SUPERIOR
SCANNING
A crisis often breeds ingenuity, and
that has certainly been the case in
the warehousing sector, with logistics
managers embracing technology in
new and exciting ways
BY JON ROBERTS, MANAGER, ORDERWISE
Despite the challenges manufacturers
faced in the first half of 2020, we've
seen some impressive examples
of how Warehouse Management
Software (WMS) and Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) systems can
help maintain and increase productivity when
deployed effectively.
It's sometimes hard to imagine that the
computer revolution has much more to offer.
We've gone from machines the size of hotel
lobbies decoding sentences in days, to items
we can hold in our hand transmitting novels in
milliseconds. Surely there's only so much further
it can possibly go?
There are still fields where the deployment
of technology is limited, and many ecommerce
and B2B warehouses fall into this category.
A substantial segment of this group continue
using reams of paper or hollered voice
commands to organise and coordinate their
picking and packing procedures. While these
systems have the advantage of familiarity, the
status quo is also holding people back. The
businesses that use methods like these are
missing out on the massive untapped potential
offered by new equipment.
Handheld terminals (HHTs) equipped with
barcode readers or data matrix (DM) scanners
provide warehouse-utilising businesses with all
kinds of benefits. The opportunities on offer
are vast and too strong for older models to
realistically compete against. As part of a wellimplemented
solution, complete with ERP and
WMS software, this kind of equipment can be
truly game-changing.
Optimise for online
With ecommerce ordering, the
expectation is a system that
can respond to customer orders
as and when they arrive. With
paper picking, voice picking,
or other manual methods, that
might be possible, but it's much
more difficult. New orders will
have to be processed. New pick
sheets will have to be delivered,
often with single orders, or very
rudimentary order groupings.
You will most likely need
entirely separate selections of
staff whose whole role will be
to keep on top of new orders as
and when they arrive.
HHTs are ideally suited for
the ecommerce age. When a
new order comes in, your ERP
software can deliver updated
information immediately.
Operatives can read the screens
WAREHOUSING OCTOBER 2020
and get to work without
disruption. This ensures orders
can be both processed when
they are received and grouped
together to maximise efficiency.
You're not at the mercy of
the manual warehouse’s
convenience. While manual
warehouse systems make your
customers wait, HHTs let your
operations centre around your
customer's needs.
Streamline your
supervision
In a warehouse where paper
picking is the norm, the
supervision of employees
actually requires additional
staff. Managers and
supervisors need to be on hand
to redirect and reorder staff
as and when needed. After all,
voice picking only works when
someone is calling out to the
pickers. Paper picking lists
are non-updatable, meaning
supervisors must intervene in
the event of changes.
Handheld scanners make
supervision far simpler. By
uploading the orders and
pick-rules directly into the
scanners themselves, you
can be confident that all your
0.3-3
average percentage
of errors in a typical,
manual warehouse
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