DIGITIZTION
THE RISE OF THE WAREHOUSE EXECUTION SYSTEM IT’S NO SECRET that manufacturers and distributors are relying more heavily on automation than ever before. To stay ahead of evolving technology, warehousing professionals are realizing the importance of software applications, specifically warehouse management systems (WMS) and warehouse control systems (WCS). These systems help distributors move products faster, help create efficient inventory levels, and improve order fulfillment accuracy. In warehousing, it is not uncommon to have a WMS and WCS operating as separate applications. The WMS manages the inventory and the workflow of the manual operations, while the WCS executes the workflow with automation. Yet without a seamless integration, the combination of these applications can lead to unnecessary challenges. Supporting these systems individually often requires valuable time, resources, and capital.
Implementing a WES Any automation is only as effective as its software, and any intelligent warehouse would greatly benefit from a properly managed warehouse execution system (WES). WES implementation saves time and ensures effective communication by providing a host of actionable insights through appropriate data analysis. A WES offers integrated WMS and WCS functionality within one application, simplifying warehouse communication and reducing the need to manage several applications. Additionally, a WES platform can bridge enterprise resource planning (ERP) software with WMS functionality to optimize order flow, supervise processes, and execute the material handling equipment and warehouse automation. The WES solution suits organizations with increased order volumes and high throughputs. It can receive and track products, while tying inventory to specific customer orders through its order fulfillment processing capabilities. As orders come in, the WES breaks them into logical units of work and then uses its WCS functionality to direct automation or manual labour to execute the job. The WES insidelogistics.ca
DAVE WILLIAMS, is vice-president of technology solutions at Westfalia Technologies, Inc.
product traceability, allowing manufacturers and distributors to efficiently handle recalls and comply with mandated regulations. A WES helps to recognize and act more quickly on issues that may have contributed to a recall. These early detections allow manufacturers to understand what product needs to be recalled, reducing the number of potentially tainted products that are released to the public. Ultimately, using a WES integrated with WCS and WMS capabilities, as well as with other supply chain systems, helps warehouse personnel to work more efficiently, increase inventory accuracy, and improve product traceability.
Steps for increased capability provides the overall coordination of WMS and WCS functionality, such as inventory and order management, billing and workflows, within a single application.
The benefits of an integrated WES Operating as a two-in-one solution, a WES has many clear advantages over traditional, stand-alone WMS and WCS systems: Simplicity: A WES requires a reduced need for complex integrations due to the built-in WMS and WCS features. Time-Savings: Less time and fewer resources are needed to ensure effective communication between the WMS and WCS. Flexibility: A WES offers the flexibility needed to interface with additional applications and host systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), or programmable logic controllers (PLC). Consistency: Having a single application across an organization helps ensure processes are consistent and efficient. Cost Savings: With a WES functioning as a single application to manage automation, organizations can increase inventory accuracy and reduce labour costs. Additionally, an integrated WES provides
Although a WES can completely replace separate WMS and WCS applications, it is flexible enough to adapt to a variety of deployment options. Some warehouses with an existing WMS will look to introduce a WCS to assist with automation. However, it might be best to bring in a WES instead. Doing this allows the company to continue using its original WMS and integrate it with WES to leverage its WCS capabilities. Alternatively, if the organization has not introduced automation that needs WCS functions, it can still implement the WES for its WMS capabilities and have the WCS functionality for future needs. Since they are a part of the same interface, this can help reduce training and shorten start-up time when a system is needed. Find the right partner to help you analyze your situation and implement a WES designed to accommodate your specific warehousing needs and to comply with control requirements. With a sophisticated WES, you can orchestrate the process across the entire supply chain from start to finish, resulting in a warehouse that can deliver better product traceability, storage usage, increase inventory accuracy, and allow for customizations to accommodate specific customer warehousing needs. As the need for automation continues to grow, so will the need for an integrated warehouse execution system.
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