Week 6 - Warehouse Management Systems Flashcards

1
Q

What is a warehouse management system?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the 9 different functions in a warehouse management system

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

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

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the two types of Warehouse management system

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the variation in varied complexity (2)

A

• Manual operations
• Interfacing with automation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Potential requirements for warehouse management systems (6)

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Features of warehouse management system setups (3)

A

• 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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

3 Characteristics Picking in WMS

A

• 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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is task interleaving? (2)

A

• 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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

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

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is advanced shipment notifications? (2)

A

• 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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is cycle counting? (2)

A

• 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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is cross docking

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is pick-to-carton (2)

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is yard management? (2)

A

• 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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

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

A

• Finance
• Procurement
• Production sales
• IT

17
Q

Process of selecting the right warehouse management system (5)

A
18
Q

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

A

• 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

19
Q

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

A

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

20
Q

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

A

• 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

21
Q

Criteria for selecting a partner (7)

A

• 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

22
Q

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

A

• 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

23
Q

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

A

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

24
Q

What is an RFID (2)

A

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

25
Q

What is a RFID tag

A

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

26
Q

Benefits of RFID

A

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

27
Q

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

A