W
arehouse workflows can get complicat-
ed. Whether you’re manufacturing and
distributing food, pharmaceuticals or
other products, there are often complex transac-
tions and regulations that must be followed.
There are various factors that can affect each busi-
ness’s workflow in the warehouse, many of which
depend upon specific company and customer
requirements. For example, inventory may have
to be stored for a certain amount of time before
they can be sold to the customer, as regulated by
the FDA, while other products may need to be
stored in a climate-controlled environment such
as a cooler or freezer.
Unlike many other fields of work, warehouse
workflows are rarely a straight line. Instead, they
are complicated feedback loops that are affected
by customer orders, resource availability and
current inventory levels. Managing workflows
can become cumbersome, time consuming and
require a lot of additional labor. However, by
implementing the right technology to automate,
businesses can often optimize many of these
warehouse workflows—saving time and stream-
lining operations.
Warehouse Workflow Automation
Implementing warehouse automation technol-
ogy doesn’t have to be a significant or expensive
change and it is accessible to any size company
or warehouse. By finding ways to automate your
warehouse, you often improve order accuracy,
increase staff efficiency and prepare for future
growth.
Automation technology can also help you save
money by packaging and storing products more
efficiently. It can manage the environmental
restrictions necessary for different products and
manage workflows accordingly to compensate.
This enables the warehouse staff to plan, package
and store products with similar requirements
together, increasing efficiency throughout the
warehouse with a more streamlined workflow.
a number of platforms, including the use of a
warehouse execution system (WES). A WES is
comprised of a warehouse management system
(WMS) and a warehouse control system (WCS)
and helps manufacturers and distributors direct,
control and optimize internal material flow and
order picking. It automates repetitive tasks, re-
duces error and assists in planning. Additionally,
the WES tracks inventory, from the time it enters
the building, up until it is delivered to fulfill an
order. Connecting to upstream or downstream
systems allows for the inventory to be tracked
throughout its entire life cycle.
WES Integrations
To further automate your workflows, a WES can
integrate with your enterprise resource planning
(ERP), billing systems, ordering systems and
other operational applications. It is important to
choose a system that easily interfaces with many
different types of systems. A common method of
doing so focuses on interfacing at the data layer.
Data mapping is a capability that allows a WES
to rearrange data into a format that other systems
can understand. The more flexible that the WES
is in this area, the more flexibility you will have
when communicating with various applications,
and the more streamlined your workflows can
become.
While a WES may contain functions and capabil-
ities beyond your current warehouse needs, these
features can be enabled as needed as your busi-
ness expands, thus helping you to grow smoothly
and quickly.
Warehouse automation technology supports and
streamlines workflows, saving time and money.
As you grow your business and streamline your
current distribution activities, investing and im-
plementing a WES is a crucial link in helping you
to succeed.
Workflow automation can be supported through
www.WestfaliaUSA.com
The Satellite Review
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