Week 6 - Warehouse Management Systems

Question 1

What is a warehouse management system?

Answer 1

Consists of software and processes that allow organisations to control and administer warehouse operations from the time goods or materials enter a warehouse until they move out

Question 2

What are the 9 different functions in a warehouse management system

Answer 2

Question 3

What are the main processes in warehouse management systems? (4)

Answer 3

• Goods receiving
• Put away into storage
• Order picking & packaging
• Goods dispatch

Question 4

What are the two types of Warehouse management system

Answer 4

• Passive - recording the activity in a warehouse
• Active - driving operations

Question 5

What is the variation in varied complexity (2)

Answer 5

• Manual operations
• Interfacing with automation

Question 6

Potential requirements for warehouse management systems (6)

Answer 6

• Multiple warehouses
• Batch control
• Serial number capture
• Date integrity (BBD)
• Customs status
• Ownership

Question 7

Features of warehouse management system setups (3)

Answer 7

• Diverse product mix which requires a dedicated system setup
• Setting up physical characterises of the product/group of products and locations is the starting point
• Common to combine multiple logic methods to determine the best location/methodology - logic may be changed according to workload e.g during busy periods optimise productivity but in quieter periods optimise space utilisation

Question 8

3 Characteristics Picking in WMS

Answer 8

• 3 types - Picking, batch picking and zone picking
• Support for various picking methods varies from one system to another
• In high-volume fulfilment operations, picking logic can be a critical factor in WMS selection

Question 9

What is task interleaving? (2)

Answer 9

• Is a functionality that mixes dissimilar tasks such as picking and put away to obtain maximum productivity
• Used primarily in full-pallet load operations and task interleaving will direct a lift truck operator to put away a pallet on his/her way to the next pick

Question 10

What is integration with automated material handling equipment? (2)

Answer 10

• Involves Integration with carousels, automated guided vehicles, pick-to-light systems
• The cost of the equipment often drives the choice of the WMS software

Question 11

What is advanced shipment notifications? (2)

Answer 11

• Allows WMS to know what material is coming in the future to get knowledge on where the customers’ product is
• Shippers can send electronic advanced shipment notifications

Question 12

What is cycle counting? (2)

Answer 12

• Similar to stock counting
• Aim is to minimise order cancellations, identify inventory shrinkage e.g through theft, damage etc, eliminate errors and improve inventory report accuracy

Question 13

What is cross docking

Answer 13

Involves inbound to outbound trailers without storage (or with limited storage operations)

Question 14

What is pick-to-carton (2)

Answer 14

• Uses item dimensions/weights to select the shipping carton prior to the order picking process
• Items are then picked directly into the shipping carton

Question 15

What is yard management? (2)

Answer 15

• Involving managing inventory of trailers parked outside the warehouse or empty trailers themselves
• Is generally associated with cross docking operations and may include the management of both inbound and outbound trailers

Question 16

What are the departments that need to combine for an effective warehouse management system (4)

Answer 16

• Finance
• Procurement
• Production sales
• IT

Question 17

Process of selecting the right warehouse management system (5)

Answer 17

Question 18

Benefits of an effective warehouse management system (ROI report) (3)

Answer 18

• Potential to improve stock accuracy
• Potential for increased productivity and cost savings potential for improved traceability
• Potential for improved customer service through overall improved warehouse control, improved pick and dispatch accuracy

Question 19

Cost of Warehouse management systems (ROI report) (5)

Answer 19

• License
• Professional services
• Development cost support cost
• Hardware and infrastructure cost
• Technical support

Question 20

What to look for in a warehouse management system (4)

Answer 20

• Ability to interface with other system modular and scalable
• Accesible remotely over the web (e,g SaaS) for ease of operation
• Standard system meet specific needs
• Capable of supporting warehouse best practises reporting capabilities

Question 21

Criteria for selecting a partner (7)

Answer 21

• Experienced
• Do they emphasise the benefits of the software
• Choose a vendor who has already installed WMS system with clients in your industry
• Can they give you full service support
• Ensure they are investing significant capital,in research and development and future product enhancements
• Are they customer oriented
• Can they support your future updating needs

Question 22

What is software as a service (SaaS)? (5)

Answer 22

• Has a lower cost of entry
• Reduced start up cost
• Instant upgrades
• User-driven innovations
• Ability to turn on and off as required; suitable for running a temporary warehouse operation

Question 23

What are the overall benefits of warehouse management systems? (5)

Answer 23

• Should reduce inventory (especially safety stock)
• Should reduce labour costs
• Should increase storage capacity
• Should increase customer service
• Should increase inventory accuracy

Question 24

What is an RFID (2)

Answer 24

• Standard for radio frequency identification
• Is an automatic identification method relying on remotely retrieving data using devices called a RFID tag

Question 25

What is a RFID tag

Answer 25

Is an object that can be attached to or incorporated into a product, animal or person for the purpose of identification using radio waves

Question 26

Benefits of RFID

Answer 26

• No need for close-tag reading
• High data storage capacity
• Hugh-speed data transfer, reading and writing

Question 27

Differences between RFID and Barcodes:
- Technology
- Line of site
- Read range
- Read rate
- Capabilities
- Interference
- Security
- Human labour
- Cost

Answer 27