Every day it becomes more clear that our world is in a rapid transition to Industry 4.0, to automated, human-free production. This approach underlies most of our decisions. We would like to introduce one of our solutions: automated warehouse system
We focused on solving these tasks:
Any emerging commercial or manufacturing company that seeks to eliminate errors in their warehouse operations, optimize warehouse space, reduce storage cost and optimize resource cost. Do you work with production parts, spare parts or tools? Do you plan to deliver goods to Your customers in time? Smart Warehouse— the perfect solution for You! In this guide You will learn more about what is Smart Warehouse and how it will impact Your business.
Let‘s think about what includes into Smart Warehouse. Let‘s examine this term in terms of its components. We have 2 of them:
1. Automated warehouse. The manipulator robot in the warehouse is responsible for the warehouse‘s autonomy, moves in a warehouse and transport containers or pallets with goods.
2. Smart. A dedicated warehouse management program is responsible for warehouse intelligence. It has a „cloud-based“ or local database and has a built-in operator interface. The warehouse operator has 3 options for accessing the program.
Each of these three options has different capabilities that complement each other.
Opportunity: to improve the accounting and control of warehouse items, we have provided the opportunity to link the warehouse database with accouting database, which stores commercial information about goods stored in the warehouse. |
Let‘s imagine how warehouse might look like. There will be nothing new for You: several racks that will hold special containers or pallets for storage. However, no matter how our warehouse is like a regular one, it is very difficult to call it ordinary. How is it different? We can offer many different options depending on Your needs.
The main features of the warehouse are listed in the table below. Warehouse properties can be customized as needed or the basic version can be used.
* Load capacity above 250kg is considered individually
** At weight of 70kg, the width of the container should be—800mm
Warehouse has three zones:
What do you need to focun on?
Result: High density of the warehouse |
Result: high degree of security of goods in the warehouse |
Result: possibility to increase the number of racks, possibility to combine with other warehouses, possibility to relocate easily and quickly. |
Result: high reliability and fast issue speed |
Result: low storage cost, low operation cost |
As we mentioned before, a dedicated warehouse management program, EEC WMS, is responsible for warehouse intelligence. The main program is based on the server. Access to the program is possible in 3 different ways that have different capabilities. Let‘s take a look at these features.
Web application has two main functions:
Desktop-program has following features:
Mobile application has following features:
What do you need to focus on?
Result: a high level of protection against possible mistakes. |
Result: the ability to quickly identify inconsistencies |
Result: each warehouse item stored in the warehouse is unique. This allows you to organize the required priority of shipment, for example this: those goods that were loaded earlier (the FIFO principle) are issued first. |
Now let's determine why we need the option of linking with the accounting database, which we described earlier.
Most warehouse operations require accounting in bookkeeping. Every item or good stored in a warehouse has its own commercial value, which is displayed in the bookkeeping. It follows that there are 2 databases: warehouse and bookkeeping, which constantly share information with each other. Working with one database leads to work with another database and vice versa. After analyzing this relationship, we decided to simplify the search, viewing and processing of information necessary for work from two databases: we created an application hosted on the server that allows them to be synchronized.
It is enough to have the participation of an accountant, who issues invoices or orders, and a warehouse operator, who will carry out all operations in the warehouse:
What do you need to focus on?
Automated warehouse system is custom made. Describe Your task to us and we will select the best solution for You, and we will show You what it is made of. We will introduce You to the full production cycle, from design to commissioning, which takes about 4.5-7 months. The exact time will depend on the warehouse characteristics you have chosen. The full production cycle consists of 8 steps:
We will keep in touch with You throughout the production cycle: we will answer Your questions and adjust the solution according to Your requirments. Also after commissioning, we will offer the following services:
Our idea presented. Now You can take a deep breath, close Your eyes and imagine that entire production cycle is in the past, and now Your are the owner of Smart Warehouse. Do you have the idea that using such a warehouse is difficult? You can forget this idea! A little patience and anyone regardless of profession and existing skills, will be able to work with this warehouse without any problems.
To prove it, there is a small example. We all know that when the first computers came on, only specially trained people were able to work with them. That was quite difficult. Not much time has passed, and now we can’t even imagine our day without computer. We use them all the time, without any fear of the many features that a modern computer can perform, and we do not need any special training to use all those features. And that is really cool. Be-cause computers have changed our lives for the better.
With the help of our warehouse, we can also change the life of Your company for the better!
Let’s try to figure out how to organize a warehouse.
First you need to appoint an administrator. This may be the current system administrator of Your company. His duties will be similar to those that he does now.
The administrator has 3 steps to take:
During registration it is necessary to indicate users LOGIN, PASSWORD and thiis role in warehouse management. The user name and password must be provided to the user so user can freely access the information system. The role will define his rights and responsibilities in managing the warehouse. An example of role is given below:
2. Install software on each computer for work with the warehouse
3. Train users to work with the software, to instruct them according to their user roles.
The administrator will also be provided with an accurate user manual prepared by our specialists. It will provide you with accurate information about the responsibilities and step-by-step instructions for their implementation.
Thats all. All future users are trained. All the computers, tablets and phones you need are ready. An automated warehouse is ready to begin its direct duties
There is 8 basic operations:
If you have selected the option that links with the accounting database, the operations will be performed using the following documents
.
If you have need, automated warehouse can be linked to varioius ERP systems (Enterprise Resource Planning) like Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP or similar. The warehouse can also be integrated with the existing warehouse management system in the company.
Let's view each operation in more detail
Receiving goods
Inbound of incoming goods into storage is one of the most important operations in an automated warehouse, because if there is nothing to store into the warehouse, there is no warehouse
The 1st part is working with documents. Using a desktop application, You need to add to the database a document by which the goods are taken in a warehouse. Later on, You should create order of incoming goods to the warehouse, which should indicate what goods, in what quantity and where should be placed in the warehouse. If You use the possibility of Linking to an Accounting Database, then You just need to find this document in the database and activate it. The result of this operation is a unique QR-code that will later identify this specific good.
The 2nd part is working with the good. According to previously added or found document, the good must be placed in storage. This task could be realized using the mobile application, it is also possible to use desktop application for this operation. Now you need to stick a QR code on the good, scan it and put it in the container(or pallet) intended for it. The automated warehouse will take care of this container, and move it to the storage place.
Dispatching goods
Dispatching goods from the warehouse is another important operation of warehouse. This operation also can be splitted in two separate parts.
The 1st part is working with documents. Using a desktop application, You need to add document according to which the item will be issued from the warehouse. If You use the possibility of Linking to an Accounting database, then You just need to find required document (invoice or waybill), which is already activated in a database.
The 2nd part is working with the good. According to a found document, good should be issued from warehouse. This task could be realized using the mobile application, it is also possible to use desktop application. After the automated warehouse will bring You required containers(or pallets) it is necessary to scan the QR code of each item and unload it from the container or pallet.
What to remember? The operator should scan each QR-code, which contains unique information about particular item. Result: It is not possible to mix similar goods, it also helps You to keep principle of FIFO (first in first out) |
Location management
We thought about the operation as „Product location management“ or goods movement inside the warehouse. For this operation accounting document is not required, but data about movement will be stored in the warehouse database. Why then we need this operation? Like in the regular warehouse, there are places more or less convenient for storing a particular product. For example, the goods can be sorted by need, the more frequently the goods are needed to dispatch from the warehouse, the closer the goods is to the place of dispatch from the warehouse, so robot will be able to dispatch the goods faster from the warehouse. We also can sort the goods by weight, the heavier the goods, the lower they can be stored.
To perfom this operation, the task must be formed in a computer program, in the form „Movement“, then You can carry it out using the mobile application or computer program.
Accounting in the warehouse program without actually storing goods in the warehouse
There could happen situation when received goods are not necessary or cannot be loaded to the warehouse for storage. This can happen if the item has an unusual size, which is not designed for particular warehouse, or item requires some work on it (for example repair). For situations like this we have virtual locations. They are displayed in the warehouse management system, but they are outside the automated warehouse.
This operation requires the same steps as a regular incoming goods to warehouse, but without actually loading them into the warehouse. The purpose of this operation is to provide and scan QR code that activates product information in the database. After that item could be placed at any place provided for such use.
Inventory
Each warehouse requires inventory to find any discrepancies between what is actually in the warehouse and what is stated in the accounting. You can take an inventory an individual container or a specific product. An inventory is considered succesful if all the scanned QR codes correspond to the information in the database. Dates of all inventories are saved.
Return back to the warehouse
If the wrong item has been released from the warehouse, it can be returned. To do this, the application for a return should be filled, with this filled application accounting works the same way as with an invoice. Returns are made using the QR code, if it is available, or item can be returned according to the document according to which the items were issued from the warehouse, or items can be returned back to the warehouse by creating a new document. Afterwards, it is necessary to load the item into the selected container or pallet and return the item to the warehouse via mobile application.
Reservation of goods
If there is a need, You can reserve certain warehouse items for upcoming issuing operations. To reserve goods or materials, an accounting document is not required.
To reserve a certain position, You must create an electronic application for this task. This application will be similar to a regular order for the issuance of goods where you will specify the item name and quantity of the desired goods. This order will be on the regular order list and will keep items in stock until they are issued or the order is deleted or canceled.
Reservation of storage locations
If there is a need, You can reserve warehouse space for the specific incoming positions. To reserve place an accounting document is not required.
To reserve a space in warehouse, You must create an electronic application for this task. This application will be similar to the usual order for adding items, in which You indicate the place of its future location. This order will be on the order list until the specified items are in stock or order is deleted or canceled.
Warehouse management system EEC WMS
EEC WMS Provides automation and optimization of the main processes of storage and movement of goods or materials at industrial or commercial enterprises.
The system has a service-oriented architecture and interacts with accounting modules (like 1C Accounting) via HTTP to synchronize documents and goods in the system. The basis of the system is a server application (API+ Web-client) and „cloud“ database. This system architecture provides greater flexibility and scalability of the system, and it is also easy to debug and configure.
Network intercation between system components can be organized directly on the Customer‘s equipment (database server, application server) or hosted on a virtual server in the „cloud“
The main tasks of the EEC WMS:
Main functions
Advantages of EEC WMS
The advantages of remote placement include:
The advantages of local placement include:
General work scheme of EEC WMS
If you would like to check our Automated Warehouse , please contact us at the following contacts: