by Rina Redelinghuys, CQuential WMS Customer Services Executive
Master data is key to the functioning of the warehouse management system. The absence of accurate data will result in the system not being able to perform at an optimal level. The data will also be crucial to the ability to define business rules and workflows across the warehouse. A warehouse management system that has standard templates and a step-by-step user guide will reduce the burden of master data maintenance and setup within your operation.
The types of master data in the warehouse management system:
The benefits of accurate data:
What are the risks associated with poor master data management?
Approach to driving master data excellence:
Master data can be the difference between success and failure. Clean data throughout the business will enable a company to take advantage of new systems and services that have been developed in the market to drive business efficiencies. It will also ensure the business has a competitive advantage in the market and be highly responsive to new ideas and developments in the industry.
In case you missed it – also read: The challenges around warehouse optimisation
For more information contact one of our Business Consultants on 011 712 1300; email info@cquential.com or visit our website www.cquential.com
Rina Redelinghuys, CQuential WMS Customer Services Executive, examines the challenges around warehouse optimisation.
Supply chain is about efficiencies and facilitating an optimal flow of product from source to consumption. Warehousing is no different and the main objective is to reduce the cost per unit stored and handled within the warehouse without compromising customer service and fulfilment lead times.
The benefits of driving best practices within the warehouse:
This can be achieved by:
The supply chain and warehouse will always be under consistent pressure to respond to changes in customer behaviour and expectations. There will be a lot of solutions on the market, but the key is to find a fit to the businesses requirements and not overspend on equipment or systems that will not improve the overall warehouse performance.
Businesses need to plan for future requirements and not only focus on the current requirement as the environment will change over time.
Flexibility and agility are key, and this will drive sustainability into the future. If a business is very diversified and has many different operational requirements due to the type of products sold, then it may be more effective to consult with a 3PL logistics provider that has many different configurations and options to choose from when it comes to effective storage.
Alignment between people, processes and technology will drive further efficiencies within the warehouse. Without the right technology, it will be very difficult to measure the warehouse performance and to identify opportunities for improvement. The WMS is the source from which all improvements and efficiencies will emanate.
Catch my next piece where we will look at the importance of Master Data.
In case you missed it – also read: Warehouse theft prevention tips
For more information contact one of our Business Consultants on 011 712 1300; email info@cquential.com or visit our website www.cquential.com
If you have been on the fence regarding whether to transform your business and implement a digitisation strategy, now is the time to pull the trigger to survive. The past 60 days have been an eye opener as to how quickly what was regarded as fringe technology is being embraced. Someone even said to me that it is a case of 4 years of digitisation being crammed into 2 months.
There are some steps every Supply Chain can make right now to prepare for the “New Normal”.
At CQuential, part of the Argility Technology Group (ATG), we have been pioneering the way forward for Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) since our start in 2007/2008, taking what was an operational system and making it accessible, affordable and fast in the cloud. These challenges are an opportunity for us to assist businesses to transform and adapt their current way of working and digitising them.
Some crucial steps that will assist your supply chain to navigate this storm:
Visibility and access to Real time data
Many businesses today run reactive Supply Chains still making use of paper-based solutions. Through implementation of the right business solutions in your Supply Chain, you can make use of technologies to capture and execute tasks such as receiving, picking, dispatching and supplying goods.
Through integrated solutions and business processes, Supply Chains can shrink and the number of touches on your product can be reduced.
Digitising all records and transactions
Paperless societies have been a long time in the making. This crisis has just highlighted the inefficient paper-based methodologies in the digital age. Sign on glass has had a very short-lived life cycle given the new era of social distancing and hygiene.
Using the correct solution providers to digitise your supply chain is crucial to solving this problem. At ATG, we are ahead of the curve with our delivery application being driven by something as simple as an OTP or One-time pin. A further step would be to incorporate block chain into your supply chain for a complete touch free and secure Supply Chain.
Automation and Machine Learning
If COVID-19 has shown us anything, a large inefficient work force during normal times can still perform miracles using the old ways of Supply Chain, however with the new restrictions on business and number of people allowed at your offices, this will no longer be the case. Through a simple implementation of scanning and a WMS you would achieve great gains in efficiency. At CQuential, we are now gearing up our solution to include features of Warehouse controls and execution, so that with our software you can automate your warehouse environment.
With Machine Learning, you will be able to gain insights to optimise your work force, your stock locations, your work and instruction execution. All this is achievable through the analysis of your Supply Chain data.
So, with the fence changing, climb on down and talk to us at CQuential and ATG to help find the perfect solution for your Business Problems. For more information contact CQuential on 011 712 1300; email info@cquential.com or visit our website www.cquential.com
An updated warehouse management system is helping to make Sensory FX more efficient and positioning it for expansion.
Sensory FX is a leading local developer and manufacturer of flavours and fragrances into the African market. The company exports to a number of customers across the African continent, serving a wide range of industries including food and beverage, cosmetic and personal care, chemical, pharmaceutical, and household products.
Sensory FX’s business depends on the meticulous management of a wide range of raw materials, primarily liquid and powder chemicals and oils. These raw materials are then blended according to precise formulas into products that are customised to meet clients’ specifications. Stored materials must then be picked out of the warehouse in precise proportions as determined by the formula for the specific product being manufactured. Once the final product is completed, it returns to the warehouse for eventual despatch.
Because some of the raw materials are very expensive, the need for accuracy and traceability is increased.
The process has numerous checks and balances built into it, ensuring that sampling and analysis occur at key stages to ensure that clients’ formulas are being adhered to.
Traditionally, the company had used spreadsheets and other manual tools to manage its stock and control the picking process, leading to inaccuracies and non-conformance to formulas. As the business grew, it became imperative to move to a digital system that supported better control and visibility across the entire warehouse and manufacturing process, and reduced turnaround times on fulfilling orders.
A related requirement was batch traceability, the ability to trace and control raw materials, work in progress, and finished products through all stages of the manufacturing supply chain, including planning, materials management, production and distribution.
A final requirement was overall visibility and proper production planning. The new system would have to support streamlined processes within the warehouse, incorporating a structured workflow from the time stock arrives at the warehouse up to the point it is despatched to the client as part of a finished product
“Sensory FX’s business is hugely dependent on the ability to manage small amounts of often expensive raw materials to a high degree of accuracy across a complex manufacturing process,” said Rina Redelinghuys, Executive Projects & Services at CQuential.
“The business case for a process-driven WMS that integrated into the manufacturing process was obvious, and the benefits have been substantial.”
CQuential implemented its Warehouse Management System (WMS) to replace the old manual system. The WMS covers the full range of warehouse functions within the new Sensory FX facility as well as integration into Sage Pastel.
These include: receiving; batch registration; quality-controlled release of approved raw materials; manufacturing; put away to identified warehouses; stock takes; replenishments from raw materials to work-in-progress area; planning and release of manufacturing batch cards; picking; completion for manufacturing instructions according to the bill of materials; quality-control sampling approval; checking and despatch.
The CQuential WMS has played a key role in helping Sensory FX exploit the potential of its warehouse facility. Some of the key benefits delivered by CQuential include:
“CQuential’s warehouse system has helped us improve our manufacturing and warehousing processes greatly,” added Francois Strydom, Operations Director of Sensory FX.
“In particular, we have reduced our stock losses by 12% over the past seven years.
“Increased efficiency not only means reduced costs but greater accuracy in compiling orders, and thus much better service to our customers.”
CQuential continues to provide hosting and support for the WMS, along with consulting help for new projects. One of the current projects involves automating the Certificate of Analysis that has to be completed for each batch of product. The team is currently also investigating better ways to provide recommendations, solutions and improvements to the WMS as the Sensory FX team identifies new requirements and refinements.
Source: Intelligent CIO
