation may vary from entry level to fully functional system, operating in real time. The choice of option is determined by many factors, such as the complexity of implementation, budget, etc.

Economy class level. "Folio WMS Kit" - a complete kit for the automation of a warehouse at storage locations along with radio equipment, installation and initial education for 5300 euros (set of programs and devices).

The program is combined with modern technological equipment and progressive warehouse management technology, and its cost is minimal in the market of similar solutions created in Russia.

The supplied set of programs and devices is used to work at a small warehouse facility or to start automating individual sections of large warehouses, it can be easily expanded by purchasing additional copies of the program and equipment and can be the initial step in automating complex objects.

WMS provides full-featured remote warehouse management, including personnel and equipment, in real time using bar-coding technologies and radio terminals, remote control. The kit comes with installed and configured software, as well as a complete list of equipment that is necessary for the system to work. The quoted price also includes three days of training, setup and startup assistance.

Full-scale WMS solution project allows you to automate the full cycle of managing the entire warehouse process - from waiting for the acceptance of goods to their delivery according to customer orders and implemented by the developer's specialists.

The full-scale implementation of the Folio WMS system is focused on the automation of enterprises, warehouses with large areas and networks with remote warehouses with tens of thousands of storage cells and thousands of items, with intensive commodity circulation and working with hundreds and thousands of incoming and outgoing pallets per day.

It involves the use of high-tech warehouse equipment: high-bay racks, stackers, forklifts, conveyor lines, hand-held and forklift-mounted radios, barcode scanners, laptops, different types complete set of goods: pallet, box, piece, container. Provides cross-docking.

This solution includes:

• pre-project survey and preparation of a preliminary estimate for the work and programs performed;
• drafting terms of reference in accordance with the business process of the customer (at his request);
• finalization and adaptation of the WMS solution to the tasks and business process of the customer;
• commissioning related to the implementation and installation software;
• commissioning related to setting up the WMS hardware;
• post-warranty support after launch within 6 months;
• training;
• selection and supply of recommended equipment at the request of the customer.

Duration of implementation - from 1 to 6 months.

First level. Circulation (boxed) solution "Folio LogistikSklad" with software installation and its subsequent configuration.

Supports the functions of commodity accounting, warehouse logistics and personnel management using data collection terminals (when using a radio channel, an additional program is required "Folio Radio Terminal"). This solution is used if the enterprise is not ready for a full-scale implementation of "Folio WMS" or the introduction of an economy class product "Folio WMS Kit", but is in dire need of streamlining the work of the warehouse with an increase in the efficiency of its use, real-time status monitoring with quick search for goods, saving the history of its movement and monitoring the actions of personnel.

It is used for low-budget automation of the enterprise and requires the presence of qualified and responsible warehouse personnel. The disadvantage of the application boxed version there may be an incorrect statement of work on warehouse automation with insufficient qualifications of employees implementing WMS.

Installation and configuration of such a solution can be performed by the customer or the developer.

Exclusion of typical risks at the customer

The experience of the Folio company shows that the use of the developer's employees in the automation of an enterprise or automation of a warehouse, at least for initial setting accounting with minimal initial setup and pre-project survey of the business process of the customer's enterprise will avoid typical errors and risks of inefficient work associated with insufficient knowledge of the software functionality by the customer, reduce time commissioning, will put the work of the enterprise on stream and, in general, will save the financial resources of the customer.

Installation and initial configuration of the boxed version of "Folio WMS" takes 3-5 days, depending on the features of the business process of the customer enterprise and the organizational work of its staff.

Self-implementation of WMS in the automation of enterprises requires complete knowledge by the customer's employees of:

• the functionality of the purchased software;
• the current business process of the customer's enterprise;
• abnormal situations of the customer's business process, the frequency of their occurrence and ways to resolve them using software.

An example of evaluating the payback on the implementation of the warehouse logistics management system "Folio WMS"

The increase in revenues resulting from the implementation of Folio WMS was calculated by one of the enterprises with foreign investment, which has a large trading network in different regions of Russia. According to estimates made by foreign owners, while maintaining the volume of trade, the speed of shipment and movement of goods increased by 50%.

Only by saving the wages of four warehouse employees from average salary 20 thousand rubles for the year of operation of the system, the economic effect from the use of WMS amounted to 960 thousand rubles, thus, the funds invested in it were directly fully paid off.

Savings due to the exclusion of sorting and theft amounted to 30% of the turnover of the warehouse. Employees who practiced theft simply quit.

The comfort of work for the client and the enterprise itself has sharply increased due to the shipment and delivery of goods at exactly the specified time, the specified range and the specified quantity. The downtime of the warehouse and the search for the necessary goods have stopped.

Fixing and storing the history of all the actions of the staff made it possible to objectively argue for an increase or decrease wages employees, manage their actions by defining current tasks and increasing the amount of work, justifiably punish the perpetrators for the mistakes made if there is documentary evidence of the actions taken.

In this project, a full implementation cycle was used, which took 4 months: pre-project preparation with an assessment of the business process and characteristics of the warehouse, assessment of the recommended equipment and its characteristics, refinement for business processes, implementation, support during warranty period, employee training. The cost of software and its implementation amounted to less than the first half-year profit from the use of the system.

WMS is an abbreviation of the English "Warehouse Management System", or "warehouse management system". You can often find the Russian-language abbreviation SUS, and some manufacturers refer their systems not even to WMS, but to IMS (inventory management system), WCMS (warehouse complex management system), and so on. Those who are a little more immersed in the warehouse theme, when they mention warehouse management, they immediately recall radio terminals, labels, barcodes and other mandatory implementation attributes. Those who are less loaded associate the expression "warehouse management" with "warehouse accounting", which sometimes leads to some terminological disagreements: if barcodes are a reference to automatic identification technologies, then "warehouse accounting" is more often associated with the preparation of shipping documentation and information maintenance. about stock balances.

Before we move on to the first section, I would like to say that the article does not aim to cover all possible functionality. It is rather introductory - just for those who have heard or know general words about WMS, but want to learn more.

Automatic identification

In simple terms, the essence of AI can be determined directly from the name. A variety of goods come to the warehouse, and one of critical tasks is to identify the parameters of each cargo at the input and output. The parameter most often is the name and logistics packaging, a little less often - expiration dates and production dates, manufacturer, production lot number, and so on. Naturally, it is impossible to use a centralized data warehouse to transfer this data between participants in the logistics chain, which is why information has to be placed directly on a single, group and / or transport package in the form of a label or radio tag. Most often, barcode labels are used, although sometimes it is possible to find goods marked with radio tags (for example, clothes sewn in Europe). Since radio tags are used extremely rarely, you can also find a barcode on products. Thus, if we do not have equipment for reading RFID tags, we can use a barcode.

Barcodes are different formats, but EAN-13 and EAN-128 are most commonly used. The first usually includes information about the product and the logistic unit, and the second is the so-called "block" code, and can be represented not even by one, but by several labels, where each subsequent one will complement the previous one. The block code is divided into segments, separated from each other by special separator characters, and each segment contains a data type identifier, as well as the data itself. The data type identifier can be "product", "best before", "date of production", and much more. Since the content of the EAN-128 code is standardized, this code is often used by manufacturers.

Execution control

There is such a class of management information systems as "execution control systems". Their task is to use a variety of tools (barcode scanners, check numbers, and so on) to make sure that the task was completed by the performer. Just for the purpose of monitoring execution, all objects with which employees can perform any operations are marked with a barcode in the warehouse. For example, each cell of the warehouse (storage place) receives its own barcode, where goods can be placed. Let's now think about how we control the execution of the task of placing the load in the cell? Decomposing this problem into simple components, we have:

1) The employee approached the given load located in the given place
2) The employee moved with the cargo to the specified cell
3) The employee placed the load in the cell

Thus, to ensure execution control, we need a barcode not only for the cell, but also for the cargo. If we give an employee the opportunity to scan a barcode with a special scanner at each stage, we can determine that he:

1) Approached the cell from where it is necessary to remove the cargo (scanning the bar code of the original cell)
2) Picked up the correct load (scanning the barcode of the load)
3) Delivered the cargo to the target cell (scanning the barcode of the target cell)

Depending on the enterprise and the type of warehouse that we automate, a wide variety of equipment can be used: radio terminals, information kiosks, pick-by-light, put-to-light systems, as well as commonplace computers with a connected USB scanner located close to the original ones. and target cells. Most often, however, you can find exactly radio terminals - special industrial PDAs with a built-in barcode scanner (and not only - depending on the configuration). All radio terminals are connected to a common radio network, so that the employee receives step-by-step instructions on the terminal screen: “Go to the place ... and scan its barcode”, “Take the load ... and scan its barcode”, “Place in the cell ... and scan its barcode” . In addition to execution control, we also get useful statistics about the time an employee moves between cells, as well as the time spent at each stage of the task. The main thing is not to get carried away too much, as scanning a barcode also takes some time, and in those warehouses where a large number of operations are performed - for example, 20,000 operations per shift - a delay of even 2 seconds will give 40,000 seconds of overhead, which is more than 11 resource/hours.

end-to-end dispatching

Considering that each employee is equipped with a radio terminal and performs tasks in a step-by-step mode, it's time to think about where these tasks come from. The scheduling functionality is one of the fundamental capabilities of WMS, and it is precisely the correctly configured and efficient algorithm distribution of the current volume of tasks between performers allows the warehouse to work quickly and efficiently. Imagine an employee on, say, a forklift. The loader travels around the warehouse and has the ability to put and remove goods from the racks, as well as move them between floor cells. Not all relevant this moment tasks have the same priority: there are higher priority ones (if a car has arrived and is waiting for us to ship the goods), and lower priority ones (the gate next to this car has recently finished accepting goods, and there are goods for placement). The dispatching algorithm can go in several ways:

1) Execute all tasks by FIFO (tasks are executed in the sequence in which they were created)
2) First, arrange the goods that arrived at the warehouse, and then send the contractor for shipment (you can also do it in reverse order)
3) Complete the entire list of tasks in the "passing" mode

Now more about the "passing" mode: the goods to be placed in the car, which is waiting for shipment, are in the warehouse, in the so-called "shipping expedition zone". Imagine that these are places on the front racks, located close to the gate. We take the cargo, bring it into the transport (or bring it to the loaders at the gate), then we take another cargo from the neighboring gate for placement, put it near the next cargo from the shipping expedition area, and continue the shipment procedure, alternating it - thus - with the procedure arrangements from acceptance. Often this functionality is called "task interleaving" (task interleaving), and it is the ability to flexible settings and the presence of ready-made algorithms characterizes a really good WMS.

In addition to moving goods with a forklift, there are many other operations that can be performed by hundreds of employees in parallel. In this case, it is important to distribute tasks in such a way that not only ensure the required prioritization, but also prevent such elementary nonsense as sending several performers to the same alley (passage between racks), where they will push and interfere with each other. At this point, a literate reader will probably comment that it is important not only to get rid of collisions, but also to distribute loads across the warehouse in such a way as to ensure a uniform load on the available area, but one does not exclude the other, but complements, which we will see when we talk about placement strategies.

Placement strategies

Here we have to digress a little and consider the current classification of WMS. As a rule, in most cases, 3 classes are distinguished: “boxed” systems, adaptable and custom. Boxed products have a fixed logic that can only be changed by setting parameters. Adaptable systems offer ample opportunities for configuring algorithms using rules and constructors, while custom systems are written for a specific customer, and - in addition to fixed logic - often do not even have basic tools for prompt changes.

Why did I turn to classifying systems when the chapter is about placement strategies? Because most WMS users under the “placement strategy” are used to seeing exactly what is offered by the cheapest “boxed” level systems, like this: “The first one is in the recruitment area, the rest are in storage”, “Put next to the same product”, “Heavy - down, light - up”, and so on. The most significant limitation of such a representation is the mixing of "warm" with "soft". For example, we may well want to do everything at the same time: place heavy ones down, light ones up, put newly arrived cargo next to the same goods, and put the first incoming cargo in the collection zone, so as not to waste time on replenishment later. That is why, in adaptable systems, the concept of "strategy" is very arbitrary: you can design dozens and even hundreds of rules that will build the logic exactly as it is now needed. This is a huge advantage of adaptable systems over boxed ones when it comes to a commercial cargo handling warehouse that provides storage and handling services (so-called 3PL warehouses). After all, when a new bailor (a warehouse client) comes to the warehouse, he can have a variety of products: from nuts and canned food to chilled meat. There are situations when cargo has to be placed taking into account such unimaginable attributes as the first few characters of the product name.

Nevertheless, whatever the system is, one of its important advantages will be the availability of ready-made rules (options) that can be used - this will greatly save time when preparing the system for operation.

Redundancy Strategies

The reservation procedure allows you to fix a certain amount (volume, weight) of goods in favor of a certain document, operation or other accounting object. Since inventory accounting in the warehouse management system has a rather serious level of detail, including information about the location of the cargo, it is not entirely correct to reserve goods immediately, taking into account the entire volume of details. Let's start with the fact that a certain document enters the warehouse management system, on the basis of which we must make a reservation. Let's say it will be a customer order for the shipment of a certain amount of goods. First, we must make sure that the indicated quantity is in stock, otherwise there is no point in sending this document to work. It is this reservation option, which establishes a reserve at the level of the item and some basic accounting parameters, is often called the "top-level reserve". It is usually performed according to the following parameters:

1) Product (material)
2) Warehouse (if the system serves several physical warehouses)
3) The owner of the stock (depositor)
4) Type / category of stock (free use, suspicion of marriage, quarantine, discounted, etc.)
5) Lot number or code (possibly a composite attribute)

You can list the list as long as you like, because advanced control systems can take into account many inventory accounting parameters, and even expand this list without the need for programming.

As you can see, the top-level reserve is created for the document, since the document is the highest (enlarged) level of detail in the control system, which has to work at the level of atomic operations. But it is precisely to perform atomic operations that it is necessary to create reserves at the “lower” level, which includes the identifier of the cell and cargo. The fact is that there can be several tasks for the same cargo, and it is impossible to allow two employees to be sent to one place, one of whom suddenly, on the way to the cell, finds out that there is clearly not enough goods to complete the task. Moreover, some systems impose a reserve at the level of the warehouse zone, building tasks in real time, and it is precisely such systems that the above conflicts are possible.

Naturally, the upper level reserve must take into account the lower level reserve, so the two reserves rarely coexist - more often they are converted from one level to another. It is within the framework of this transformation that the system must determine in which areas of the warehouse which operations will need to be performed. For example, you want to ship 1000 pieces, and one pallet contains 600 pieces. The box contains 40 pieces. Thus, the control system must find one whole pallet for 600 pieces, and collect another 400 pieces in ten boxes. Since it is extremely difficult to pick up goods from a great height (you can use special equipment or, trivially, a ladder, but the equipment is expensive, and the ladder implies very low productivity), lower tiers are used to pick up boxes and / or pieces, allowing an employee of average height to reach to the required loads.

Again, depending on the class of the system, the strategy can be represented by a fixed algorithm with options for settings, or a flexible logic of rules. The reservation strategy is most often tied to a specific zone of the warehouse, therefore, a list of "overview" by the system of zones of the warehouse is obtained, indicating how exactly the goods will be reserved in this zone, for example:

1) Full pallet reservation in storage area (higher priority)
2) Reservation by FEFO (first expired - first out) in the dialing zone (lower priority)

In adaptable systems, with a high degree of probability, it will be possible to create rules in relation to arbitrary attributes, and not just to the type of order or product, as is implemented in cheap "boxed" options. Thus, we return again to 3PL warehouses, where flexibility plays a big role in competitiveness, and once again we state that adaptable systems are the most suitable for such objects.

Formation of tasks

After the transformation from the upper level reserve to the lower level reserve has been completed, we will receive two types of tasks: tasks for the movement of entire pallets (which can be performed using lifting and transport equipment, hereinafter referred to as PTO), and tasks for set (selection, picking, order picking - there are many terms). Now the following problem arises: tasks need to be combined into groups according to a number of characteristics in order to ensure their effective execution.

We have already mentioned moving tasks, and they greatly simplify any further optimization by the fact that the PTO operator can take only one pallet per move, so something can be improved only by arranging tasks in a certain sequence. Of course, there is a variant of equipment with long forks (you can take two pallets at a time), as well as low pallets (several pallets are stacked on top of each other, and the equipment transports them), but I would take a review of such algorithms next time.

Set assignments truly open up scope for creativity. The fact is that the set zones for transport, group and single packages can be both separate and combined. Some zones are located on the same level of the warehouse, and one employee can recruit in all these zones at the same time, and some are divided by levels (for example, a multi-level mezzanine for piece recruitment), and one performer will not be able to get into another zone of the warehouse . In addition, units of different sizes are collected in fundamentally different containers. If transport and group packages are usually collected on large commodity carriers (for example, wooden pallets), then piece and small-piece units can be collected in boxes or trays.

So, the system needs to combine tasks by execution zones, then group them according to a common feature (in some warehouses, order-by-order picking is used, while in others, the entire flight is recruited at once). Further, depending on the zone and - as we have already said - packaging, it is necessary to choose the optimal container for the set, and distribute tasks by container units. After that, the system generates a set of containers for the performer, and only after all the indicated steps do we get a finished task for the performer. Please note that the performer will not scroll through the list of orders on his radio terminal, and will not decide in what order he needs to complete the tasks. The algorithm of its work will look something like this:

1) "Take: 1 pallet, 2 trays"
The contractor takes a pallet and 2 plastic trays, scanning their barcodes and confirming the correct sizes to the system.
2) "Go to location X"
The performer scans the barcode of the place
3) "Take item Y in quantity Z, and confirm the quantity"
At this stage, the performer can change the quantity of the typed goods. A situation may arise when he does not find the required quantity in the cell, and the system must offer him an alternative, if any.
4) "Put the indicated amount on the pallet / tray N, and scan its barcode"
The contractor scans the barcode of the pallet or tray - depending on what the system indicates, and confirms that the selection was made in the correct container
5) …
Again: different systems - different levels of detail and options, but it is the system that “decides” which tasks, in what sequence and in what containers it will collect specific employee.

Consolidation zone management

As we have already said, tasks can be grouped in completely different ways. One performer can simultaneously pick up 4 trays belonging to different orders, and, moreover, different flights. Another contractor will collect transport packages for several different orders on one pallet in order to optimize warehouse runs. At the exit, all goods must be sorted so that it is convenient to load them into transport and, accordingly, unload them from transport.

The recruiter shouldn't have to think about all this. The system should give him a clear task: go to a specific place in the consolidation zone, unload 1 tray there, 2 more trays to another place, and the last one to the third. The next employee will receive information on how to distribute the transport packages collected on a pallet to the cells of the same zone. The result is that we get optimally sorted cargo that can be brought to the transport and loaded, being sure that the system has withstood the correct sorting (the first loads are loaded according to those orders that will be unloaded from the transport last).

Summary

This is the foundation, the most basic part of almost any industrial WMS. Now there are many systems on the market, about which they say that “they are all 90% similar”, but only the processes that they automate are similar in them. Implementation - of course - varies greatly, and this is what makes it possible for more than a hundred different products to coexist in the same market. I hope subsequent articles will be able to give the reader even more useful information about the differences between systems and the principles by which they work.

The SEVCO WMS computer system is a powerful and flexible warehouse management tool.

SEVCO WMS system:

A high-performance system based on the 1C platform, has a huge useful functionality, great customization options.

Able to manage warehouses with various racking systems and work technologies.

Supports barcoding technologies using data collection radio terminals, 3D visualization, Pick by Voice, Pick by Light, Put to Light.

Integration with robotic warehouse equipment.

Information technology support in 24/7 mode.

Among the users of the system are the largest distribution, manufacturing and logistics companies. Warehouse area - from 1500 m2 to 65000 m2.

The geography of implementation - from Kaliningrad to Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Unique methodological and program developments in the field of warehouse operation analysis technology and personnel motivation system.

Working with a highly professional team of warehouse logistics practitioners.

How to test the "SEVCO WMS" system:

After acquaintance (telephone conversation and/or filling out a questionnaire), we will send an adequate commercial offer.

We will conduct a remote presentation of the work of the SEVCO WMS system with a demonstration of the functionality you need.

We will provide remote demo access to the SEVCO WMS system.

We organize reference visits to working warehouses.

In the "Documentation Library" section of the site, you can download presentation materials.

Attend monthly practical events at working warehouses. Dates of events on the site www.academ-sklad.ru

Operation of a high-intensity warehouse complex

The SEVCO company operates its own high-intensity warehouse:

area 10000 m 2 , ceiling height over 7 m;

has 16 loading and unloading posts equipped with dock levelers and dock shelters;

modern handling equipment is used (stackers, loaders, lifting tables);

equipped with frontal and gravity rack structures of EUR and FIN standard, with a capacity of more than 8000 pallet places;

serves a company that is one of the largest distributors of food products in Russia;

implemented modern system warehouse management "SEVCO WMS", technologies of address accounting and bar coding, data collection terminals are used;

works on paperless technology and has implemented a unique analysis system.

The company also operates a motor transport enterprise:

more than 40 vehicles of various carrying capacity;

serves 270 - 300 delivery points in Moscow and the region daily, incl. All chain hypermarkets;

implemented GPS monitoring system for determining the position of transport;

own workshop.

The SEVCO WMS computer warehouse management system becomes a flexible and powerful tool with which you can achieve your goals. The system is able to support the work of both small and large warehouses with high work intensity.

Warehouses operating on the SEVCO WMS system

SEVCO WMS Implementation Stages

As a rule, a WMS-system implementation project is implemented in three stages:

• development of warehouse operation technology (rules for warehouse operations);
• installation (initial setup, integration with the corporate information system) and staff training;
• commissioning.

STAGE 1. DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY FOR PERFORMING WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS

The development of a technology for performing warehouse operations is one of the key factors for the successful completion of a project to implement a warehouse management system. Technology refers to the rules for performing warehouse operations and the resources necessary for this. In our opinion, a well-designed technology is 80% project success. It should be noted that our company has an extensive library of standard, proven solutions for various warehouses. We formed the library on the basis of a study of the work of European and domestic warehouses, as well as our own 15 years of experience.

When developing technology, the specialists of our company are guided by the following fundamental principles:

1. Research of initial data - how and for what the warehouse is used.
2. Process approach:

• allocation of warehouse procedures;
• establishing their sequence and interaction;
• their monitoring, measurement and analysis;
• undertaking the actions necessary to achieve planned results and continuous improvement these processes.

Use, if possible, the library of standard solutions.

The technology for performing warehouse procedures should be simple to understand and execute.

The technology description contains three sections:

1. Technological zones of the warehouse and rules:

the composition and size of technological zones are indicated;

types of storage and handling equipment used;

types of equipment used for work WMS systems;

personnel structure, subordination scheme, functional responsibilities;

the composition of warehouse procedures is determined;

establishes and describes the rules necessary to describe the rules for the implementation of warehouse and control procedures, incl. rules:

Marking of places of technological zones (addressing system) and personnel;

Marking of goods and shipping units (pallets, boxes, bags, etc.) in the warehouse;

Stacking goods on shipping units;

Placement of goods in the warehouse;

Selection of goods in the warehouse according to customer orders;

Definitions of shortages and surpluses, etc.

Rules for the implementation of warehouse procedures. The description of the warehouse fulfillment regulations is carried out by two types of documents:

procedure card - it indicates how a group of employees, interacting with each other, performs the warehouse procedure;

work instruction- it specifies in detail what and how the employee must do to perform the action provided for by the procedure card;

description of the procedure map in the notation ARIS.

1. Rules for the implementation of control procedures. One of the main tasks of the warehouse management system is to control:

• safety of goods in the warehouse;
• relevance of information.

Control procedures define a set of measures to perform the above tasks. The set and rules for their implementation are developed taking into account Russian reality. Allows you to effectively detect shortages, surpluses, errors in the work of personnel. The description of the rules for the implementation of control procedures is similar to the description of the rules for the implementation of warehouse procedures.

Terms of reference for the revision of the corporate information system(hereinafter CIS) to ensure its integration with WMS system.

Exchange of information between CIS and WMScarried out through text files in encoding ANSI according to the following principle:

• two exchange directories are created on the server:

  IN- exchange directory from WMS in CIS

  OUT- exchange directory from CIS to WMS
• when unloading data, the system uploads the file to the appropriate directory.

• to download, each system checks for certain files in the corresponding directory, automatically downloads it, processes it, and removes it from the directory.

  To exchange between CIS and WMSit is necessary to finalize the CIS to perform the functions of file exchange. The completion of the CIS is carried out by the Customer and is not a difficult task. According to our estimates, it will take about 100 man-hours to complete them.

The results of stage #1 are:

• The document "Technology of the warehouse".
• The document "Working instructions for warehouse workers."
• The document "Terms of Reference for the revision of CIS".

STAGE 2. WMS SYSTEM INSTALLATION AND STAFF TRAINING

In accordance with the developed technology, our specialists, together with the Customer's specialists, perform the installation and initial configuration of the WMS system. The procedure for conducting a pre-launch inventory is developed and described.SEVCO specialists provide training for future key WMS users. Key users train all other warehouse personnel.For training, as a rule, it is necessary to allocate two specialists from the logistics department and two IT specialists-department. The training takes place over two days. The first day is theoretical, the second day is practical. Theoretical classes take place in the office with a demonstration on a warehouse model. Practical classes take place in the warehouse. Key users perform the main technological operations. The scope of training allows you to gain the necessary skills to work with the WMS in accordance with the document "Technology of warehouse operation". Based on the results of the training, the Contractor conducts testing and provides the Customer with a report on the training.

The results of stage #2 are:

• Installed and configured WMS system in the warehouse.
• Trained key users.
• The document "The procedure for conducting a complete inventory."
• Document " SEVCO - WMS . User guide".

STAGE 3. START-UP

Commissioning is one of the most critical and stressful moments of the project. The stage begins with an inventory, after which the warehouse begins to work on a new technology.SEVCO specialists are present at the site throughout the entire stage, monitor the operation of the equipment and the WMS system and provide, if necessary, prompt assistance.

The results of stage #3 are:

• sustainable work WMS

STAGE 4. DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY FOR ANALYSIS OF WAREHOUSE FUNCTIONING

The main objective of this technology is to monitor and analyze processes in the warehouse. The basis for monitoring and analysis is the process measurement system. For this purpose, the system of numerical indicators of warehouse operation (hereinafter referred to as IRS) is used in the WMS.

IRS are calculated on the basis of measurements for the period for each warehouse procedure. Measurements reflect:

• amount of work performed;

  the speed of the procedure;

  quality ;

  the time the warehouse is working on the procedure;

  the total time spent by all employees to complete the scope of work.

The list of IRS and the model of their analysis depend on the nature of cargo handling, the situation in the warehouse. The document "Technology for analyzing the functioning of a warehouse" contains the following sections:

numerical indicators of the quality of the warehouse, the speed of operations, the efficiency of the use of personnel and equipment;

reports in the WMS system that allow you to receive selected indicators;

rules for the analysis of numerical indicators;

decision-making procedures based on the analysis of numerical indicators.

The results of stage #4 are:

• Warehouse operating on new technology.
• sustainable work WMS systems and related equipment.
• The document "Technology for analyzing the functioning of the warehouse."

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM «SEVCO-WMS»

Technologies :

Work under the control of the leading DBMS

The main advantages of modern DBMS (1C Enterprise): high scalability and reliability, efficient management and settings, stability.

• Integration with financial system enterprise and other external modules

  The system integrates with any existing financial system of the enterprise and provides interaction between the warehouse and the Sales Order modules.
  

• Support for data collection terminals

  The system supports working with Batchand radio terminals for collecting and transmitting data from the world's leading manufacturers - SYMBOL, PSION.
  

Support for barcode technology

Automatic identification technology based on bar coding of products and storage locations is the basis of SEVCO's ideology WMS.

Flexible system configuration

Possibility of storage settings. The system has more than 100 parameters that define various types of warehouse configurations. Considering the flexible rules for zone formation, cell properties, restrictions, user rights, etc., a huge variety of possibilities is achieved.

Goods receipt management :

Acceptance of goods received without prior order

The flexibility of SEVCO WMS allows for acceptance without an order. All information about admission will be immediately transferred to the control system.

Acceptance of goods received by pre-order

Acceptance is carried out on the basis of a preliminary order (expected arrival), which allows you to track the receipt of goods and evaluate the quality of the supplier's work.

Operations for the return of goods

Operations for accepting returns are one of the most difficult to formalize operations. The system supports several types of returns (by documents, without documents, by adjusted invoices), which allows you to effectively control the processes of returning goods to the warehouse. The return procedure is in many ways similar to the acceptance of goods, but a number of special operations specific to this process are performed.

Product placement management :

• Warehouse zoning

  The system allows you to organize a large number of zones in the warehouse with different placement rules. Zones can reflect the logical organization of the warehouse (receiving area, picking areas with different picking methods, etc.). Also, zones can be organized for different standard sizes of goods (pallet storage area, storage area for boxes or goods in pieces). In addition, these may be zones for storing goods with certain characteristics (a zone for flammable goods, a zone for frozen products, a zone for heavy goods, etc.).

Controlled placement of goods in storage cells

With managed placement, the system issues recommendations for placing goods in storage cells in accordance with the following criteria: this product is already or was previously in the proposed cells, the turnover of the goods, the volume, size and weight of the goods, the size of the cells or the ease of access to available free cells. Of particular importance is the support of work with goods that require special conditions storage.

Warehouse is important structural subdivision, which affects the efficiency of the functioning of all business processes of the enterprise. The complication of work and the increase in storage volumes made it impossible for its normal operation on the basis of simple warehouse accounting and requires automation. Arbor Prime will tell you all the details.

Warehouse tasks

For a long time, the main tasks of the warehouse were considered to be:

• accumulation of necessary stocks of products;
• ensuring the safety of goods;
• optimization of loading and unloading operations;
• rational use of storage facilities;
• preparation of resources for the production cycle;
• organization of cargo delivery;
• efficient use and recycling of waste;
• keeping records of stocks, receipts and consumption of products.

But due to the increased turnover and the activation of other business processes, the warehouse is required to:

• processing and fast execution of orders;
• accelerated turnover of products in the warehouse;
• active work with consumers;
• execution of the delivery in its final form, etc.

Automated technologies in the warehouse

Modern warehouse tasks involve the introduction of an automated control system - Warehouse Management System. WMS technologies are divided into:

• are common;
• acceptance;
• warehouse;
• accessories.

Automated warehouse systems should be implemented only after using simpler logistics solutions, otherwise they will not bring the desired economic effect. Storage facilities must be prepared for computerization, and the company must have the necessary tools for full software integration.

Are common

This class includes technologies used at all stages of storage:

• marking of goods, which allows you to identify the goods and track the route of its movement;
• address storage, which guarantees order in the warehouse, since all goods are assigned a specific placement address;
• two-dimensional barcoding, necessary for optimizing warehouse logistics and allowing you to instantly find out all the information about the cargo using special software;
• 3D scanning (typical to a greater extent for industrial warehouses);
• RFID is a method based on which information about the cargo is written off from special RFID tags or transponders using radio signals.

RFID

Radio frequency identification allows you to quickly read information from transponders in the goods acceptance area, and then integrate it with WMS and Enterprise ERP. This technology makes it possible to notice and eliminate errors in the acceptance or loading process at the very first stage.

So far, RFID technologies have not been introduced everywhere due to the relatively high cost of transponders (4 rubles per element), since it is more profitable for enterprises to read standard barcodes.

About RFID technology and RFID reader RC522 (Arduino)

3D scanning

Thanks to this method, there is a clear coordination of warehouse activities, a reduction in product losses and a reduction in the cost of additional production (lean technology “lean systems”). Automated 3D storage systems help track the flow of materials (raw materials, blanks and final products) in the warehouse through special sensors that scan the room and recognize the images of objects. As a result, a visualized warehouse map appears on the computer screen.

Functions of 3D-visual software modules:

• transformation of data into a spatial model;
• matching the scanned area with the template;
• formation of an actual layout, etc.

Benefits of introducing 3D scanning:

• efficiency of information received about the state of affairs in the warehouse;
• decrease in the importance of the human factor;
• synchronization of information online with the physical location of the object based on the initial placement.

3D modules in 1C

Acceptance

At the time of receiving the goods at the warehouse, the WMS uses the following technologies:

• instant acceptance without sorting and checking the conformity of the quality and quantity of products, which speeds up the internal logistics of the warehouse;
• automation of finalization and packaging of goods after the initial acceptance;
• radio terminals in real time to transmit detailed instructions to all performers.

Warehouse

Warehousing and storage technologies include:

• placement of products for storage in accordance with the terms of subsequent shipment (goods that should be shipped in the near future are placed in free cells closer to the exit);
• automatic placement of goods from the acceptance area, which allows you to speed up the work of the warehouse;
• “pick by line” technology, on the basis of which each cell (or a whole rack) is assigned to a specific recipient and filled with goods of various sizes;
• automated rational storage, which allows storing in a small area, placing a large amount of products;
• automatic cargo displacement allows the system to independently determine the cells that need to be freed up for more urgent tasks.

Accessories

At the last stage of finding the goods in the warehouse (i.e., when picking lots and sending them), the following technologies are used:

• joint equipment, within which several performers form one order at once;
• "pick-lists" technology, used in the piece-by-piece formation of an order from a warehouse;
• bypass route, which allows to reduce the time of batch picking for shipment by designing the shortest way to bypass the required cells;
• control of the goods, which helps to identify defects at the stage of order formation, and not after the release of low-quality goods for sale and removal from sale of the entire batch of products;
• cross-docking - urgent shipment of goods;
• complex extraction - the movement of goods to the first tier of the storage, when it is required to make a box or piece selection.

Automated picking

The order picking process in the warehouse looks something like this:

1. the system signals the start of order assembly;
2. a mechanical device takes the desired product from the cell and transfers it to the conveyor belt;
3. the conveyor starts moving and moves the container to the picking area;
4. the generated order is transferred to a fixed table;
5. light scanning of the container takes place (pick by light);
6. the finished order is again transferred to the moving belt to move to the shipping area.

Voice picking

• use of both hands;
• simplification of the sequence of actions (the picker does not waste time working with the terminal);
• reducing the influence of the human factor.

Warehouse voice control.

Mechanization and automation of warehouse accounting affect the quality of implementation of all technologies. Replacing manual labor with machine labor leads to the improvement of management systems and regulation of material and information flows in the warehouse. This is achieved through the introduction of modern software and computer equipment in the enterprise.

Problems of implementation of automated systems in warehouse activities

System integrated automation warehouse at the implementation stage faces a number of problems:

1. ignoring computerization;
2. insufficient knowledge about stored goods;
3. a blurry idea of ​​the management about the ongoing business processes (some kind of orderliness comes to the warehouse only during the audit);
4. staff is not ready to work with new technologies (employees do not want to perform additional operations and are afraid to work in a modern computerized system);
5. replacing optimization with automation (in some cases, for efficient operation warehouse, you just need to put things in order and continue keeping records in Excel);
6. small budget (existing problems require adapted solutions, but the amount of resources does not allow purchasing the necessary product);
7. short time.

Benefits of using WMS in a warehouse complex

Warehouse automation and computerization provide a number of advantages:

1. prompt provision of information on the expected receipt of goods;
2. rational use of the entire premises;
3. tracking the quality and quantity of goods, determining the direction of its movement;
4. efficient and automated workflow;
5. an increase in the number of transactions carried out;
6. performance of distribution center functions;
7. updating internal control systems (ICS);
8. lower heating and lighting costs automated warehouses(after all, there are no people in them);
9. placement of information about the receipt of goods to all departments of the enterprise due to the integration of WMS with ERP.

Examples of automated warehouses

Automated warehouses haenel they operate according to the lift type (lift logistics) with the help of shuttle-type trolleys and due to the rational use of the premises (its special height parameter) provide a high density of product storage. The company is engaged in the implementation of automated control systems in warehouse complexes of customers.

Haenel Lean Lift.

Automated system Magmatic from Savoye is an effective software solution for any warehouse complex. Within the framework of this software, complete mechanization of activities is achieved, people do not work at all in the Magmatic warehouse area. Moreover, the system can operate even with minimal volumes of cargo!

Modula are vertical storage systems that can be integrated into almost all ERPs.

Kardex- These are computerized warehouse complexes that solve the problem of finding the right product. The operator simply enters the necessary data about the product into the system, and the robotics looks for it. When the product is found, the storekeeper only needs to press a button to transfer the goods to the shipping area.

Warehouse management software

The process of choosing the optimal solution for computerization is based on a thorough analysis of the work of the warehouse, setting the key tasks of the activity and identifying weaknesses in its structure.

Software selection

The computerization of the warehouse in this case begins with the definition of the resource component and the setting of a clear statement of work. After that, the products that can be used for implementation in the warehouse complex are analyzed in terms of functionality, reliability and performance.

Important! Budget is the primary factor when installing WMS systems. If it is limited, then it is advisable to purchase cheap or free software.

Developer's Choice

The choice of software vendor is based on the following criteria:

• the size of the organization and its market share;
• experience with similar systems;
• the cost of the software solution;
• predicted economic effect;
• personal training of employees (ideally, the developer should have his own training center);
• round-the-clock technical support (because a system failure can happen at any time).

Types of software products

Varieties of the proposed computer product:

• boxed solutions (universal, not tailored to the activities of a particular enterprise);
• adaptable systems (designed specifically for a particular company, taking into account its turnkey features).

Out-of-the-box warehousing and retail automation software is typically less expensive and has lower overhead than customized products, but is only suitable for small warehouse complexes with simple internal processes. To automate a large warehouse, simple functionality will not be enough. And also, we must not forget that in the long term the structure can grow and change, therefore, in the course of further activities, the boxed product will no longer meet the necessary requirements, so it will have to be upgraded (for a fee) or completely changed, which in the end will turn out to be much more expensive than the adaptable system.

In the adapted version, a balance will be achieved in the functioning of all components of the MHE (Material Handling Equipment):

• storage equipment;
• engineering storage systems;
• loading transport;
• devices for handling oversized cargo.

You should not use unlicensed products, so as not to increase the cost of computerization with significant fines. There are two types of licensed programs:

• custom;
• installation.

The latter are much more expensive, but in the long run they pay for themselves with interest, since they do not require the purchase of additional jobs (as part of unlimited packages).

Scope of functionality

The development of technical specifications is carried out after the analysis of warehouse business processes. You should not chase the number of customizable features. A complex system will be problematic in operation, require significant costs (including personnel training) and will not bring the expected practical benefits from implementation.

Important! It's better to limit yourself minimum set priority functions and build on what level of automation is needed right now in the current economic conditions.

1C programs for warehouse

Warehouse automation using 1C software involves the use of any products from an extensive product line. These programs include (joint development with Axelot). Its implementation fully provides:

• address storage;
• integration with barcode and RFID readers;
• warehouse equipment management;
• 3D visualization of the premises;
• Voice picking connection.

Webinar from Axelot.

is another developer product that allows you to:

• maintain management control and financial accounting in the warehouse (including from several legal entities);
• keep records of products by batches;
• choose the method of writing off the cost;
• carry out procurement;
• perform the initial filling of the required documents in automatic mode;
• integrate the "wholesale price" module, which allows you to set the current price list with data on the availability of goods on the page of the online store;
• perform automatic calculation of retail and wholesale prices for products; integrate warehouse workflow into 1C: Accounting.

Other warehouse software

If for some reason warehouse automation based on 1C platforms is not possible, the enterprise can use other programs for warehouse management.

• Core IMS 3.5

  The program allows you to keep records of planned and unscheduled receipts of products for storage. Thanks to it, the selection of goods during shipment and movement is carried out.

• "Warehouse Accounting (MSSQL)"

  It is an integrated Microsoft SQL based application suitable for small and medium businesses. Its interface is quite simple, so the implementation of this software will not require significant costs for staff training.

• "R-keeper StoreHouse"

  This warehouse program allows you to maintain:

  • accounting for the movement of goods;
  • multifunctional inventory;
  • document management with the introduction of barcodes, etc.
• storage

  This program allows you to calculate production parameters, process indicators retail, keep inventory records, etc.

• "My Warehouse"

  "MySklad" is a simple computerized cloud CRM system warehousing and storage, which requires the standard knowledge of an Internet user, and is available through a web interface.

conclusions

Warehouse automation and optimization is a necessary process for every enterprise. But each organization must choose the level and quality of software for implementation on the basis of production tasks and available resources.