WMS and MFC in One Software
Our Warehouse Management System (WMS) is specifically designed for SMB's Automated Pallet Warehouse. The corresponding Material Flow Controller (MFC) is already integrated into the system. The advantages of the combined WMS/MFC solution are clear: it not only eliminates a potential source of errors, it consolidates your intralogistics IT into a single software solution. This WMS not only maps all warehouse processes, but also evaluates, visualizes, and controls them.
Features of Our WMS/MFC Warehouse Management Software
- Analysis of all material and information flows in the high-performance channel warehouse
- Control of material flow, conveyor technology, and storage and retrieval devices, with pallet shuttles (Truck Shuttles) on the storage levels of the compact warehouse
- Inventory management of storage locations – homogeneous and mixed pallets
- Mapping of all warehouse processes from receiving to storage and shipping
- Quality inspections
- Batch management with or without expiration dates
- Calculation of new storage routes in case of disruptions
- Support for order picking and shipping
- Warehouse visualization on a dashboard
- Continuous inventory management
- Coordination of material flows
- Visualization of transport routes and issued transport commands
High Performance and Storage Density
Over the course of many successful customer projects installing the compact Automated Pallet Warehouse, we have refined our warehouse management system. Today, our WMS/MFC solution utilizes proven strategies for automated storage, retrieval, relocation of pallets, and ongoing warehouse optimization.
Automated Density Across All Storage Levels
While other warehouse management systems prioritize storage and retrieval performance, WMS/MFC also focuses on automatically optimizing storage density. Thanks to multiple handling devices on the storage levels, our automated pallet warehouse has enough capacity for space optimization to run on an ongoing basis.
Always in Motion
When one of our Truck Shuttles has no storage or retrieval orders, the warehouse management system instructs it to move stored pallets to make more space available. The system begins optimizing and relocating the palletized goods. Depending on the programming, the warehouse management system prioritizes different strategies for improving storage density. .
No Downtime Due to Incorrect Information from Suppliers
Other automated warehouse systems often encounter problems when advance shipping notices do not match the actual delivery at the receiving dock, or when mixed pallets are delivered unexpectedly. A short shipment with fewer pallets than expected can often lead to wait times and delays in achieving the optimal utilization of storage space. Such downtimes can be avoided with SMB's Automated Pallet Warehouse.
Transforming Your Warehouse System
When precision and efficient use of space are crucial, our fully automated WMS/MFC warehouse management system is the right choice to keep your warehouse running smoothly.
WMS/MFC Takes Over Automated Warehouse Operations
The software uses the data from your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and combines it with the data from the machine components. It displays inventory levels as well as the number of occupied and available spaces. From resource planning to quality control and field-level warehouse management, you have a visualization of your entire internal logistics chain. You can monitor automated warehouse processes anytime with our warehouse management system. Alternatively, the software can function as a black box, displaying and automatically controlling the Automated Pallet Warehouse as a fully automated storage unit in your overall material flow control.
Optimized Position Management for Maximum Utilization
The advanced capabilities of the warehouse management system ensure that the maximum number of storage spaces in the channel warehouse are effectively utilized, keeping empty space to a minimum. In standard operation, our automated pallet warehouse, combined with our warehouse management system, achieves up to 95 percent overall utilization – even with mixed batches and individual items.
Warehouse Management for Mixed Pallets and Channels
Our warehouse management system and automated storage technology are designed to create mixed channels based on a product assortment, expiration dates, or other customer parameters. This means that our warehouse management system allows the storage of different pallet types in one channel – from drum pallets to industrial pallets or Euro pallets.
Precise Utilization of Pallet Spaces
Both the warehouse management system and the PLC of our Automated Pallet Warehouse manage and process the channels down to the millimeter. The software visualization displays pallet spaces accordingly.
Automation Data via Standard Interface
Our warehouse management system with a material flow controller is also designed to establish a direct data bridge between your ERP or merchandise management system and the machine control of the automated pallet warehouse via the OPC (Open Platform Communications) standard.
Networking from ERP system to PLC
Supplied with data from your ERP system or your production planning and control system (PPC), our warehouse management system LVS/MFR communicates directly with the storage locations in the Automated Pallet Warehouse via interfaces. The software thus combines the digital control, organization and monitoring of all warehouse processes with the physical management of warehouse stocks by the programmable logic controller (PLC) of the Automated Pallet Warehouse. Our warehouse management system can be implemented in Oracle or mSQL and ensures optimum calculation times.
Advantages of Our Warehouse Management System Over Other Systems
With our warehouse management system, you can mix industrial pallets and Euro pallets and optimally manage storage spaces in mixed channels of the Automated Pallet Warehouse. For example, you can retrieve batches even if they are stored on different pallets.
- Easy formation of mixed channels for different batches and items
- Storage channels do not need to be homogeneous; the WMS operates without strict separation
- Error messages are indicated by light barriers and displayed in the PLC
- The WMS can create and manage mixed channels
- The system supports continuous inventory
- Batch FIFO is maintained even in mixed channels
Efficient Storage, Retrieval, and Transport of Goods
Upon receipt of goods, logistical information pertaining to the delivery, such as pallet dimensions, batch numbers, and item data are recorded and stored in the warehouse management system. This prevents inventory discrepancies.
Identification Points and Light Barriers Ensure Real-Time Warehouse Management
Multiple identification points (i-points) along the conveyor technology of the Automated Pallet Warehouse allow for flexibility in the system. This enables intelligent storage, relocation, and retrieval of batches.
Optimization with Integrated Material Flow Controller
The software logs which items are in the warehouse, where exactly each item is stored, and for how long. All this information feeds into the material flow controller, which continuously optimizes storage and distributes pallets across multiple storage channels. This allows us to tailor the system to suit individual customer requirements.
Perfect Your Goods Flow
SMB offers you a business management software solution with the WMS/MFC that can record, control and analyze all the movements of goods in your warehouse. Our Automated Pallet Warehouse hardware combined with Industry 4.0 IoT technology, creates a comprehensive system for optimal material flow.
