Warehouse Manager Concepts

Requires Warehouse Manager Component

CAPITAL Warehouse Manager is an application that controls the movement and storage of products and materials entering and leaving your warehouse. Computer directed picking and packing, accurate stock level control, and computer directed 'putaway' are the central functions of warehouse management. Used in conjunction with simple or sophisticated bar code scanning and data collection technology, the warehouse management system has the potential to decrease labour costs (by improving efficiency), improve customer service, and increase inventory accuracy.

The Warehouse Manager has been designed to support a wide range of picking, dispatch, and receiving procedures. Manual procedures are supported for managing items that are unbarcoded and where paper based pick lists continue to be used. Paperless picking and automated data transfer from scanning devices is also possible, if your warehouse lay-out, hardware and product codes make this a preferred option.

Warehouse Receiving or 'Putaway'

The CAPITAL purchase and delivery cycle begins with the manual or automatic generation of purchase orders based on your stock replenishment requirements. As goods are delivered from suppliers, items are checked off against orders pending against undelivered purchase orders.

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Scanning & Data Collection

In 'Warehouse Manager Receive' mode warehouse staff can scan goods are they arrive in the warehouse using automated data collection devices, fixed or cordless scanners, or by manual entry of codes into a PC terminal. The collected information is verified against the actual purchase orders. The Warehouse Manager may be set to only accept the correct quantity or a quantity within an under and/or over percentage range.

Once goods are scanned in, Stock Control can be updated immediately, or quantity adjustments deferred until purchase orders are processed. Received goods may set purchase orders as delivered or may leave purchase orders open but marked with the quantities actually received. Accounting staff can then verify the purchase order before accepting supplier invoices.

Cross-docking

Cross-docking is a useful feature that helps warehouse staff identify in-coming goods that are on back order and marked for immediate or near immediate dispatch. These itemss can be moved to your dispatch holding area rather than being placed back on shelves within the warehouse.

Warehouse Dispatch

The CAPITAL sales and dispatch cycle begins when sales orders and selected invoices are entered or imported into the Back Order Control Centre. Here items are allocated for release based on available quantities as per the instructions of the Stock Control system. Once goods have been allocated, they are ready for picking.

Allocated goods are transferred to the Warehouse Manager's Dispatch Management System. Warehouse staff are directed to pick and pack orders as they entered within the CAPITAL business management system. These orders may appear on printed pick lists or transferred to electronic data collection and/or scanning devices. Stock items need not be bar coded, although it is common practice to barcode as many items as possible in order to improve efficiency and accuracy.

Warehouse staff have numerous options available to them when picking and packing goods. Goods may be packed based on customer order number, or all customer orders pending, or bin location, or product code, or priority, and other criteria. This allows warehouse staff to maximize their time by picking goods in sequences they find most efficient.

Once the items relating to the order are found, they are scanned into a mobile data collector, or taken near a PC terminal and scanned in using a hand-held scanner, or product items may be punched in manually. Data gathered using mobile data collectors can be uploaded into the Warehouse Manager automatically. Warehouse Manager then confirms that the items collected match those the customer ordered. Warehouse staff may indicate 'short-picks' where orders could not be fulfilled due to shortages caused by damaged stock, etc. Since CAPITAL can track the weight of each item on the order, the estimated weight can optionally be compared against the actual weight as a further means of confirming the accuracy of the pick and pack procedure.

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After the pick is entered and accepted, the customer order is marked ready for release (invoicing) or an invoice can be generated and printed, faxed or emailed immediately. Other forms and documents, such as dispatch labels, and email notification confirming the packing/shipment of goods can be sent.

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