FACTS WMS is a user friendly enterprise oriented warehouse management system, designed to track the activities performed in a distribution center (DC). It dramatically improves the warehouse productivity and inventory accuracy. Its paper free bar coded transactions increase inventory accuracy to99.8%. it increase warehouse and distribution efficiencies and provides automated solutions with a menu based graphical user interface (GUI) that takes care of all the operations needed for satisfactory functioning of the DC’s. It ensures that the goods are sent to the customer quickly and accurately. FACTS WMS is a tailored for a variety of manufacturers, traders, distributors, retailers, service organizations, government agencies, etc. Due t its modular design, FACTS WMS can be easily customized for various clients as per their requirements. It forms part of the supply chain management system and incorporates functions like:

I. RECEIVING

FACTS WMS has functionality to receive both the ASN & Non-ASN shipments from vendors seamlessly.

1. ASN is received from vendors
Importing In- Transit Information

FACTS WMS interfaces with third party software to capture the Advance Shipment Notification (ASN) or material in-transit information. FACTS WMS will integrate with any third party software to import this information into the system.

Receiving
The merchandise received from vendors is received into the DC. The system already has in-transit information it automatically knows what items the carton contains. The stock is validated upon receipt against the ASN.

2. No ASN is received from Vendors

As the cartons are received from the vendors the cartons are received and a distinct carton number will be assigned to each carton. The other carton details like vendor, contents etc is also entered into the system at this time.

3. Routing of Inventory

Apart from marking the arrived cartons as received, WMS also decides where the received carton will go in the DC. This decision plays an important role in decreasing distribution time to customers. The decision to send a carton to a particular area is dependent on many factors: Each factor is under your control.

• System checks whether there is any open rush requirement against the SKU contained inside the carton. If yes, then WMS will send this carton to the designation area associated with the rush requirement.
• Next system checks whether the system needs to be spot checked. Spot checking is performed on randomly selected carton. The sampling percentage can be set based on the origin of the carton or the contents of the carton.
• If the carton is not selected in any of the criteria, then it is routed to the normal area as defined by you.

4. Cross – Docking (RUSH)

If the goods received are of top most priority the goods are sent directly to the forward pick locations bypassing the locating & quality verification processes.

II. VARIFICATION & SPOT CHECKING

In your case, we are assuming that majority of the merchandise is receive from the vendors therefore to ascertain the quality of incoming material has to be of much importance. Verifying the quality of received merchandise assures that stock is always in already to ship stage.

• Checking based on customizable sampling algorithm
• Correction provisions with due authorizations for addressing problem situations.
• From verification the cartons are routed to be located

III. PUTAWAY (Locating)

Picking of pallets of product from the receiving areas of the warehouse and moving then to the appropriate storage locations. FACTS WMS has both options to assign the storage locations to the particular SKU. The locator will be guided to this location whenever the carton / palette containing that SKU is receive in the DC.

IV. MANAGING LOCATIONS & ASSIGNING LOCATIONS TO SKU’S

• WMS comes with a graphical interface to visually create and manage the locations in your DC. Using this module you can easily map your locations and assign the SKU’s to these locations. FACTS WMS comes with a highly flexible global location setup and maintenance functions through which users can easily create Location ID’s and defines parameters for multiple locations.
• The properties of SKUs for example- fast moving, slow moving, weight, volume etc can be easily managed through this interface to subsequently reflect on statutory documents.
• As the locations are assigned the system automatically generates requests for filling the picking locations.

V. DYNAMIC AND FIXED ASSIGNMENT TO LOCATIONS

FACTS WMS supports both dynamic and fixed assignment of locations. As the number of SKU’s shipped by you is considerably high therefore it is a logical assumption that not all SKUs can be simultaneously fronted. Therefore you may need to front some SKUs permanently (for time being) while for others SKUs you may need to front them, only when required. WMS has functionality to dynamically front these SKUs the picking waves created by shipping manager.

VI. AUTOMATIC INTEGRATED RESTOCKING
(Requirement generation, Pulling & Restocking)

Automatic restocking occurs as a result of Wave pick calculations. During the wave pick calculation process, WMS generates picks for forward pick bins. At the same time, it evaluates the remaining stock in those forward pick bins and generates restocks as needed. Integrated restocks for a wave are released at the same time picks for the waves are released ensuring that order picks and restocks occur together.

VII. RESTOCKING RULES

For the SKUs which are assigned locations dynamically, the restocking is done only as per the ordered quantity. But for fixed SKUs the restock request is generated automatically as and when the picking removes any piece from such locations.

VIII. IMPORTING ORDER DETAILS FROM HOST SYSTEM

Integrating with host system to receive order details. This will involve interfacing with the current order receiving system and importing the converted details into our system.

IX. CREATING ORDER WAVES

• WMS integrates with host system to download order information.
• As easy to use rich graphical interface is provided to select the orders for creating the picking waves. The shipping manager an easily select the desired orders for creating the wave using a number of filter criteria –Customer, DC, DC Cancel Date, Small Orders, Large Orders, International orders etc. The view for selecting pick slips can also be customized accordingly.
• As the waves are created the shipping manager will be informed about the inventory status of that wave so that the manager can take decision to process the wave as it is or maybe wait for stock. Therefore beforehand the shipping manager will have clear picture whether the wave to be started can be fully picked up in one pass or not.
• When the wave is made ready for processing, the system automatically detects if the SKUs are fronted for that wave or not and requests restock accordingly.
• While making the Wave available for picking, decision can be taken for Paper-based picking or RF based Picking.
• In RF based picking, as waves are made available for processing, system creates shipping cartons. Pick-to-carton logic uses item dimensions/weights to select the shipping carton prior to the order picking process. Items are then picked directly into the shipping carton. When picking is complete and the carton sealed eliminating a formal packing operation.

X. RF – BASED PICKING
Selecting/Creating Boxes for picking
• The system will provide a list of appropriate number id cartons to be picked based on the best picking path & crowd management logics.
• The UCC and the carton content label are printed at this time.
• When user requests the system for picking list from a particular order wave, the system looks at the pool of boxes in the selected wave. It then looks at the SKU requirements for each box. It checks the locations in forward pick area where these SKUs are available. Using all this information, the system attempts to use the specified number of boxes, which can all be pitched from the same aisle or by visiting minimum number of locations.

XI. PICKING (PITCHING)
• The picking process is completely guided. System guides the picker to the forward pick location from where SKUs are to be picked, prompts the picker to scan SKUs and then the box.
• All picker has to do is scan – scan box, location and SKU.
• Audible tones are provided to help the pickers during the scans. The audible signals are different for the correct scan, for the unacceptable scan and when a box/location is complete.
• As the picker completes picking, the system automatically detects the completion stage of boxes and direct picker to mark the box as Red in case any box was under-picked.
• Zone picking
• RF integration for paperless picking
• Bar-code product and location verification

XII. PAPER BASED PICKING

Picking
• The picking documents are printed for the wave to be picked.
• In each picking document the locations are printed in a sorted manner so as to provide pickers with optimized picking path.
Packing (Checking)
• The picked pieces are packed into the boxes.
• Each SKU is scanned as it is put into the box therefore 100% accuracy is assured.
• All customer specific constraints – min/max pieces per box etc are honored.
• Quick check functionality provided for large orders.

XIII. VALIDATING BOXES
• The idea of providing it is to check and trap any discrepancies, which may have occurred during the life cycle of the boxes while undergoing through various processes.
• This is the last and final check of the boxes before they are forwarded to the dock area for shipment and thereby it is of significance that this check ensures that the customers get the product they have asked for and fulfilling special conditions, if any.

XIV. SHIPPING
• FACTS WMS supports both LTL and small shipments.
• For small shipments currently WMS has developed APIs for uploading info to Fedex server. Therefore as you ship the details will be directly uploaded to Fedex Server and the tracking info etc will be stored in the system. WMS will develop the APIs to any small shipment carrier being used by you.
• For LTL shipments WMS provides interface for monitoring the progress of the waves in process and deciding on to ship these orders. All the shipping specific operations will be supported in this module.
o Based on the order progress the shipping manager will create bill of lading and ship of order.
o There is no need to scan any PO etc to create BOLs. The module have rich interface and all shipping manager has to do is select the orders he want to ship and create BOLs for them. Options are also been added to provide any PO to any existing BOL, merge BOLs, remove any PO from BOL, etc.
o All the shipping documents are automatically printed.
o Creation of Master Bill of Lading, consolidating BOLs are all supported in this module
• As orders are shipped system will upload the shipping details to the host system.

XV. INVENTORY ACCURACY

• WMS provides for the regular counting of stock for inventory control purposes through its RF Cycle Count module. Counts can be initiated by management and directed by location, SKU, or by other, user supplied criteria. Individual RF terminal operators as needed can also initiate counts.
• Cycle counting with RF terminals allows RF terminal operators to perform inventory counts quickly and accurately. During RF Cycle Counting, WMS freezes a single product location only for the time necessary to count the inventory in that location, releasing it when the count is complete.
• Because RF cycle counting provides accurate, up to the minute counts of the product, physical inventories that require warehouse shutdowns are minimized and often entirely eliminated.

XVI. WEB BASED REPORTS

Information is the key to the success for any enterprise in today’s business scenario. How well the information is managed and utilized reflects upon timely decisions, effective management and efficient planning. WMS provides a comprehensive set of reports detailing all the activities happening in DC/warehouse and their effect on the inventory movement. WMS also helps to detect bottlenecks in operations, which can increase the overall throughput of the warehouse and aids the management in control, review and planning. These help aids in:
• Decision support for planning
• Complete visibility of DC inventory.
• Keep tracks of DC activities for helping in creating new strategies.
• Help the marketing department to strategize their selling efforts.
• Provides insight into profitability and productivity of the DC.
• Labor control and planning (link wages of contract workers to their efficiency)
• At any given time, the exact position of inventory (age, quantity and quality) can be accessed through the generation of various reports which helps the management to take stock of any situation arising out of any emergency.
• Provides complete de facto status of which orders are being shipped and the current stage of processing.

XVII. INTEGRATION AND INTERFACE (Import & Export)
• WMS will integrate will all the required third party systems for information inputs & outputs
• Integrate with host system to download order information.
• Integrate with host system to upload the shipping information. Integrate with small shipment servers to upload the shipping information. Integrate with small shipment servers to upload the shipment information directly to these servers.

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