Introduction
To navigate difficult supply chains, inflated raw materials costs and high transportation prices, it is essential to manage the whole process of material flow with warehouse management. These advanced warehouse management solutions can help manufacturers and distributors go beyond their competitors and maximize profit margins. Consider these key capabilities when developing an advanced warehouse management solution.
RF and Voice Direction
These capabilities help improve the productivity of distribution and fulfillment processes. With RF technology and implementing RFID tags, manufacturers can quickly register and record the movements of goods for inventory management. With voice direction, production workers can use hands-free connections and advanced speech-recognition technology to voice-enable order selection, replenishments, put-aways, transfers, and receiving. Workers can operate hands-free without reliance on cumbersome lists, labels, and scanners—vastly improving productivity and order accuracy.
Slotting
This helps maximize productivity and minimize travel time from location to location by determining the most advantageous arrangement of SKUs within a range of pick faces or slots. Slotting minimizes disruptions that result from demand variability by allowing adjustment of product placement according to seasonality, special promotions, and changes in customer order patterns.
Kitting and Light Assembly
This allows the adoption of postponement strategies and enables the mass customization of products at the time of distribution and fulfillment to ensure customer requests are fulfilled correctly at the lowest total supply chain cost.
Kitting and light assembly facilitate personalization and other product enhancements, single- and multi-station kitting and assembly, packaging and labeling operations for existing products, and complex final assembly operations for customer-specific products. As a result of these capabilities, companies can better accommodate changing customer tastes and product requirements.
According to Jamie Saltos of Kapco Global, an aerospace parts distribution company, “For businesses that regularly perform the same types of repairs and procedures, custom kitting can help to cut down on time-consuming errors and make the inventory management process more fluid under stringent deadlines.” Those with complex kitting and lighting needs should consider getting advice from an ERP consultant to optimize their kitting and light assembly. Datix takes the time to learn about the specific needs of each of our clients to come up with the right solutions for their businesses.
Multiple Benefits
Manufacturers and distributors can reduce costs, protect profitability, and enhance overall market competitiveness by remaining focused on the key performance indicators that drive warehouse performance. Through the implementation of an advanced warehouse management solution, companies can:
- Strengthen order management—With customers now demanding the perfect order, manufacturers and distributors can take advantage of advanced solutions to reach higher order completeness, order on-time rates, and order accuracy.
- Increase labor productivity—With labor cost pressures rising in relation to new demand and supply changes, companies with advanced warehouse management capabilities can enhance workforce performance and accomplish more with less. Labor cost increases—which otherwise would have risen heavily—will be minimal or non-existent.
- Maximize asset use—Rather than investing more capital in equipment and warehouse space, companies can rely on their advanced warehouse management systems to fully deploy their existing warehouse assets.
- Reduce inventory costs—With most ERP and legacy warehouse management systems, inventory identification is possible only by location. Advanced warehouse management solutions allow users to make inventory buying decisions based on visibility into inventory throughout the entire network, and help them make intelligent decisions on intra-facility movement of that inventory relative to buying more. Since inventory is a tremendous cost burden, companies can drive clear and compelling return on investment by addressing this area. Advanced warehouse management solutions can reduce operating costs and increase overall revenue. Because space logistics change over time, it is important have the flexibility to change your system as your needs evolve over time. With Datix as your ERP partner, you will always have the support to build the best system for your current needs and for whatever tomorrow brings.
Wrap Up
The difficulties of warehouse management can be overwhelming and cause many manufacturers to fall behind. The right ERP solution can support these key capabilities to develop a sophisticated warehouse management system and outperform the competition.
Learn more about Why Manufacturers Should Invest In a Modern ERP
Stay tuned for another post on warehouse management next week!
Read previous blog on Managing Inventory, Order, Work and Labor Flows in the Warehouse
Read previous blog on Regulatory and Business Challenges for Warehouse Management in 2023
Read previous blog on Market Drivers for Warehouse Management in 2023
About Datix
To develop a sophisticated warehouse ERP solution, work with an ERP consultant that you can trust. With 25 years of experience, Datix is the partner of choice for ERP solutions. Unlike our competitors, Datix will work with you closely to understand your precise warehouse needs and act as a nonbiased consultant to recommend the best solution for you. No matter what challenges your company faces, Datix will support you every step of the way.
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Please note: This blog post was based on the Executive Brief Conquering costs, complexity, and customer demands with warehouse management from Infor and updated by Datix
