We are a partner to the automotive industry and are looking for a warehouse management system to assist us with the storage and retrieval of tools and fixtures.
Tools and fixtures not required for production are stored in three off-site warehouses. Storage and retrieval operations are recorded by hand on a slip of paper and then entered into a database by other employees within the company. This often leads to errors when transferring the correct storage location data, which then results in having to search for the tools and fixtures.
The software should therefore meet the following requirements:
- Storage and retrieval operations at the storage locations in the off-site warehouse should function faster and with fewer errors than before using a barcode-based system.
- Inventory should be available quickly and reliably.
- Since there is no wireless LAN available in the off-site warehouses, data transmission should take place via GSM (cellular network).
- The data that the system must display are the tool number, item description, manufacturer, status, storage location, and storage bin.
- The system must be able to generate the following tool numbers: F1991, F1991/5, F1991/5B, E1991/5B, S1991-10/2.
- The system should be compatible with the existing ERP system so that it can interact with it, since the master data for the tools is stored in the ERP.
- Since multiple tools are currently stored on some pallets, it should be possible to assign multiple tools to a single storage location.
- To prevent typos during putaway, the barcode scanner must display only the available tools when scanning the storage location.
- When expanding the warehouse, it must be possible to generate and print new barcodes at any time.
- It should be possible to transfer old MS Access and Excel data into the warehouse management software.
- Chaotic warehousing should be supported.
- A fast response time for hardware and software support requests should be ensured.
- The option for different inventory types (e.g., continuous inventory) should be available.
4–5 software workstations are planned.