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WMS warehouse management system. WMS system - what is it?

One of the criteria for efficiency and at the same time enhancing competitiveness in modern business is automation. The more processes you can trust in managing a computer, the more time for solving problems remains with people. WMS-systems are solutions that, due to their functional capabilities, are quite capable of assisting Russian enterprises in the aspect of increasing the level of automation of business processes. What are the distinguishing features of such products?

Definition

First a short excursion into the subject of the main question. WMS-systems of warehouse management are intended for automation and optimization of functions performed by employees of objects of appropriate designation at enterprises (or firms whose activities are focused on providing services related to storage and accounting of goods). In practice, WMSs are hardware and software platforms that are adapted to work in distributed warehouses. Typically, the capabilities of these systems include topology management, inventory management , scheduling operations, logistics, etc. The main goal of implementing the WMS-system of warehouse management and enterprises is to increase the turnover of the relevant structural divisions or main resources of the firm.

WMS Features

WMS-system - what is it, varieties of ERP-solutions or an independent class of software and hardware products? Most experts agree that it is more fair to talk about the second option. Of course, some common points for WMS and the same ERP are, as well as with CRM and other solutions designed to automate business processes at various levels. For example, ERP-systems in general are associated with the planning of production resources. It is clear that the warehouse is also a kind of production resource. And because some experts allow you to consider the WMS-system as a highly specialized subset of ERP.

However, in practice, typical ERPs do not have so many resources to manage specific warehouses. That is why IT specialists are usually singled out as a separate category of solutions. CRM-systems, in turn, have a much greater disparity with WMS - they are focused on the aspect of the relationship of the firm with customers. Of course, a warehouse is an example of a structural subdivision of an enterprise that interacts with counterparties quite actively, taking the goods or shipping it. But the tasks in general are set somewhat different from those characteristic of CRM - maintaining and expanding the client base, increasing sales dynamics, improving the level of service, etc. Thus, WMS-systems are quite narrow-profile type of software and hardware products.

Certainly, there are also possible "hybrid" solutions in the aspect of those that we listed. In this case, a software manufacturer can release a product that will be designed to perform several groups of tasks at once. Example - warehouse management systems SAP WMS, SAP EWM. As a means of saving, in the form of an alternative to installing individual, narrow-profile distributions, the introduction of such solutions is a very feasible option. Many enterprises prefer complex software products from a single IT brand.

WMS Functions

The general description of the warehouse management system, which we mentioned at the beginning of the article, as well as the distinctive features of WMS noted by us, will be useful to supplement the list of key functions of such systems. Of course, depending on the solution from a particular supplier, their spectrum will vary. But, according to experts, most modern WMS-systems can do the following:

- to manage the basic warehouse operations (such as acceptance, inventory, picking, posting, shipping, etc.);

- to simulate the schemes of packaging of goods taking into account their dimensions and conditions of transportation;

- to keep document circulation (both internal and in the aspect of interaction with external structures of the firm);

- effectively manage labor resources;

Many WMSs are equipped with other useful functions, such as, for example, modeling traffic flows - both within the warehouse, and throughout the enterprise and even beyond.

In some cases, WMS modules can be supplemented with solutions designed to manage orders and sales. First of all, WMS is an automated warehouse management system. And therefore its functions in one way or another imply a high degree of autonomy in the work of the software complex with respect to decisions made by people.

Advantages of implementing WMS-systems

Apart from intensifying the work of the warehouse, what other advantages are there from implementing the systems in question? Of course, much in this aspect hinges on the specifics of the company's activities. However, there are some common points here. We will name them.

First, WMS-systems of warehouse management, as a rule, provide the highest accuracy of information on the number of available goods, as well as tools for monitoring the movement of material values. This is achieved mainly through the synthesis of two mechanisms - address storage and statistics.

Secondly, the obvious advantage that the WMS-system of warehouse management gives is the automation of the warehouse. That is, employees of the relevant division of the company or the profile company spend much less time on the corresponding calculations, and therefore work more efficiently.

Thirdly, the systems in question are, as a rule, able to optimize the warehouse resources as much as possible, distribute the placement of goods so that the available areas are used in the most useful way. Many WMS are able to model the location of objects and calculate their optimal placement, based on their height, width, length, mass, etc.

If a person, as a rule, places goods based on approximate calculations, then WMS-systems involve high-precision "formulas" in this process.

Fourthly, many WMSs allow to reduce operating costs related to warehouse equipment. The systems calculate the optimal routes of the corresponding machines involved in loading and distribution of the goods, distribute the load to each of the types of aggregates. As a result, depreciation costs are reduced, fuel and electricity are saved.

Typical tasks

What kind of typical tasks do WMS-based warehouse management systems solve? Experts call the following:

- operative (often in real time) information about operations in the warehouse;

- optimization of the use of warehouse space and other resources;

- Increasing the economic efficiency of the use of resources (for example, allocation of unused areas that can be leased out);

- selection of optimal areas of the room, based on the properties of a particular product (sensitivity to humidity, temperature, dimensions, etc.);

- Statistics, data archiving, fixation and documentation of information for accounting;

- Tracking the correctness of the information that is in circulation in the environment of the warehouse personnel and the enterprise structures interacting with it;

- organization of work of the team of employees through software and hardware solutions;

This, of course, is not an exhaustive list of tasks that the corresponding systems solve. There are WMS, concentrated on some separate directions. For example, it often happens that the main area within which the WMS-system of warehouse management functions is warehouse logistics. Or, as an option, bookkeeping. However, almost always WMS provides at least minimal in terms of functionality means for solving each of the above tasks, even if the purpose of the system is to be narrow.

Areas of use

In which business sectors can information warehouses be used? The range of WMS usage areas is very wide. It can be trade - both wholesale and retail: WMS will be especially useful for remote from the main points of storage, or distributed. This can be the provision of warehouse services in the form of outsourcing (just the option when for the firm the corresponding profile of activity is the main one). WMS is very productive when used in food processing plants, factories producing electronics, clothing, household chemicals and other consumer goods.

When there is a need for a WMS-system?

There is a reasonable question: how to determine that a company needs a WMS-system? Such solutions are quite expensive. For example, WMS-1C warehouse management system in some versions can cost several hundred thousand rubles. As a rule, the expediency in implementing such solutions arises in medium and large retail chains, in production warehouses of large factories, from which goods are shipped for distribution.

Some experts divide consumers of WMS-solutions into two main categories: users of logistics services and providers of related services. The former include businesses whose activities are the sale of own or third-party products. Logistical function in this case is of an auxiliary nature. In turn, service providers are firms whose activities, by virtue of their main profile, are focused on logistics. The main services they provide are responsible storage, as well as warehousing.

The main consumers of WMS solutions

Consumers of WMS-solutions of the first category, as a rule, feel the need to introduce appropriate systems as the area of warehouses and the scale of business as a whole grow. Speaking about specific figures, the company, which is a consumer of logistics services, usually serves 300 or more nomenclature positions, the area of its available warehouses is 2000 square meters. M and more, the dynamics of turnover of goods - 30 days or more. Of course, in some cases it is possible to transfer the management of warehouse issues to outsourcing. In this case, the company does not need to take into account many of the costs that are typical for such a process as the introduction of a WMS-based warehouse management system - employee training for example. However, the specifics of many businesses may not have at all to the conclusion of the corresponding functions for outsourcing. This may be due, for example, to commercial secrets or the specifics of the products sold by the factory.

The main factors that can be an incentive for implementing the WMS-system are the emergence of practical difficulties in paper (or semi-automatic - using Excel tables, etc.), document management and management of a team of specialists, moving the warehouse to a more complex architecture and a large area . There are companies whose management in principle may not be aware of such solutions as the WMS-system, what it is. Seeing the presentation of such a hardware and software product and realizing that this is what the top managers of an enterprise or organization need, they can immediately want to implement it in their organization.

System Architecture

We have studied how useful the WMS-based warehouse management system can be. The implementation of the WMS-program, as we found out - is a process that is largely predetermined by objective factors - business growth, increase in warehouse space, etc. The next aspect of the WMS study, which is useful to understand, is the architecture of these systems. What can be included in the relevant decisions? As a rule, a three-level principle is observed here.

Regarding the first level, we can say that it has a user interface, that is, an application window on the monitor screen in which the warehouse employee performs basic operations, enters and changes data, interacts with other specialists, and receives the results of automated warehouse operations failures.

At the second level, the main server of the system is running, where data is stored and processed. In modern modifications of WMS, it is usually cloudy. The server, receiving commands from the first level, makes corresponding entries in the database, managed within the framework of a special algorithm.

The third level implies the use of code that builds the so-called "business logic" of the system. Here, the data received from the server is processed and returned in the form of the desired algorithm, which is ultimately output to the first level.

Basic types of WMS

What are the main criteria for classifying WMS, not counting their functionality? Experts identify the following common types of systems.

Firstly, it is an entry-level WMS designed to manage warehouses of small firms and stores, in which there is a not very diverse range of goods.

Secondly, these are so-called "box" platforms for managing warehouses of medium and large area (up to 10 thousand square meters) and a variety of nomenclature, but whose turnover dynamics are relatively low.

Thirdly, these are the so-called "adaptable" platforms. They are used by large businesses, whose main profile is logistics, as well as distribution centers.

Fourthly, these are "configurable" platforms. They are designed to manage warehouses with a large area, a variety of nomenclature and high turnover dynamics.

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