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Services

Logistics Consulting

Operational assessment of the current warehouses situation

It is a consulting package which helps the clients to answer the following questions: "Which are the actual problems of the logistics system?", "What can be improved?".

Operational assessment offers an independent vision on company's logistics operations and a detailed report containing observations of experienced consultants in the field of operations and logistics systems.

A review of all aspects of one operation is made, meaning information in collected and goods flow are made and recommends action directions for each identified problem. Also, brings operations on the required standards, similar with those from other distribution systems.

The report of an operational assessment defines the causes which limitates the eficiency of the operation. Also, it describes their effect on operations, and prioritizes them upon he most severe operational impact


Operational assessment review's areas:

Each functional area, received from deliveries, plus the control of the inventary

The unit and total capacity (current and optimal)

The operational layout and material flow

Functional capacities and system's performance

The storage and handling of the equipment

Inventory's accuracy

Planning of warehouses

This consulting service consists in establishing material flows and dividing the warehouse into multiple operational areas(for example: the receiving of goods, the storage of goods, commissioning (mixing) of goods, the delivering of goods, packaging / checking goods).

Gives dimension and chooses the types of storage areas based on the dimensions and the velocity of the product. Usually, we propose several support types:

Supports on pallets - they are suitable for voluminous products or for products with a large velocity. In some warehouses, those pallets play the role of barriers / waiting space for product areas with movement / flow medium / low

Supports on containers - those are suitable for areas with movement / flow medium / low.

Mobile racks - suitable for small space warehouses with large storage needs, where occupying space is critical (for example: cold storage rooms, archives, etc.)

It creates the plans which constain the location number, the position of the location, the characteristics of the location (with simple or multiple depth), the convension for naming the location, aisle size (normal or narrow aisle).

Establishes the number of the workstations for each area and chooses the location of the workstation inside the area

Establishes the connections/interactions among and within each area in two ways:

Manual conections: using semiautomatic machines, manual machines or lifting devices

Automatic connections: automatically guided vehicles(AGV), belt conveyor systems (conveyors), storage and removal equipment, sorting machines, storage carousel

Establishes a budget for supports, equipments, pallets, containers

Flow analysis for each warehouse areas; flow improvement in areas containing problems: reducing existing errors, reduce the effects of errors which can not be eliminated (eg, updating inventory based on zero crossing), increasing the flow of the areas, automation of operations on which were found bottlenecks

The analysis and the improvment of connections between areas

The analysis and the improvment of connections between areas

The analysis of existing errors and their causes

Real flow analysis and detection of flow bottlenecks

The analysis of the future needs of the clients concerning of increasing the flow, new types of products, changing velocity of products

It provides a well-defined method of approaching errors

Improves operations for workstations and enhances the flow

If the warehouse is new, all will be created from zero.

The establishment of the necessary logistics equipment

Provides the detailed list with all required equipment, such as scanners, mobile terminals, antennas, scales, printers, AGV, conveyors, sorting devices

Offers the budget list for all equipments

Points out the item's characteristics for each item highlighting the arguments which come in favor of the product, as well as features that might make it inappropriate in the proposed configuration and familiarizes the user with the product before its acquisition

Software functionalities

The detailed functionality for each area

The detailed functionality for the connections between areas

The algorithms for storage , commissioning and dispatch operations

The supply strategy

Routes optimisation

Updating inventory in real time

Monitoring the activity of the warehouse

Flow logical schemes

Provides detailed logical schemes of software, with the possibility that a third company would implement flow only based on these specifications

Interface

Technology Interface: TCP, FTP, database to database

The specification of the interface between WMS and Host System

The interface specification between WMS and all external peripherals: scanners, RF-controlled mobile terminals, RF-controlled printers, all automatic equipment

The calculation of data flow for each interface

Masks user interface

Setting user interface

Determining the most suitable technologies: sometimes we can choose Web interface, but the user client applications are recommended for faster operations

Setting masks user interface for all areas

The establishment of functionalities for all areas

Providing prototypes, based on which shall be finalized the customer masks

IT hardware design

It establishes the required IT equipment for the functioning of the warehouse management system and material flow control

Establishes specifications for servers based on

Establishes specifications for workstations

Recommend backup solutions

Creates the budget list for equipment purchases

Creates the required tests before acquisition

The management of the entire project for putting into operation a warehouse management system and material flow

Identifying operating requirements

Writing the specifications, where are detailed all functionalities, the required equipment, the necessary staff, the good operating conditions of the system, communication interfaces between subsystems, the way to cross in the production

The division of the whole project into multiple stages and the establishment of deadlines for each stage

The identification and the control of risk factors that may occur during the project development

Creates the internal testing scenarios for software functionalities

  • The testing of each software module
  • Carrying out tests for the integration of the modules

It creates internal tests for interfaces between WMS and external peripheral modules

  • The testing of the graphical interface
  • The testing of masks functionality
  • Masks are load tested, especially those accessed frequently

It creates the test for assigning missions. This action takes place in three stages:

  • Commissioning phase - represented by testing functionalities
  • Installation phase – represented by increasing performance and identifying errors
  • Final phase - when the performance is achieved and the software runs without errors

Commissioning of warehouse management systems and material flow control

The implementation of communication interfaces with HOST systems (ERP systems, accounting and management systems, etc.) and with the existing subsystems (automated systems)

The installation of the whole system at the client and the systematic testing of all functionalities as well as the systematic testing of all communication interfaces with other subsystems

Establishing the scenarios for the transition to production. Onsite support offered by specialists with a large experience in IT and warehouse management systems;

  • The creation of scenarios of schooling;
  • The creation of tests for positioning of schooling;
  • Dividing the forming classes and the staff on groups of functionalities;
  • Staff training;
  • Testing the staff and assessing the outcome of schooling.

Providing service during system operation so remote and onsite when needed

Software development

SUN (JSP, Servlets, TAG Libraries, Struts, Spring, Tomcat, Websphere, JBoss)

PHP

ASP.NET

Java SE

C/C++

C#

VB

Centura

Oracle

development / administration

MySQL

MSSql