仓库管理系统外文文献
仓库管理系统外文翻译英文文献
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未经允许，请勿外传～Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).The evolution of warehouse management systems (WMS) is very similar to that of many other software solutions. Initially a system to control movement and storage of materials within a warehouse, the role of WMS is expanding to including light manufacturing, transportation management, order management, and complete accounting systems. To use the grandfather of operations-related software, MRP, as a comparison, material requirements planning (MRP) started as a system for planning raw material requirements in a manufacturing environment. Soon MRP evolved into manufacturing resource planning (MRPII), which took the basic MRP system and added scheduling and capacity planning logic. Eventually MRPII evolved into enterprise resource planning (ERP), incorporating all the MRPII functionality with full financials and customer and vendor management functionality. Now, whether WMS evolving into a warehouse-focused ERP system is a good thing or not is up to debate. What is clear is that the expansion of the overlap in functionality between Warehouse Management Systems, Enterprise Resource Planning, Distribution Requirements Planning, Transportation Management Systems, Supply Chain Planning, Advanced Planning and Scheduling, and Manufacturing Execution Systems will only increase the level ofconfusion among companies looking for software solutions for their operations.Even though WMS continues to gain added functionality, the initialcore functionality of a WMS has not really changed. The primary purposeof a WMS is to control the movement and storage of materials within an operation and process the associated transactions. Directed picking, directed replenishment, and directed put away are the key to WMS. The detailed setup and processing within a WMS can vary significantly fromone software vendor to another, however the basic logic will use a combination of item, location, quantity, unit of measure, and1order information to determine where to stock, where to pick, and in what sequence to perform these operations.At a bare minimum, a WMS should:Have a flexible location system.Utilize user-defined parameters to direct warehouse tasks and uselivedocuments to execute these tasks.Have some built-in level of integration with data collection devices.Do You Really Need WMS?Not every warehouse needs a WMS. Certainly any warehouse couldbenefit from some of the functionality but is the benefit great enoughto justify the initial and ongoing costs associated with WMS? Warehouse Management Systems are big, complex, data intensive, applications. They tend to require a lot of initial setup, a lot of system resources to run, and a lot of ongoing data management to continue to run. That’s ri ght, you need to "manage" your warehouse "management" system. Often times, large operations will end up creating a new IS department with the sole responsibility of managing the WMS.The Claims:WMS will reduce inventory!WMS will reduce labor costs!WMS will increase storage capacity!WMS will increase customer service!WMS will increase inventory accuracy!The Reality:The implementation of a WMS along with automated data collectionwill likely give you increases in accuracy, reduction in labor costs (provided the labor required to maintain the system is less than the labor saved on the warehouse floor), and a greater ability to servicethe customer by reducing cycle times. Expectations of inventoryreduction and increased storage capacity are less likely. Whileincreased accuracy and efficiencies in the receiving process may reduce the level of safety stock required, the impact of this reduction will likely be negligible in comparison to overall inventory levels. The predominant factors that control inventory levels are2lot sizing, lead times, and demand variability. It is unlikely that a WMS will have a significant impact on any of these factors. And while a WMS certainly provides the tools for more organized storage which may result in increased storage capacity, this improvement will be relative to just how sloppy your pre-WMS processes were.Beyond labor efficiencies, the determining factors in deciding to implement a WMS tend to be more often associated with the need to do something to service your customers that your current system does not support (or does not support well) such as first-in-first-out, cross-docking, automated pick replenishment, wave picking, lot tracking, yard management, automated data collection, automated material handling equipment, etc.SetupThe setup requirements of WMS can be extensive. The characteristics of each item and location must be maintained either at the detail level or by grouping similar items and locations into categories. An example of item characteristics at the detail level would include exact dimensions and weight of each item in each unit of measure the item is stocked (each, cases, pallets, etc) as well as information such as whether it can be mixed with other items in a location, whether it is rack able, max stack height, max quantity per location, hazard classifications, finished goods or raw material, fast versus slow mover, etc. Although some operations will need to set up each item this way,most operations will benefit by creating groups of similar products. For example, if you are a distributor of music CDs you would create groups for single CDs, and double CDs, maintaining the detailed dimension and weight information at the group level and only needing to attach the group code to each item. You would likely need to maintain detailed information on special items such as boxed sets or CDs in special packaging. You would also create groups for the different types of locations within your warehouse. An example would be to create three different groups (P1, P2, P3) for the three different sized forward picking locations you use for your CD picking. You then set up the quantity of single CDs that will fit in a P1, P2, and P3 location, quantity of double CDs that fit in a P1, P2, P3 location etc. You would likely also be setting up case quantities, and pallet quantities of each CD group and quantities of cases and pallets per each reserve storage location group.If this sounds simple, it is…well… sort of. In reality most operations have a much morediverse product mix and will require much more system setup. And setting up the physical characteristics of the product and locations is only part of the picture. You have set up enough so that the system knows where a product can fit and how many will fit in that location. You now need to set up the information needed to let the system decide exactly which location to pick3from, replenish from/to, and put away to, and in what sequence these events should occur (remember WMS is all about “directed” m ovement). You do this by assigning specific logic to the various combinations of item/order/quantity/location information that will occur.Below I have listed some of the logic used in determining actual locations and sequences.Location Sequence. This is the simplest logic; you simply define a flow through your warehouse and assign a sequence number to each location. In order picking this is used to sequence your picks to flow through the warehouse, in put away the logic would look for the first location in the sequence in which the product would fit.Zone Logic. By breaking down your storage locations into zones you can direct picking, put away, or replenishment to or from specific areas of your warehouse. Since zone logic only designates an area, you will need to combine this with some other type of logic to determine exact location within the zone.Fixed Location. Logic uses predetermined fixed locations per item in picking, put away, and replenishment. Fixed locations are most often used as the primary picking location in piece pick and case-pick operations, however, they can also be used for secondary storage.Random Location. Since computers cannot be truly random (nor would you want them to be) the term random location is a little misleading. Random locations generally refer to areas where products are not storedin designated fixed locations. Like zone logic, you will need some additional logic to determine exact locations.First-in-first-out (FIFO). Directs picking from the oldest inventory first.Last-in-first-out (LIFO). Opposite of FIFO. I didn't think there were any realapplications for this logic until a visitor to my site sent an email describing their operation that distributes perishable goods domestically and overseas. They use LIFO for their overseas customers (because of longer in-transit times) and FIFO for their domestic customers.Pick-to-clear. Logic directs picking to the locations with the smallest quantities on hand. This logic is great for space utilization.Reserved Locations. This is used when you want to predetermine specific locations to put away to or pick from. An application for reserved locations would be cross-docking, where you may specify certain quantities of an inbound shipment be moved to specific outbound staging locations or directly to an awaiting outbound trailer.Maximize Cube. Cube logic is found in most WMS systems however it is seldom used. Cube logic basically uses unit dimensions to calculate cube (cubic inches per unit) and then compares this to the cube capacity of the location to determine how much will fit. Now if the units are capable of being stacked into the location in a manner that fills every cubic inch of4space in the location, cube logic will work. Since this rarely happens in the real world, cube logic tends to be impractical.Consolidate. Looks to see if there is already a location with the same product stored in it with available capacity. May also create additional moves to consolidate like product stored in multiple locations.Lot Sequence. Used for picking or replenishment, this will use the lot number or lot date to determine locations to pick from or replenish from.It’s very common to combine multiple logic methods to determine the best location. Forexample you may chose to use pick-to-clear logic within first-in-first-out logic when there are multiple locations with the same receipt date. You also may change the logic based upon current workload. During busy periods you may chose logic that optimizes productivity while during slower periods you switch to logic that optimizes space utilization.Other Functionality/ConsiderationsWave Picking/Batch Picking/Zone Picking. Support for various picking methods variesfrom one system to another. In high-volume fulfillment operations, picking logic can be a critical factor in WMS selection. See my article on Order Picking for more info on these methods.Task Interleaving. Task interleaving describes functionality that mixes dissimilar tasks such as picking and put away to obtain maximum productivity. Used primarily in full-pallet-load operations, task interleaving will direct a lift truck operator to put away a pallet on his/her way to the next pick. In large warehouses this can greatly reduce travel time, not only increasing productivity, but also reducing wear on the lift trucks and saving on energy costs by reducing lift truck fuel consumption. Task interleaving is also used with cycle counting programs to coordinate a cycle count with a picking or put away task.Integration with Automated Material Handling Equipment. If you are planning onusing automated material handling equipment such as carousels, ASRS units, AGNS, pick-to-light systems, or separation systems, you’ll want to consider this during the software selection process. Since these types of automation are very expensive and are usually a core component of your warehouse, you may find that the equipment will drive the selection of the WMS. As with automated data collection, you should be working closely with the equipment manufacturers during the software selection process.5Advanced Shipment Notifications (ASN). If your vendors are capableof sendingadvanced shipment notifications (preferably electronically) and attaching compliance labels to the shipments you will want to make sure that the WMS can use this to automate your receiving process. In addition, if you have requirements to provide ASNs for customers, you will also want to verify this functionality.Yard Management. Yard management describes the function of managing the contents (inventory) of trailers parked outside the warehouse, or the empty trailers themselves. Yard management is generally associated with cross docking operations and may include the management of both inbound and outbound trailers.Labor Tracking/Capacity Planning. Some WMS systems provide functionality relatedto labor reporting and capacity planning. Anyone that has worked in manufacturing should be familiar with this type of logic. Basically, you set up standard labor hours and machine (usually lift trucks) hours per task and set the available labor and machine hours per shift. The WMS system will use this info to determine capacity and load. Manufacturing has been using capacity planning for decades with mixed results. The need to factor in efficiency and utilization to determine rated capacity is an example of the shortcomings of this process. Not that I’m necessarily against capacity planning in warehousing, I just think most operations don’t really need it and can avoid the disap pointment of trying to make it work. I am, however, a big advocate of labor tracking for individual productivity measurement. Most WMS maintain enough datato create productivity reporting. Since productivity is measured differently from one operation to another you can assume you will have to do some minor modifications here (usually in the form of custom reporting).Integration with existing accounting/ERP systems. Unless the WMS vendor hasalready created a specific interface with your accounting/ERP system (such as those provided by an approved business partner) you can expect to spend some significant programming dollars here. While we are all hoping that integration issues will be magically resolved someday by a standardized interface, we isn’t there yet. Ideally you’ll want an integrator that has already integrated the WMS you chose with the business software you are using. Since this is not always possible you at least want an integrator that is very familiar with one of the systems.WMS + everything else = ? As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, a lot ofother modules are being added to WMS packages. These would include full financials, light manufacturing, transportation management, purchasing, and sales order management. I don’t see t his as aunilateral move of WMS from an add-on module to a core system, but rather an optional approach that has applications in specific industries such as 3PLs. Using ERP systems6as a point of reference, it is unlikely that this add-onfunctionality will match the functionality of best-of-breed applications available separately. If warehousing/distribution is your core business function and you don’t want to have to deal with the integration issues of incorporating separate financials, order processing, etc. you mayfind these WMS based business systems are a good fit.Implementation TipsOutside of the standard “don’t underestimate”, “thoroughlytest”, “train, train, train” implementation tips that apply to any business software installation ,it’s i mportant to emphasize that WMSare very data dependent and restrictive by design. That is, you need to have all of the various data elements in place for the system tofunction properly. And, when they are in place, you must operate within the set parameters.When implementing a WMS, you are adding an additional layer of technology onto your system. And with each layer of technology there is additional overhead and additional sources of potential problems. Now don’t take this as a condemnation of Warehouse Management Systems. Coming from a warehousing background I definitely appreciate the functionality WMS have to offer, and, in many warehouses, this functionality is essential to their ability to serve their customers and remain competitive. It’s just impo rtant to note that every solution hasits downsides and having a good understanding of the potential implications will allow managers to make better decisions related to the levels of technology that best suits their unique environment.仓库管理系统( WMS )仓库管理系统( WMS )的演变与许多其他软件解决方案是非常相似的。
中英文文献翻译-仓库管理系统( WMS )
英文原文Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).The evolution of warehouse management systems (WMS) is very similar to that of many other software solutions. Initially a system to control movement and storage of materials within a warehouse, the role of WMS is expanding to including light manufacturing, transportation management, order management, and complete accounting systems. To use the grandfather of operations-related software, MRP, as a comparison, material requirements planning (MRP) started as a system for planning raw material requirements in a manufacturing environment. Soon MRP evolved into manufacturing resource planning (MRPII), which took the basic MRP system and added scheduling and capacity planning logic. Eventually MRPII evolved into enterprise resource planning (ERP), incorporating all the MRPII functionality with full financials and customer and vendor management functionality. Now, whether WMS evolving into a warehouse-focused ERP system is a good thing or not is up to debate. What is clear is that the expansion of the overlap in functionality between Warehouse Management Systems, Enterprise Resource Planning, Distribution Requirements Planning, Transportation Management Systems, Supply Chain Planning, Advanced Planning and Scheduling, and Manufacturing Execution Systems will only increase the level of confusion among companies looking for software solutions for their operations.Even though WMS continues to gain added functionality, the initial core functionality of a WMS has not really changed. The primary purpose of a WMS is to control the movement and storage of materials within an operation and process the associated transactions. Directed picking, directed replenishment, and directed put away are the key to WMS. The detailed setup and processing within a WMS can vary significantly from one software vendor to another, however the basic logic will use a combination of item, location, quantity, unit of measure, and order information to determine where to stock, where to pick, and in what sequence to perform these operations.Have a flexible location system.Utilize user-defined parameters to direct warehouse tasks and use liveHave some built-in level of integration with data collection devices.Do You Really Need WMS?Not every warehouse needs a WMS. Certainly any warehouse could benefit from some of the functionality but is the benefit great enough to justify the initial and ongoing costs associated with WMS? Warehouse Management Systems are big, complex, data intensive, applications. They tend to require a lot of initial setup, a lot of system resources to run, and a lot of ongoing data management to con tinue to run. That’s right, you need to "manage" your warehouse "management" system. Often times, large operations will end up creating a new IS department with the sole responsibility of managing the WMS.The Claims:WMS will reduce inventory!WMS will reduce labor costs!WMS will increase storage capacity!WMS will increase customer service!WMS will increase inventory accuracy!The Reality:The implementation of a WMS along with automated data collection will likely give you increases in accuracy, reduction in labor costs (provided the labor required to maintain the system is less than the labor saved on the warehouse floor), and a greater ability to service the customer by reducing cycle times. Expectations of inventory reduction and increased storage capacity are less likely. While increased accuracy and efficiencies in the receiving process may reduce the level of safety stock required, the impact of this reduction will likely be negligible in comparison to overall inventory levels. The predominant factors that control inventory levels are lot sizing, lead times, and demand variability. It is unlikely that a WMS will have a significant impact on any of these factors. And while a WMS certainly provides the tools for more organized storage which may result in increased storage capacity, this improvement will be relative to just how sloppy your pre-WMS processes were.Beyond labor efficiencies, the determining factors in deciding to implement a WMS tend to be more often associated with the need to do something to service your customers that your current system does not support (or does not support well) such as first-in-first-out, cross-docking, automated pick replenishment, wave picking, lot tracking, yard management, automated data collection, automated material handling equipment, etc.SetupThe setup requirements of WMS can be extensive. The characteristics of each item and location must be maintained either at the detail level or by grouping similar items and locationsinto categories. An example of item characteristics at the detail level would include exact dimensions and weight of each item in each unit of measure the item is stocked (each, cases, pallets, etc) as well as information such as whether it can be mixed with other items in a location, whether it is rack able, max stack height, max quantity per location, hazard classifications, finished goods or raw material, fast versus slow mover, etc. Although some operations will need to set up each item this way, most operations will benefit by creating groups of similar products. For example, if you are a distributor of music CDs you would create groups for single CDs, and double CDs, maintaining the detailed dimension and weight information at the group level and only needing to attach the group code to each item. You would likely need to maintain detailed information on special items such as boxed sets or CDs in special packaging. You would also create groups for the different types of locations within your warehouse. An example would be to create three different groups (P1, P2, P3) for the three different sized forward picking locations you use for your CD picking. You then set up the quantity of single CDs that will fit in a P1, P2, and P3 location, quantity of double CDs that fit in a P1, P2, P3 location etc. You would likely also be setting up case quantities, and pallet quantities of each CD group and quantities of cases and pallets per each reserve storage location group.If this sounds simple, it is…well… sort of. In reality most operations have a much more diverse product mix and will require much more system setup. And setting up the physical characteristics of the product and locations is only part of the picture. You have set up enough so that the system knows where a product can fit and how many will fit in that location. You now need to set up the information needed to let the system decide exactly which location to pick from, replenish from/to, and put away to, and in what sequence these events should occur (remember WMS is all about “directed” movement). You do this by assigni ng specific logic to the various combinations of item/order/quantity/location information that will occur.Below I have listed some of the logic used in determining actual locations and sequences.Location Sequence. This is the simplest logic; you simply define a flow through your warehouse and assign a sequence number to each location. In order picking this is used to sequence your picks to flow through the warehouse, in put away the logic would look for the first location in the sequence in which the product would fit.Zone Logic. By breaking down your storage locations into zones you can direct picking, put away, or replenishment to or from specific areas of your warehouse. Since zone logic only designates an area, you will need to combine this with some other type of logic to determine exact location within the zone.Fixed Location. Logic uses predetermined fixed locations per item in picking, put away, and replenishment. Fixed locations are most often used as the primary picking location in piece pick and case-pick operations, however, they can also be used for secondary storage.Random Location. Since computers cannot be truly random (nor would you want them to be) the term random location is a little misleading. Random locations generally refer to areas where products are not stored in designated fixed locations. Like zone logic, you will need some additional logic to determine exact locations.First-in-first-out (FIFO).Directs picking from the oldest inventory first.Last-in-first-out (LIFO).Opposite of FIFO. I didn't think there were any real applications for this logic until a visitor to my site sent an email describing their operation that distributes perishable goods domestically and overseas. They use LIFO for their overseas customers (because of longer in-transit times) and FIFO for their domestic customers.Pick-to-clear. Logic directs picking to the locations with the smallest quantities on hand. This logic is great for space utilization.Reserved Locations. This is used when you want to predetermine specific locations to put away to or pick from. An application for reserved locations would be cross-docking, where you may specify certain quantities of an inbound shipment be moved to specific outbound staging locations or directly to an awaiting outbound trailer.Maximize Cube. Cube logic is found in most WMS systems however it is seldom used. Cube logic basically uses unit dimensions to calculate cube (cubic inches per unit) and then compares this to the cube capacity of the location to determine how much will fit. Now if the units are capable of being stacked into the location in a manner that fills every cubic inch of space in the location, cube logic will work. Since this rarely happens in the real world, cube logic tends to be impractical.Consolidate. Looks to see if there is already a location with the same product stored in it with available capacity. May also create additional moves to consolidate like product stored in multiple locations.Lot Sequence. Used for picking or replenishment, this will use the lot number or lot date to determine locations to pick from or replenish from.It’s very common to combine multiple logic methods to determine the best location. For example you may chose to use pick-to-clear logic within first-in-first-out logic when there are multiple locations with the same receipt date. You also may change the logic based upon current workload. During busy periods you may chose logic that optimizes productivity while during slower periods you switch to logic that optimizes space utilization.Other Functionality/ConsiderationsWave Picking/Batch Picking/Zone Picking. Support for various picking methods varies from one system to another. In high-volume fulfillment operations, picking logic can be a critical factor in WMS selection. See my article on Order Picking for more info on these methods.Task Interleaving. Task interleaving describes functionality that mixes dissimilar tasks such as picking and put away to obtain maximum productivity. Used primarily in full-pallet-load operations, task interleaving will direct a lift truck operator to put away a pallet on his/her way to the next pick. In large warehouses this can greatly reduce travel time, not only increasing productivity, but also reducing wear on the lift trucks and saving on energy costs by reducing lift truck fuel consumption. Task interleaving is also used with cycle counting programs to coordinate a cycle count with a picking or put away task.Integration with Automated Material Handling Equipment. If you are planning on using automated material handling equipment such as carousels, ASRS units, AGNS, pick-to-light systems, or separation systems, you’ll wa nt to consider this during the software selection process. Since these types of automation are very expensive and are usually a core component of your warehouse, you may find that the equipment will drive the selection of the WMS. As with automated data collection, you should be working closely with the equipment manufacturers during the software selection process.Advanced Shipment Notifications (ASN). If your vendors are capable of sending advanced shipment notifications (preferably electronically) and attaching compliance labels to the shipments you will want to make sure that the WMS can use this to automate your receiving process. In addition, if you have requirements to provide ASNs for customers, you will also want to verify this functionality.Yard Management. Yard management describes the function of managing the contents (inventory) of trailers parked outside the warehouse, or the empty trailers themselves. Yard management is generally associated with cross docking operations and may include the management of both inbound and outbound trailers.Labor Tracking/Capacity Planning. Some WMS systems provide functionality related to labor reporting and capacity planning. Anyone that has worked in manufacturing should be familiar with this type of logic. Basically, you set up standard labor hours and machine (usually lift trucks) hours per task and set the available labor and machine hours per shift. The WMS system will use this info to determine capacity and load. Manufacturing has been using capacity planning for decades with mixed results. The need to factor in efficiency and utilization to determine rated capacity is an example of the shortcomings of this process. Not that I’m necessarily against capacity planning in warehousing, I just think most operations don’t really need it and can avoid the disappointment of trying to make it work. I am, however, a bigadvocate of labor tracking for individual productivity measurement. Most WMS maintain enough data to create productivity reporting. Since productivity is measured differently from one operation to another you can assume you will have to do some minor modifications here (usually in the form of custom reporting).Integration with existing accounting/ERP systems. Unless the WMS vendor has already created a specific interface with your accounting/ERP system (such as those provided by an approved business partner) you can expect to spend some significant programming dollars here. While we are all hoping that integration issues will be magically resolved someday by a standardized interface, we isn’t there yet. Ideally you’ll want an integrator that has already integrated the WMS you chose with the business software you are using. Since this is not always possible you at least want an integrator that is very familiar with one of the systems.WMS + everything else = ? As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, a lot of other modules are being added to WMS packages. These would include full financials, light manufacturing, transportation management, purchasing, and sales order management. I don’t see this as a unilateral move of WMS from an add-on module to a core system, but rather an optional approach that has applications in specific industries such as 3PLs. Using ERP systems as a point of reference, it is unlikely that this add-on functionality will match the functionality ofbest-of-breed applications available separately. If warehousing/distribution is your core business function and you don’t want to have to deal with the integration issues of incorporating separate financials, order processing, etc. you may find these WMS based business systems are a good fit.Implementation TipsOutside of the standard “don’t underestimate”, “thoroughly test”, “train, train, train” implementation tips that apply to any business software installation ,it’s important to emphasize that WMS are very data dependent and restrictive by design. That is, you need to have all of the various data elements in place for the system to function properly. And, when they are in place, you must operate within the set parameters.When implementing a WMS, you are adding an additional layer of technology onto your system. And with each layer of technology there is additional overhead and additional sources of potential problems. Now don’t take this as a condemnation of Warehouse Management Systems. Coming from a warehousing background I definitely appreciate the functionality WMS have to offer, and, in many warehouses, this functionality is essential to their ability to serve their customers and remain competitive. It’s just important to note that every solution has its downsides and having a good understanding of the potential implications will allow managers to make better decisions related to the levels of technology that best suits their unique environment.中文译文仓库管理系统（ WMS ）仓库管理系统（ WMS ）的演变与许多其他软件解决方案是很像的。
外文文献及翻译-库房管理系统(FMS)
外文文献及翻译-库房管理系统(FMS)
概述
本文介绍了一种基于RFID技术的库房管理系统(FMS)，该系统具有可拓展性和高效性，可以在多种环境下使用。
基于标签的追踪技术，该系统可以自动监测库房中的物品，从而提高了库存管理的效率。
除此之外，该系统还具有多重质量控制和安全措施，以确保库房中的物品得到有效的管理和保护。
系统组件
该系统由多个组件组成，主要包括RFID读写器、标签、传感器、数据库和用户界面等。
RFID读写器和标签用于监测库房中物品的位置和数量。
传感器则用于检测库房的环境条件，例如温度和湿度等。
数据库则用于储存和管理物品信息，同时提供数据分析和报告等功能。
用户界面则为用户提供了可视化和交互式的界面，以便于用户实时监测库房中的物品情况。
系统优势
相比传统的库房管理方式，该系统具有以下优势：
- 实时监测库房中物品的位置和数量。
- 减少了手动操作，提高了效率和准确性。
- 多重质量控制和安全措施确保库房中物品得到有效的管理和保护。
- 可拓展性高，可以适用于多种环境。
系统应用
该系统可以广泛应用于各种行业和场合，例如：
- 仓储和物流行业
- 医药和生物科学行业
- 工业制造业
- 客户服务和零售业
结论
库房管理系统(FMS)是一种基于RFID技术的高效管理系统，具有实时监测、质量控制和安全保护等优势。
该系统可以广泛应用于多种行业和场合，是一种值得推广的库房管理方式。
存货管理参考文献国外
存货管理参考文献国外在国外，存货管理是企业管理中非常重要的一环。
以下是一些关于存货管理的参考文献。
1. "Inventory Control and Management" by Donald Waters这本书是存货管理方面的经典之作。
它涵盖了存货管理的基本原则和技术，包括经济订货量模型、安全库存水平、质量控制、库存网络等方面。
作者通过实际案例和数据为读者提供了自己的观点。
2. "Effective Inventory Management" by Thomas T. Stallkamp本书作者是一位经验丰富的运营管理专家，他根据自己的实践经验，在存货管理领域中提出了很多独到的见解。
书中涵盖了存货管理的各个方面，包括减少库存、物料需求计划、设备维护等。
3. "Inventory Management Explained: A Focus on Forecasting, Lot Sizing, Safety Stock, and Ordering" by David J. Piasecki这本书专注于存货管理中的预测、批量大小、安全库存和订货等方面。
它提供了各种数学模型和公式，帮助读者更好地理解存货管理中的数学思维。
4. "Inventory Management Best Practices" by Steven M. Bragg这本书是一本从实践中总结出来的存货管理指南。
书中提供了大量建议和技巧，帮助企业在存货管理方面实现高效和最大化收益。
5. "World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling" by Edward Frazelle这本书不仅讨论了存货管理方面，还涵盖了物流、材料管理和仓储方面的问题。
它提供了基于实践的解决方案，帮助企业更好地提高存货管理效率。
库存管理外文翻译文献
文献信息：文献标题：A Multi-Criteria Decision Framework for Inventory Management（库存管理的多准则决策框架）国外作者：PK Krishnadevarajan，S Balasubramanian，N Kannan，V Ravichandran文献出处：《International Journal of Management》,2016,7(1):85-93 字数统计：英文3228单词，17138字符；中文5509汉字外文文献：A Multi-Criteria Decision Framework for InventoryManagementAbstract Inventory management is a process / practice that every company undertakes. Most companies fail to apply a comprehensive set of criteria to rank their products / items. The criteria are too few or subjective in nature. Inventory is required to stay in business and meet customer needs. If it is not done right it causes deterioration in customer service and could lead to damages to both customer and supplier relations and eventually cause business breakdown. A simple multi-criteria driven holistic framework developed by industry input is critical to the success of inventory management. An inventory management framework using FIVE main-criteria categories (revenue, customer service, profitability, growth, risk), 21 (between 3 and 6 in each category) metrics and 4 ranks (A, B, C, D) is presented in this paper to assist companies with their inventory management process. The framework that is presented has been developed through literature review, surveys, interviews and focus groups with several industry owners, inventory managers and business managers. The interaction with companies led to a set of THREE critical questions:1.Is there a comprehensive inventory management framework?2.What inventory metrics should be tracked or monitored on a routine basis?3.How do implement a multi-criteria inventory classification?This paper is an attempt to answer these critical questions and provide a framework that is developed by bringing together existing literature available and input/findings from industry executives in the area of inventory management.Key words: Inventory, Inventory Management, Inventory Classification, Inventory Ranking, Multi-Criteria Inventory Management.1.INTRODUCTIONInventory is a critical asset and resource that is handled extensively by most businesses. Managing inventory effectively has been something that every company strives for; however, it is also an area where companies often have failed and still continue to fail. Companies handle multiple items / products but treat all items equally because the business objective is to serve the customer. As a result they end up having excess inventory of the wrong items. As businesses expand there are so many products in inventory and the company ends up having more stocking inventory for each product or end up investing more in the wrong inventory. Item/inventory stratification is the process of ranking items based on relevant factors applicable to the business environment. According to Pradip Kumar Krishnadevarajan, Gunasekaran S., Lawrence F.B. and Rao B (2015) and Pradip Kumar Krishnadevarajan, S Balasubramanian and N Kannan (2015) you should classify items into a certain number of categories (typically less than five) so that managing them day-to-day does not become unwieldy. This is especially needed when handling several hundreds or thousands of items, where identifying and focusing on the most critical items is of utmost importance to allow resources to be used effectively and efficiently. This stratification process is typically done at a physical location level (at branches or distribution centers) across the entire company, although it could be applied at higher levels (regions or the entire company). The item stratification process is usually not well-defined or given due importance, and it often gets over-simplified. The inventory stratification process should address several metrics and a multi-criteria approachmust be taken for effective inventory management. This paper attempts to present a comprehensive framework that could assist companies in choosing the right set of metrics to perform inventory ranking for their business.2.FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENTThe process of inventory classification actually begins by developing or choosing a framework that suits the company’s vision and goals. The development process of the proposed inventory framework process took place in two stages. The first stage was to look at existing literature to understand the different factors/criteria that are being used for inventory evaluation by various industries/businesses. The second stage was interaction with companies to gather input, understand metrics used and challenges faced in executing the inventory classification process.2.1.Literature Review(Pareto, 1906) observed that about 20% of the population of a country has about 80% of its wealth (also known as the 80-20 rule). This rule holds true for items sold by a firm: about 20% of items account for about 80% of a firm’s revenue.(Flores and Whybark, 1987) present an inventory ranking model driven by criticality and dollar-usage. The first stage is for the users to rank the items based on criticality, the second stage ranks items based on dollar/currency usage. Based on usage, items are ranked as A, B or C.(Flores, Olson and Dorai, 1992) propose the use of AHP as a means for decision makers to custom design a formula reflecting the relative importance of each unit of inventory item based on a weighted value of the criteria utilized. The factors applied are – total annual usage (quantity), average unit cost (currency), annual usage (currency), lead time and criticality. They also present a reclassification model based on the following factors and weights: criticality (42%), followed by lead time (41%), annual dollar usage (9.2%), and average unit cost (7.8%).(Schreibfeder, 2005) recommend a combination model using cost of goods sold (procurement price from supplier), number of transactions (orders or hits), and profitability (gross margin).(Lawrence, Gunasekaran and Krishnadevarajan, 2009) state that best practices in item stratification are based on multiple factors such as sales, logistics (hits), and profitability (gross margin currency or percentage, or gross margin return on inventory investment [GMROII]) that help to attain the optimal solution in most cases. Companies, however, can include more factors specific to their business environment, such as lead time, sense of urgency, product dependency, criticality, product life cycle and logistics costs. They also present a model to classify items based on demand pattern. A demand stability index (DSI) is established using three criteria – demand frequency or usage frequency, demand size and demand variability.(Pradip Kumar Krishnadevarajan, Gunasekaran, Lawrence and Rao, 2013) rank items into 4 categories (High, medium-plus, medium-minus, low) for risk management and price sensitivity. Ranking is based on unit cost of the item. Items are also ranked based on annual usage (currency), hits, gross margin (currency) and gross margin (percentage). The final ranks are Critical (A & B items), important (C items) and non-critical (D items).(Dhoka and Choudary, 2013) classify items based on demand predictability (XYZ Analysis). Items which have uniform demand are ranked as X, varying demand as Y, and abnormal demand as Z.(Hatefi, Torabi and Bagheri, 2014) present a modified linear optimization method that enables inventory managers to classify a number of inventory items in the presence of both qualitative and quantitative criteria without any subjectivity. The four factors used are ADU (Annual dollar usage), CF (critical factor – very critical [VC], moderately critical [MC] or non-critical [NC]), AUC (Average unit cost) and LT (Lead Time). Items are ranked as A, B, or C.(Xue, 2014) connects the characteristics of materials supply and the relationship between parts and production, a classification model based on materials attributes. The several criteria applied in the decision tree model are: Parts usage rate, carrying-holding-possession costs, ordering-purchase costs, shortage cost, and delivery ability.(Šarić, Šimunović, Pezer and Šimunović, 2014) present a research on inventory ABC classification using various multi-criteria methods (AHP) method and clusteranalysis) and neural networks. The model uses 4 criteria – Annual cost, Criticality, Lead Time 1 and Lead Time 2.(Kumar, Rajan and Balan, 2014) rank items based on their cost in bill of materials (ABC ranking). “A” items -70% higher value of items of bill of material, “B” items – 20% Medium value of items of Bill of material and “C” items – 10% Lower value of items of Bill of material. They also determine vital, essential, and desirable components required for assembly (VED analysis).(Sarmah and Moharana, 2015) present a model that has 5 criteria – consumption rate, unit price, replenishment lead time, commonality and criticality.(Pradip Kumar Krishnadevarajan, Balasubramanian, and Kannan, 2015) present a strategic business stratification framework based on: suppliers, product, demand, space, service, market, customer and people.(Pradip Kumar Krishnadevarajan, Vignesh, Balasubramanian and Kannan, 2015) present a framework for supplier classification based on several categories: convenience, customer service, profitability (financial), growth, innovation, inventory, quality and risk. A similar framework can be extended based on the supplier classification for items or products.2.2.Industry FeedbackInteraction with companies was performed through surveys, interviews and focus groups with several industry owners, inventory/purchasing managers and business managers. The objective was to get an idea of the metrics being utilized for inventory classification, challenges faced, inventory framework deployed and the effectiveness of their current inventory performance management processes. Key findings from the industry interaction were the following:•Lack of a inventory management framework. Understanding where the process began and where it ended was the key challenge. Who should take ownership of this process in the company? Often, data was missing or currently not captured in the system in-order to create various metrics to help with inventory management. Internally, all companies did not have a goal or objective regarding what they would like to achieve with the inventory management process. No concrete data drivendiscussions or goal setting took place. Most of the inventory ranking was based on experience.•What to track? Companies either tracked too many metrics or did not track anything. Even if they tracked too many metrics most of them were subjective and anecdotal. They lacked a significant number of quantitative metrics to act on something meaningful. Companies wanted a set of metrics they could choose from and then set a process in place to capture the relevant data to compute those metrics. If multiple metrics are used to track inventory performance, is there a methodology to combine various metrics to develop a single rank (ease of decision making) for each item/product?•Reporting and Scorecards: The next challenge was that even if a few companies had the required data and were able to compute the metrics they did not have an effective way of reporting this information back to the purchasing team or anyone who influenced inventory decision. They lacked reporting tools and templates for the performance metrics.•Continuous Improvement: The steps that need to be established to continually improve the inventory management process at the company did not exist. Several companies had gone down the path of implementing a version of the inventory management but could not sustain the same due to lack of accountability/ownership, failing to change the metrics when the industry dynamics changed, and execution challenges.The focus of this paper is to propose a simple, yet holistic framework, list of metrics to track and a multi-criteria ranking method for inventory management.3.INVENTORY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORKThe approach used to layout an inventory framework is bridging the gap between what was seen in the literature review and the feedback from industry. The key objectives in the framework development were the following:•Metrics should be quantitative (objective and data driven). There will be only a few qualitative metrics.•The framework should be holistic and comprehensive at the same time easy understand.•Scalability and flexibility of the framework is important as companies adopt it into their inventory management process.•Apply a multi-criteria approach but provide the ability to get one single final rank (A, B, C or D) for a given item or product so that inventory policies and strategies can be established at a final rank level.•Provide a starting point for ranking criteria – what determines an A, B, C or D item for each metric used in the framework.Most companies measure inventory solely based on sales or usage. This is because almost all companies just focus on sales primarily. The proposed framework provides 5 categories based on which items should be ranked (shown in illustration 1). It varies from ‘revenue’ to ‘risk’. These 5 categories have a set of metrics (21 metrics in total), formula to compute the metric and a ranking scale that places each items in one of 4 ranks – A, B, C or D. Companies can choose the categories that are most relevant to their current business priority and then choose a set of factors/metrics under each category to rank their items / products.Illustration 1: Inventory Classification Categories and MetricsThe five categories of the inventory framework address several inventory metrics. The definition of each metrics, corresponding formula (calculation method) and thecriteria to determine A, B, C and D ranks is listed in illustration 2. Choosing one metric from each category is recommended. However, companies should customize the framework in alignment with their growth goals and customer requirements.Illustration 2: Inventory Management – Metrics, Definition and Criteria3.1.Final Item RankVarious metrics that could be applied to determine item ranks (across 5 categories) were addressed in the previous sections. Decision-making process becomes challenging when there are multiple ranks (while using multiple metrics across the 5 categories) pointing in different directions. In this situation, a weighted stratification matrix helps determine a final rank for each item (Lawrence, Krishnadevarajan, Gunasekaran, 2011). The final item rank depends on three factors:•Weights given for each factor: This input captures the importance of each factor. Weights may vary depending on the environment, but an example when a company applies 5 metrics to rank their items could be: Sales currency = 25%; Hits = 20%; GMROII = 20%, Number of customers = 20%; and Pricing variability = 15%. If a company chooses to include additional factors, the weights may be distributed accordingly.•The relative importance of A, B, C, and D ranks: Example: A=40; B=30; C=20; and D=10.•Score the range for the final score: The above weights are converted to a scale of 10 to 40, resulting in a best score of 40 (ranked A in all categories) and a least score of 10 (ranked D in all categories). The 30 points in the range of 10 to 40 is divided into four groups. Example: A=32.6 to 40; B=25.1 to 32.5; C=17.6 to 25; and D=10 to 17.5.With these parameters, a final rank can be determined for a given item. If an item is ranked as A, B , Cand D according to sales currency, hits, GMROII, number of customers and pricing variability respectively; this item’s final performance score is computed as follows:Final supplier score = [(25% x 30) + (20% x 20) + (20% x 40) + (20% x 30) +(15% x 10)] = 27This score falls between the ranges of 25.1 to 32.5, so this item gets a final rank of “B”.3.2.Summary of Item RankingThe various steps that are involved in the ranking of items can be summarized as follows:•Step 1: Customize the framework according to the company’s requirement. This includes both the categories as well as the metrics under each category.•Step 2: Determine the cut-off values for each metric – the criteria that ranks items as A, B, C or D. This is a very important step.•Step 3: Choose key metrics that will determine item ranks.•Step 4: Rank the items for each metric using company-specific cut-off values.•Step 5: Assign weights to each factor.•Step 6: Compute final rank for each item.•Step 7: Using a cross-functional team to determine inventory policies and strategies for A, B, C and D items based on the final rank.4.CONCLUSIONThe proposed inventory framework provides a guideline for companies with their inventory management process. Determining the right items to stock (inventory investment) and managing them effectively is key to good customer service and business sustainability. Measuring items on data driven objective criteria is critical to maintaining profitable-sustainable business relationships with customers and suppliers.中文译文：库存管理的多准则决策框架摘要库存管理是每个公司都需要进行的一个过程/实践。
存货管理问题研究的外文参考文献2020年
存货管理是企业运营中一个重要的环节，对于企业的盈利能力、资金周转以及客户满意度都有着重要的影响。
在国内外学者之间，对于存货管理问题的研究也是一个热门的话题。
早在2020年，就有许多外文参考文献对于存货管理问题进行了深入探讨和研究。
接下来，将会介绍几篇在2020年发表的有代表性的外文参考文献，并进行综合分析和比较，以期为国内相关研究提供一定的借鉴和启发。
1. "Inventory management practices and performance of small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria" (Ojo, A. et al., 2020)这篇文章主要研究了尼日利亚的中小企业的存货管理实践及其对企业绩效的影响。
通过对200家中小企业的调查研究发现，存货管理实践水平较低，存在多样化的问题，而且这些问题对企业的盈利能力产生了负面影响。
对于这方面的问题，研究者也提出了相关的建议，并希望可以引起企业和政府的重视。
2. "Inventory Management and Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kisumu Municipality, Kenya" (Owino, C., 2020)该文研究对象为肯尼亚基苏木市的中小企业，重点分析了存货管理与企业绩效之间的关系。
通过问卷调查和深入访谈，研究发现存货管理水平和企业绩效之间存在显著的正相关关系，而且在中小企业影响下的情况下，存货管理在企业绩效中具有重要作用。
研究者也提出了管理建议，旨在帮助企业提高存货管理水平，提升自身绩效。
3. "The effect of inventory management on firm performance: evidence from the Jua Kali Sector in Nakuru Town, Kenya" (Sirma, K. et al., 2020)该研究以肯尼亚纳库鲁镇的小规模制造业为研究对象，探讨了存货管理对企业绩效的影响。
仓储与库存英文文献(物流)
k
= discount rate1
The future free cash flow we have as:
FCFFt = (CRt – CEt –NCE) × (1 – T) + NCE –
– Capex – ∆NWCt
(2)
where:
CRt = cash revenues on sales
CEt = cash expenses resulting from fixed and variable
VALUE BASED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
If advantages from holding the inventory on a level defined by the firm is greater than the negative influence of an alternative costs from its holding, then the firms value will grow. The change of the accounts receivable level affects the firm value. To measure that, we use a formula, basing on an assumption, that the firm value is a sum of the future free cash flows to firm (FCFF) discounted by the cost of capital financing the firm:
The basic financial aim of an enterprise is maximization of its value. At the same time, a large both theoretical and practical meaning has the research for determinants increasing the firm value. The financial literature contains information about numerous factors influencing the value. Among those factors, there is the net working capital, and elements creating it, such as the level of cash tied in the account receivable, inventories and operational cash balances. The great part of classic financial models proposals relating to the optimum current assets management was constructed with net profit maximization in view. It is the reason why these models need reconstruction, which will be suitable for firms which want to maximize their value. The estimation of the influence of changes in firm decisions in the sphere of inventory management is a compromise between limiting of risk by having a greater inventory level and limiting a costs of inventory. It is the essential problem of the corporate financial management.
云仓储模式智能仓储管理系统外文文献翻译3000多字
文献信息标题：Intelligent Warehouse Management System under the Concept of Cloud Model作者:Moussa R.期刊名：International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering，第8卷，第3期，页码：21-31.原文Intelligent Warehouse Management System under the Concept of Cloud ModelMoussa RAbstractIn the modern society, the role of logistics is more and more important, is known as the third profit source, enterprise want to gain a foothold in the change, standing, be sure to will improve the operation efficiency of each link in the top priority. Logistics operation is one that cannot be ignored, and warehouse management level is the key factor for improving the efficiency of enterprise logistics. The application of information technology, make warehouse management gradually developed to the direction of automation, integration, intelligence, the concept of cloud storage system is brought new opportunity for development of warehouse management system. In this paper, the business enterprise inside scattered in different parts of the multiple storage for the object, to build a cloud storage mode of architecture. The System using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), intelligent technology such as GPS (Global Positioning System), use of network interconnection, distributed storage resources integration focused to a unified information repository, and according to user requirements for packaging services, provides a unified interface to the user the access to warehouse management services within the scope of permission. In this paper, the distributed storage and management of building cloud model, using a variety of automatic, intelligent, information technology for concentration of reasonable and effective integration of resources, resource scheduling optimization problems in the research system, an effective scheduling method is proposed, and preliminary realize intelligent warehouse management system based on cloud model, to provide users with good management service. Keywords: Cloud storage; Intelligent; Warehouse management1 IntroductionAny industry company, with more or less involve products in and out, is the product ofcirculation. Today, the enterprise to the environment can be in an impregnable position under great development, the logistics operation must be incorporated into the work of management, it is particularly important for large chain enterprises. Logistics operation is an important material in become the finished product to be put into use from the middle of the transit, since be transit, will inevitably exist in the middle of a stored procedure, it involves the material in the warehouse storage management, warehouse management problems.The emergence of science and technology, almost brought all the industry the development of innovative, it is no exception to the warehouse management problem. Under the guidance of science and technology, the development is experiencing a variety of storage management technology, but on the whole, is to reduce human input, increase the degree of mechanization, integration, introducing more automation, intelligent, the direction of network information technology, the development to improve the efficiency of the warehouse management has brought great possibility.In terms of the present situation, warehouse management is still in a transition period of development, according to the result of field research, although many storage have been adopted by some systematic and information management, such as the barcode on material management, establish the corresponding network information management system, but still continue to use previous manual enrollment data. This kind of management method to enhance the data format to the standardization of management, set up between the data and the name of the data dictionary, for the management of network information. Manual entry way, however, still need a great deal of effort, it will not only result in the interference of subjective factor, and often requires a second entry, namely the statistics from the material, and the data entry information system. This problem can pass to the original warehouse management mechanism, the application of RFID technology to solve, namely will replace for RFID electronic label, bar code and cooperate with the use of RFID reader. When making data entry, the direct use of reader scan electronic tags get prior written data, through process control data according to the predetermined format through the network to the information management system. This way of data acquisition, the device is completely objective to accomplish, the process follows a fixed procedure and specification, a recorded message data management system, reduce the error probability, simplify the work, greatly improves the data acquisition speed, more promoted the intelligent warehousemanagement level and efficiency of management.2 Literature reviewWarehouse management plays an important role in the whole logistics links, in the supply chain system, storage is an important transit connect upstream downstream manufacturing and distribution, are an integral part of the whole system. The development course of natural focused on by many scholars. Under the push of the scholars, warehouse management, include a lot of advanced ideas and technology method, to make it by the original manual warehouse management, gradually developed into a set of mechanization, automation, integration, intelligence for the integration of modern warehouse management system. Gainova active perception of manufacturing in the field of information resources for the key research, awareness contents include the basic information of many sided, union sensing technology is used to analyze the information network transmission, concentration and processing, finally realizes the holographic monitor and intelligent management of the entire manufacturing process. The application of various technical means, the final purpose is to make warehouse management more standardized and more efficient. Although initial artificial warehouse management is according to certain rules and regulations, but its no matter from the device, or are the most primitive human use.All the materials in and out, interior is done by human transportation dispatching, materials information recorded manually paper records, its cost a lot of manpower, but the efficiency is not high, also easy to get wrong. In order to make the material information management more accurate and specification, bar code and RFID technology has been the introduction of warehouse management. Ballestin pointed out that RFID is a way to get all sorts of properties such as real-time information of emerging technologies, the static, and dynamic management strategy are discussed respectively; analysis of the RFID technology brings the convenience for warehouse management. Lim M K etc. The application of RFID in warehouse management is reviewed, from 1995 to 2010 about the RFID literature summarized, including the application of RFID technology, and points out its new ideas to improve the efficiency of enterprise operation, its challenges, as well as the development direction of the future. Harry K.H.C how design a kind of resource information management system based on RFID, it can help the user to select the most appropriate storage resource handling warehouse need operation orders, effectively improve the efficiency of resources efficiency and warehouse management. Intelligent devices, effectively improve the precision ofthe underlying data acquisition, real-time, to avoid the interference of subjective factor, fundamentally improve the efficiency of warehouse management, provides a solid foundation for the system construction. In order to better use of the underlying data, reform the warehouse management, a large number of information technology, including wireless sensor network technology, Internet technology into it, such as establishing networked information management system for it.The Kamil Durski describes a cloud computing structure of warehouse management system, it can be compatible with different operating systems, and supports a variety of terminal equipment of access, including independent desktop computers, and all the mobile device.Keller designs a distributed storage management system based on framework, system build object-oriented business logic layer, applicable environment can be a traditional local area network (LAN) can also be a wan, sufficient to meet the demand of the distributed application, at the same time, the technology can be deployed in a distributed environment remote automatic updates, the maintainability is strong.3 Intelligent warehouse management based on cloud model3.1 Summary of cloud storageLarge chain enterprises tend to be distributed in different parts of the warehouse, whether reasonable and efficient management to the storage system is closely related to enterprise can normal operation. Storage technology in the process of evolution, the effective combination of various advanced technologies, to make it efficient, intelligent, integrated direction. Network information technology will be distributed storage into a network system, it covers the warehousing information about them and warehousing related supplies reserve information, logistics, transport, etc., and by a unified platform for centralized management, the storage system called cloud storage.Cloud storage is the product of information development, changed the past a single storage non-isolating management pattern, effective distributed storage of enterprise internal resources, including the basic information of the warehousing and storage store supplies information, goods transport information for centralized integration, such as the information management system for unified management. With the highest authority of the managers can clear control of the various storage current stockpiles and operation situation, with some permissions management personnelcan also view the corresponding resources within the scope of information, on this basis, the real-time control warehouse operation status, to satisfy the demand of the order of the specific supply warehousing arrangement, reasonable optimization, to achieve the optimal allocation of resources.3.2 Cloud platform architectureIn cloud storage management system, a distributed storage information resources and effective integration, will include intelligent entity resource, relevant equipment, warehousing, logistics resources, information resources, network equipment, center server and so on, all the physical resources and virtual resources, focus on the same platform, and to directly or after processing the invocation of the resources, make the user's demand to be satisfied in the form of packaging good, eventually under different permissions for on-demand invocation, to form a cloud platform architecture. This architecture can be abstracted as three levels, the bottom layer for infrastructure, which include the basic software and hardware facilities; The middle layer of the platform layer, the main complete virtual information resources collection and processing; At the highest level for the application layer, that is, the final show part of the user, is encapsulated function module3.2.1 Infrastructure layerInfrastructure layer at the bottom of the platform, includes all the hardware and software resources of the platform equipment, provide basic guarantee and support for the entire cloud platform.It includes warehousing logistics equipment resources, the basis of intelligent identification equipment to improve the efficiency of management and join, will be distributed storage and logistics equipment for network interconnection network facilities, resource pooling, schedule a central server device.3.2.2 Platform layerThe platform layer at an intermediate level of the whole system structure, the main data collection, calculation, statistics, etc., this is related to the analysis of the data processing of a level, is a virtual level. Is data related to the platform layer level, which include an information repository, is used to store the infrastructure layer to collect and upload all kinds of information. Information repository contains huge information resources, the amount of information will increase with the increase of infrastructure layer, it not only include some of the inherent attributesof the information infrastructure layer, when the infrastructure layer contains the function of real-time monitoring, it contains information and real-time monitoring the related part of the real-time refresh.3.2.3 Application layerApplication layer is at the highest level of the whole system, it is intuitive to reflect a hierarchy of the functional sex of the whole platform, according to the needs of users, the service for packaging, finally presented to the user. Combined with the specific project requirements, the intelligent warehouse management platform of application layer eventually provides warehouse management and logistics management of the two most functions.译文云处理理念下的智能仓储管理系统研究作者：Moussa R.摘要在现代社会，物流的作用正越来越重要，被誉为第三方利润源，企业要想在变化中站稳脚跟，务必将提高各环节的运转效率放在重中之重。
存货管理研究英文文献
存货管理研究英文文献Inventory Management Research LiteratureInventory management is a crucial aspect of any business that involves the management of goods or products. This process involves recording, tracking, and updating the level of stock that an organization has. Effective inventory management ensures that a business maintains optimal stock levels, reduces the risk of stockouts, and avoids overstocking, which can lead to the wastage of resources. This article will examine the available research literature that relates to inventory management.Inventory ModelsInventory models refer to mathematical models that are used to determine the optimal order quantity and reorder points in inventory management. There are various types of inventory models, including EOQ (Economic Order Quantity) and the ROP (Reorder Point) model. The EOQ model is used to determine the most efficient order quantity for a particular inventory item, while the ROP model is used to determine the point at which to reorder inventory. Research has shown that organizations that use inventory models have a better chance of reducing their holding costs, improving customer satisfaction, and increasing operational efficiency.Inventory Management SystemsInventory management systems are software programs that help businesses monitor and control their inventory levels. The systems provide real-time data on stock levels, reorder points, and inventory turnover. Research shows that inventorymanagement systems help organizations reduce the risks of stockouts, improve order fulfillment, and reduce inventory costs. Additionally, the systems help organizations optimize their inventory levels, which helps them reduce the amount of capital they need to invest in inventory.Just-In-Time (JIT) Inventory ManagementJust-In-Time (JIT) inventory management is a production strategy that aims to minimize inventory levels by producing products only when needed. This approach enablesorganizations to reduce inventory levels, increaseoperational efficiency, and optimize production processes. Research has shown that JIT inventory management can help organizations reduce their inventory holding costs by up to 30%, improve productivity, and increase customer satisfaction.ABC AnalysisABC analysis is a technique used to categorize inventory items based on their value. The technique divides inventory into three categories: A-items, B-items, and C-items. A-items are high-value items that account for the majority of an organization's inventory value. B-items are medium-value items, while C-items are low-value items that make up thebulk of the inventory. Research shows that ABC analysis helps organizations prioritize their inventory management efforts, reduce inventory holding costs, and optimize inventory levels.ConclusionEffective inventory management is essential for any business that deals with physical products or goods. The available research literature shows that various methodologies, tools, and techniques can help organizations optimize their inventory levels, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. Organizations should consider adoptinginventory management systems, using inventory models, implementing JIT inventory management, and leveraging ABC analysis to optimize their inventory management practices.。
仓库管理系统英文的参考文献
仓库管理系统英文的参考文献英文回答：Warehouse Management System (WMS)。
A warehouse management system (WMS) is a software application that supports the day-to-day operations of a warehouse. It helps businesses keep track of their inventory, manage their warehouse space, and optimize their shipping and receiving processes.Benefits of using a WMS:Improved inventory accuracy.Reduced labor costs.Increased warehouse space utilization.Improved customer service.Reduced shipping costs.Features of a WMS:Inventory management.Warehouse space management.Shipping and receiving management. Reporting and analytics.Types of WMS:On-premise WMS.Cloud-based WMS.Hybrid WMS.Choosing the right WMS:When choosing a WMS, businesses should consider the following factors:The size and complexity of their warehouse.The volume of inventory they manage.Their shipping and receiving requirements.Their budget.Their IT resources.Implementation of a WMS:Implementing a WMS can be a complex process. However, with careful planning and execution, businesses can reap the many benefits that a WMS has to offer.中文回答：仓库管理系统 (WMS)。
供应链下的多级存货管理外文文献
供应链下的多级存货管理外文文献1、IntroductionIn today's globalized and interconnected business environment, supply chain management has become an essential component of enterprise success. One of the key elements of supply chain management is inventory management, which involves the effective management of inventory levels across multiple tiers of the supply chain. This article examines the concept of multi-level inventory management within the context of supply chain management and explores relevant literature from foreign sources.2、Supply Chain Management and Inventory ManagementSupply chain management involves the integration and coordination of various activities across all levels of a supply chain, from suppliers to manufacturers, distributors, and consumers. Inventory management, specifically, refers to the effective management of inventory levels in order to meet demand while minimizing costs and risks. It involves theidentification of demand patterns, the determination of appropriate inventory levels, and the implementation of policies and procedures to ensure that inventory is rotated and utilized effectively.3、Multi-Level Inventory Management in the Supply ChainMulti-level inventory management refers to the management of inventory across multiple tiers or levels within a supply chain. It involves the coordination and synchronization of inventory levels across different stages of the supply chain to ensure efficient flow of goods and materials. By managing inventory at multiple levels simultaneously, enterprises can optimize overall inventory levels while ensuring that each tier of the supply chain is able to meet demand.4、Foreign Literature Review on Multi-Level Inventory ManagementA review of foreign literature on multi-level inventory management reveals a growing body of research on this topic. Studies have focused on various aspects of multi-levelinventory management, including demand forecasting, inventory policies, and supply chain coordination. Notably, research has shown that multi-level inventory management can significantly improve overall supply chain performance by reducing costs and increasing efficiency.5、ConclusionThe concept of multi-level inventory management within the context of supply chain management has gained significant attention in recent years. A review of foreign literature suggests that effective multi-level inventory management can lead to significant improvements in overall supply chain performance by optimizing inventory levels across different stages of the supply chain. Enterprises that adopt multi-level inventory management strategies can expect to achieve cost savings, increased efficiency, and a more robust supply chain overall.6、Recommendations for Future ResearchDespite the growing body of research on multi-level inventorymanagement, there are still several areas that require further exploration. Future research could focus on developing more advanced demand forecasting techniques to improve accuracy and reduce demand uncertnty. Additionally, studies could investigate novel inventory policies and strategies that can further optimize inventory levels across different tiers of the supply chn. Finally, research could also examine the role of technology in supporting multi-level inventory management, including the use of artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and other emerging technologies.供应链管理外文翻译供应链管理是一种全面的管理方法，旨在优化供应链的运作，提高效率和竞争力。
存货管理外文文献
What is Inventory Management？什么是库存管理?Effective inventory management is all about knowing what is on hand，where it is in use，and how much finished product results.Inventory management is the process of efficiently overseeing the constant flow of units into and out of an existing inventory. This process usually involves controlling the transfer in of units in order to prevent the inventory from becoming too high, or dwindling to levels that could put the operation of the company into jeopardy. Competent inventory management also seeks to control the costs associated with the inventory, both from the perspective of the total value of the goods included and the tax burden generated by the cumulative value of the inventory.Balancing the various tasks of inventory management means paying attention to three key aspects of any inventory。
物流管理专业外文翻译外文文献英文文献
物流管理专业外文翻译外文文献英文文献附录英文资料原文:From the perspective of modern logistics systems, storage is an important part of logistics is the logistics system, distribution center, hoping for effective logistics warehouse here, scientific management and control, so that the logistics system more smoothly, more reasonable to run. In this paper, the importance of starting from the warehouse, combining theory and practice, through an enterprise storage andlogistics activities in the "space" and "cargo space" to analyze how the activities in the warehouse through the "space" and "cargo space "management to improve storage efficiency, reduce storage costs.Case Background: Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd. of a storage management. A Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd. located in Guangdong Huizhou Jinyuan Industrial Zone, which was established in 1998, is a professional lighting devices and electrical equipment manufacturers, it is the industry's leading enterprises. With excellent product quality, excellent service, the access to the customer's extensive approval and praise. In order to adapt to the new form of strategic development needs, the Company's existing network of integrated customer relationship, across the country set up the 35 operations centers, improve the company's supply chain, logistics, warehousing and distribution systems and customer service system. The company is headquartered Total finishedgoods warehouse 3, namely a set of finished products warehouse, finished products and finished second group of three storage warehouses. They are based on different types of products in different product sub-warehouses: one product a warehouse on the first floor is to facilitate the shipment into, so it is relatively types of goods stored there are more point, such as lamp, lamp panel and so on. And all of the export goods are stored in a group. Finished second group is mainly warehouse track lights, metal halide lamp, T4 lamp, T5 lamp and light. The company's several light sources are stored in the warehouse two groups finished. Three major stored product warehouse specific grid lamps, ceiling lamps, track lights, and some other companies products.1 An analysis of warehouse storage spaceWarehouse storage system's main elements include storage space, goods, personnel and equipment and other factors. Storage is the storage of the core functions and key links, storage area plan is reasonable or not directly affect the operational efficiency of warehouse and storage capacity. Therefore, the effective use of storage space as warehouse management is one important factor of good or bad. The company'sproducts sell well. Frequency of a large warehouse storage, goods flow also great. The company's warehouse space layout is stored on theshelves of goods, three-dimensional space utilization is not high, sohe's warehouse is not very high degree of mechanization, storage, only forklifts, including hand trucks and electric forklift. Warehouse operation methods, generally with a forklift, rarely manpower for thereceipt of goods, which are materials used to send and receive cards, every time shipping and receiving cards will be done in the send and receive registration materials, so we usually check very convenient goods such as some of the follow-up results from the present work seems to still relatively high efficiency, operation is quite easy. So the whole way of operating the company's warehouse is quite reasonable. The warehouse usually because the storage space is often not enough and the goods stored in the work space position. Particularly in the sales season, the warehouse storage products especially crowded, working up inside people feel a little depressedfeeling. So not very reasonable storage operating environment. The warehouse, data storage costs a statistical look fairly reasonable, because it costs very little equipment, fixed storage cost is not very high, while the storage cost is the cost of the class structure, so storage costs are therefore not very high.Storage warehouse for storage of goods that is as functional space.Storage space = potential use of physical space + space + space + operations useless space. Physical space, which means the goods were in fact occupied the space. The company's warehouse, its physical space accounted for 75% of the warehouse; the potential use of space accounted for 10%; work space and accounts for about 10% as the company's warehouse mechanization is not high, so a small point of space does not work What effect, its security is also essential to meet the requirements intermittent; his useless space accounted for about 5%. Onthe whole, the warehouse space utilization is high, there is a little crowded phenomenon. Analysis: the relative reduction should be the use of some physical space to increase the number of intermittent operations such as space, safety of space use. In addition, space and vertical space from the plane of view, the level of space has been put to good use, but the use of vertical space is not high, it can be considered top shelf, or high-level automatic three-dimensional shelf, to make better use of vertical space.2 rack management analysisRack management refers to the goods into warehouse, on the goods handling, how to put, place, etc. where a reasonable and effective planning and management. The disposal of goods, how to place, mainly by the strategic decision taken by the storage of goods of a specific storage location, will have to combine the principles of location assignment related to the decision. The company's warehouse storage rack management approach is used in positioning guidelines to follow. Positioning refers to each type of storage or storage of goods are fixed for each cargo space, cargo space of goods can not be interoperable. Therefore, when planning cargo space, cargo space for each volume of goods shall not be less than the possible maximum amount in the bank. However, in actual operation, the positioning of different storage conditions generally done in accordance with appropriate adjustments, it will make changes based on the actual situation. Cargo space in the warehouse management in the work by the staff of the company, combiningtheory with practice, carried out positioning, fixed-point, quantitative management principles, therefore, Ta cargo-bit capability is not Quanbu Anzhaozuida conducted in the library volume positioning, as the company's products belong to relatively large seasonal variations in the product, if the maximum amount set in the library space utilization will fall to the warehouse, so wastage of resources.- As all the libraries in the digital warehouse are stored with the principles of positioning, in accordance with the current situation of the company's warehouse, all use the principle of positioning is not very reasonable storage should be in accordance with the different characteristics of products and storage requirements, the product classification For important product, a small number of products used variety store positioning. And because almost all of the company's products feature the same features they are not mutually exclusive, this product features from the point of view is they could be put together randomly.In addition, the company's warehouse management, distribution of cargo spaces You are also a number of principles: (1) FIFO principle, Ji is the ancestor of goods, first-out library library principles, the principles generally applicable to a short life cycle of goods. (2) the principle of facing channel, referring to the goods of the mark, name the face of passageways so that theoperator can easily simple identification, it allows the retentionof goods, access to easy and efficient manner, which is to the warehouseto be fluent in the basic principles of operation. (3) weight characteristics of the principle, meaning that according to the weight of different goods to determine the level of goods in the storage location of places. In general, the weight should be kept on the ground or the lower shelf position, light goods were kept in the upper shelf location. In the case of manual handling operations carried out when the people of waist height for the custody of heavy or large items, while above the waist height of the light used to keep the goods or small items. This principle, the use of the safety and shelf manual handling operations have great significance. According to this principle, the company's warehouse stocking on the use of the fruit picking type. In this way, the storage requirements of the company's present situation is very reasonable, but also for staff is also very convenient.In the specific cargo space management process, we can see that the above description: they still use more modern management methods and principles. These methods and principles. For most of the moretraditional business management for storage or a more scientific and reasonable. Of course, in the management of the process there will be issues, such as operation in practice, some operators do not pay attention, not careful, careless also makes some of the principles of our implementation is not good enough. In the company's product sales, and warehouse management appears cargo space confusion, some products will be stored in the operating channel and the secure channel, so that is not conducive to our operations, warehouse operations particularlyaffect the safety of personnel, there are security risks. Because these problems often are especially prominent when the season, so these problems, the author suggested that some of the goods stored in the open yard, but the time to do well in the storage protection. 3 proposed ABC Classified Management ApplicationsTo conduct an effective inventory management and control, we mustfirst sort of inventory, only then can we better manage the goods and control. Therefore, I analyzed that in the original storage facilities under the same conditions, using ABC classification of goods for the implementation and management. This can effectively use the original storage space and cargo space. Through the analysis of goods to identify the primary and secondary, classification queue. According to Barrett curve reveals the "critical few and minor majority" rule should be applied in the management. Therefore, in accordance with product value, sales, shortage cost, or order in advance of other indicators toclassify the product. A class of products which are the highest value of inventory, general inventory of its total inventory of 15%, while the value of it is accounted for 70% ~ 80%; B products are middle of the stock value of these species 30% of the total inventory value of the total value of 15% to 25%; while the C class product is the value of the bottom of the inventory, its value is only 5% of the total value, but it accounts for the total inventory stocks 55%. Storage can be classified by goods and different products for each type of different management strategies developed to implement different control measures. In themanagement process, the products for A to require warehousing products are all everyday to inspect and inventory, the operation should be careful, can significantly embodiment up such products other products Butong between, were the focus of management; on B products, managed by sub-key can be 2 to 3 days to inspect and inventory. At the same time,do not neglect the management of products on the C, C products every week to conduct an inspection and inventory.We know from the analysis, storage operations, "space", "cargo space" and its scientific and rational management is an important partof warehouse management, warehousing costs alsoaffect the cost of important factors. Through practical examples of some of the storagemanagement problem analysis and research, through analysis and study of these issues, so wehave deeper storage management to understand, storage has its own management principles, weshould abide by and seriously the implementation of these principles. When in use thecombination of theory and practice, so that our warehouse and our theory more in tune with theactual operation. Only the combination of theory and practice to our knowledge to the limits.中文译文从现代物流系统观点来看,仓储是物流的一个重要环节,是物流系统的调运中心,希望在仓储这里对物流进行有效、科学地管理与控制,使物流系统更顺畅、更合理地运行。
仓储物流英文文献
仓储物流英文文献Warehouse and logistics are two critical components of the modern supply chain management system. The efficient operation of warehouses and logistics networks is essential for ensuring the timely and cost-effective delivery of goods to customers. In recent years, there has been a significant amount of academic and industry research focused on improving the performance of warehouse and logistics operations.One key area of focus in the warehouse and logistics literature is the optimization of warehouse layout and design. Researchers have developed various mathematical models and simulation techniques to determine the optimal configuration of storage areas, picking zones, and material handling equipment within a warehouse. These models take into account factors such as product demand, storage requirements, and operational constraints to identify the layout that minimizes operational costs and maximizes throughput.Another important topic in the warehouse and logistics literature is the development of advanced inventory management systems.Effective inventory control is crucial for maintaining the right level of stock to meet customer demand while minimizing holding costs. Researchers have explored the use of technologies such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) and warehouse management systems (WMS) to automate and optimize inventory tracking and replenishment processes.The literature also examines the role of transportation and distribution in the overall logistics system. Researchers have investigated the use of different transportation modes, such as truck, rail, and air, and the factors that influence the selection of the most appropriate mode for a given shipment. Additionally, studies have focused on the optimization of vehicle routing and scheduling to minimize transportation costs and improve delivery times.A growing area of interest in the warehouse and logistics literature is the integration of sustainable practices into operations. As concerns about environmental impact and resource scarcity have increased, researchers have explored ways to reduce the carbon footprint of warehouse and logistics activities. This includes the use of renewable energy sources, the optimization of energy consumption in warehouse operations, and the development of reverse logistics systems for the collection and reuse of products and materials.The warehouse and logistics literature also addresses the challengesposed by emerging technologies and trends, such as e-commerce and omnichannel distribution. The rapid growth of online shopping has led to changes in consumer expectations and the need for more agile and responsive logistics networks. Researchers have investigated the impact of these trends on warehouse design, inventory management, and last-mile delivery strategies.In addition to academic research, the warehouse and logistics literature includes a wealth of industry-focused publications and reports. These resources provide insights into best practices, case studies, and emerging trends in the field. Industry associations, consulting firms, and logistics service providers often produce these materials, which can be valuable for practitioners looking to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry.Overall, the warehouse and logistics literature is a diverse and dynamic field that covers a wide range of topics, from operational optimization to strategic planning. As the global supply chain continues to evolve, the research in this area will become increasingly important for helping organizations adapt and thrive in an ever-changing business environment.。
大学毕业设计仓库管理系统数据库计算机外文参考文献原文及翻译
河北工程大学毕业论文（设计）英文参考文献原文复印件及译文数据仓库数据仓库为商务运作提供结构与工具，以便系统地组织、理解和使用数据进行决策。
大量组织机构已经发现，在当今这个充满竞争、快速发展的世界，数据仓库是一个有价值的工具。
在过去的几年中，许多公司已花费数百万美元，建立企业范围的数据仓库。
许多人感到，随着工业竞争的加剧，数据仓库成了必备的最新营销武器——通过更多地了解客户需求而保住客户的途径。
“那么”，你可能会充满神秘地问，“到底什么是数据仓库？”数据仓库已被多种方式定义，使得很难严格地定义它。
宽松地讲，数据仓库是一个数据库，它与组织机构的操作数据库分别维护。
数据仓库系统允许将各种应用系统集成在一起，为统一的历史数据分析提供坚实的平台，对信息处理提供支持。
按照W. H. Inmon，一位数据仓库系统构造方面的领头建筑师的说法，“数据仓库是一个面向主题的、集成的、时变的、非易失的数据集合，支持管理决策制定”。
这个简短、全面的定义指出了数据仓库的主要特征。
四个关键词，面向主特征。
(1)(2)确保(3)(4)下的应用数据。
由于这种分离，数据仓库不需要事务处理、恢复和并行控制机制。
通常，它只需要两种数据访问：数据的初始化装入和数据访问。
概言之，数据仓库是一种语义上一致的数据存储，它充当决策支持数据模型的物理实现，并存放企业决策所需信息。
数据仓库也常常被看作一种体系结构，通过将异种数据源中的数据集成在一起而构造，支持结构化和启发式查询、分析报告和决策制定。
“好”，你现在问，“那么，什么是建立数据仓库？”根据上面的讨论，我们把建立数据仓库看作构造和使用数据仓库的过程。
数据仓库的构造需要数据集成、数据清理、和数据统一。
利用数据仓库常常需要一些决策支持技术。
这使得“知识工人”（例如，经理、分析人员和主管）能够使用数据仓库，快捷、方便地得到数据的总体视图，根据数据仓库中的信息做出准确的决策。
有些作者使用术语“建立数据仓库”表示构造数据仓库的过程，而用术语“仓库DBMS”表示管理和使用数据仓库。
仓储管理专业 英文参考文献01
仓储管理专业英文参考文献01文献标题：The Importance of Warehouse Management in the Logistics Industry仓储管理在物流行业中的重要性是不可忽视的。
作为有效运营物流业务的关键环节之一，良好的仓储管理对于保证物资的安全储存、快速配送以及顺畅运输至关重要。
仓储管理涉及到整个供应链中的物流和库存管理。
通过合理的仓储管理策略，企业能够实现更高效的库存管理、降低库存损失和浪费，提高订单处理速度，减少出错率，并提供更高水平的客户服务。
文献中指出，仓储管理的关键目标是实现物资的高效储存和装载，并确保物资的准确和及时交付。
为了实现这些目标，仓储管理需要采取一系列的策略和工具，包括合理的布局规划、标准化操作流程、有效的库存控制和管理技术、以及适应性强的仓库设施和设备。
良好的仓储管理对于物流业务的成功运营至关重要。
它能够帮助企业降低运输成本、提高供应链的可见性和可控性，并减少商品在仓库中的停留时间。
此外，仓储管理还可以帮助企业更好地应对市场变化和需求波动，提前做好备货和调配工作，以满足客户需求。
综上所述，仓储管理在物流行业中扮演着重要的角色。
通过合理的仓储管理策略，企业能够提高运营效率、降低成本，并增强自身在竞争激烈的市场中的竞争力。
仓储管理专业英文参考文献01- 标题：The Importance of Warehouse Management in the Logistics Industry- 字数：800字以上仓储管理在物流行业中的重要性是不可忽视的。
作为有效运营物流业务的关键环节之一，良好的仓储管理对于保证物资的安全储存、快速配送以及顺畅运输至关重要。
仓储管理涉及到整个供应链中的物流和库存管理。
通过合理的仓储管理策略，企业能够实现更高效的库存管理、降低库存损失和浪费，提高订单处理速度，减少出错率，并提供更高水平的客户服务。
文献中指出，仓储管理的关键目标是实现物资的高效储存和装载，并确保物资的准确和及时交付。
库存管理外文文献及翻译
库存管理外文文献及翻译本科毕业论文外文文献及译文文献、资料题目: Zero Inventory Approach 文献、资料来源: The IUP Journal of SupplyChain Management文献、资料发表（出版）日期: 2012.06院（部）:管理工程学院专业: 工业工程班级:工业112姓名:张金丰学号: 2011021527指导教师:孔海花翻译日期:2015.06.14外文文献：Zero Inventory ApproachManaging optimal inventory in the supply chain is critical for an enterprise. The ability to increase inventory turns and the use of best inventory practices will reduce inventory costs across the supply chain. Moving towards zero inventory will result in effective inventory management in the business process. Inventory Optimization Solutions can be implemented easily using inventory optimization software. With Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, inventory can be updated in real time without product movement, scanning or human involvement. Companies have to adopt best practices to optimize operational processes and lower their cost structure through inventory strategies.IntroductionWith supply chain planning and latest software, companies are managing their inventory in the best possible manner, keeping inventory holdings to the minimum without sacrificing the customer service needs. The zero inventory concept has been around since the 1980s. It tries to reduce inventory to a minimum and enhances profit margins by reducing the need for warehousing and expenses related to it.The concept of a supply chain is to have items flowing from one stage of supply to the next, both within the business and outside, in a seamless fashion. Any stock in the system is caused by either delay between the processes (demand, distribution, transfer, recording and production) or by the variation in the flow. Eliminating/reducing stock can be achieved by: linking processes, making the same throughput rate on processes, locating processes near each other and coordinating flows. Recent advanced software has made zero inventory strategy executable."Inventory optimization is an emerging practical approach to balancing investment and service-level goals over a very large assortment of Stock-Keeping Units (SKUS). In contrast to traditional ‘one-at-a-time’ marginal stock level setting, inventory optimization simultaneously determines all SKU stock levels to fulfill total service and investment constraints or objectives".Inventory optimization techniques provide a new logic to drive the system with information systems. To effectively manage inventory, businesses must also optimize the costs of buying, holding, producing, moving and selling inventory.The objective of inventory optimization is to sustain minimal levels of inventory while providing the maximum possible levels of service. Supply Chain Design and Optimization (SCDO) is an inventory optimization solution which helps companies satisfy customer demands while balancing limitations on supply and the need for operational efficiency. Inventory optimization focuses on modeling uncertainty and variability and minimizing the risks they impose on the supply chain.Inventory optimization can help resolve total supply chain cost options like:•In-house manufacturing vs. contract manufacturing;•Domestic vs. off shore;•New supplier's cost vs. current suppliers' cost.Companies can benefit from inventory optimization, provided they control their supply chain processes and the complexity of supply chain. In case the supply chain is very complex, besides inventory optimization, network design has to be used to reap the benefits fully. This paper covers various inventory models that are available and then describes the technologies like Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and networking used for the optimization of inventory. The paper also describes the software solutions available for achieving the same. It concludes by giving a few examples where inventory optimization has been successfully implemented.Inventory ModelsHexagon ModelThe hexagon model was developed due to the need to structure day-to-day work, reduce headcount and other inventory costs and improve customer satisfaction.In the first phase, operation strategies were established in alignment with inte-rnal customers. Later, continuous improvement plans and business continuity pl-ans were added. The five strategies used were: forecasting future consumption,setting financial targets to minimize inventory costs, preparing daily reports to monitor inventory operational performance,studying critical success indicators to track the accomplishments, to forminventory strategic objectives and inventor-y health and operating strategies. The hexagon model is a combination of two triangular structures (Figure 1).The upper triangle focuses on the soft management of human resources, customer orientation and supplier relations; the lower focuses on the execution of inventory plans with their success criteria, continuous improvement methodology and business continuity plans.The inventory indicators are: total inventory value, availability of spares, days of inventory, cost of inventory, cost saving and cash saving output expen-diture and quality improvement. The hexagon model combines the elements of the people involved in managing inventory with operational excellence (Figur2).Managing inventory with operational excellence was achieved by reducing the number of employees in the material department, changing the mix of people skills such as introducing engineering into the department structure and reducing the cost of ownership of the material department to the operation that it supports.Normally, this is implemented with reduction in headcount of material department, having less people with engineering skills in the department. Operation results include, improvement in raw material supply line quality indicators, competitive days of inventory and improved and stabilized spares availability. And the financial results include, increase in cost savings and reduced cost of inventory. It can be established by outsourcing some of the inventory functions as required. The level of efficiency of the inventory managed can be measured to a specific risk level, changing requirements or changes in the environment.Just-In-Time (JIT)Just-in-time (JIT) inventory system is a concept developed by the Japanese, wherein, the suppliers deliver the materials to the factory JIT for their processing, eliminating the need for storage and retrieval. The rate of output and the rate of supply of inputs are synchronized, to manage a zero inventory.The main benefits of JIT are: set up times are significantly reduced in the factory, the flow of goods from warehouse to shelves improves, employees who possess multiple skills are utilized more efficiently, better consistency of scheduling and consistency ofemployee work hours, increased emphasis on supplier relationships and continuous round the clock supplies keeping workers productive and businesses focused on turnover.And though a JIT system might even be a necessity, given the inventory demands of certain business types, its many advantages are realized only when some significant risks like delays in movement of goods over long distances are mitigated.Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI)Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) is a planning and management system in which the vendor is respons ible for maintaining the customer’s inventory levels. VMI is defined as a process or mechanism where the supplier creates the purchase orders based on the demand information. VMI is a combination of e-commerce, software and people. It has resulted in the dramatic reduction of inventory across the supply chain. VMI is categorized in the real world as collaboration, automation and cost transference.The main objectives of VMI are better, cheaper and faster transactions. In order to establish the VMI process,management commitment,data synchronization,setting up agreements,data exchange, ordering, invoice matching and measurement have to be undertaken.The benefits of VMI to an organization are reduction in inventory besides reduction of stock-outs and increase in customer satisfaction. Accurate information which is required for optimizing the supply chain is facilitated by efficient transfer of information. The concept of VMI would be successful only when there is trust between the organization and its suppliers as all the demand information is available to the suppliers which can be revealed to the competitors. VMI optimizes inventory in supply chain and reduces stock-outs by proper planning and centralized forecasting. Consignment ModelConsignment inventory model is an extension of VMI where the vendor places inventory at the customer’s location while retaining ownership of the inventory.The consignment inventory model works best in the case of new and unproven products where there is a high degree of demand uncertainty, highly expensive products and service parts for critical equipment. The types of consignment inventory ownership transfer models are: pay as sold during a pre-defined period, ownership changes after apre-defined period, and order to order consignment.The issues that the VMI and consignment inventory model encounter are cost of developing VMI system, invoicing problems, cash flow problems, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) problems and obsolete stock.Enabling PracticesThe decision makers have to make prudent decisions on future course of action of a project relating to the following variables: Forecasting and Inventory Management,Inventory Management practices,Inventory Planning,Optimal purchase, Multichannel Inventory, Moving towards zero inventory.To improve inventory management for better forecasting, the 14 best practices that will most likely benefit business the most are:•Synchronize promotions;•Revamp the organizational structure;•Take a longer view of item planning;•Enforce vendor compliance;•Track key inventory metrics;•Select the right systems;•Master the art of master scheduling;•Adhere to exception reporting;•Identify lost demands;•Plan by assortment;•Track inbound receipts;•Create coverage reports;•Balance under stock/overstock; and•Optimize SKUs.This will leverage the retailer’s ability to buy larger quantities across all channels while buying only what is required for a specified period in order to manage risk in a better way. In most multichannel companies, inventory is the largest asset on the balance sheet, which means that their profitability will be determined to a large degree by the way they plan, forecast, and manage inventory (Curt Barry, 2007). They can follow somesteps like creating a strategy, integrating planning and forecasting, equipping with the best-laid plans and building strong vendor relationships and effective liquidation. Moving Towards Zero InventoryAt the fore is the development and widespread adoption of nimble, sophisticated software systems such as Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) systems, as well as dedicated supply chain management software systems. These systems offer manufacturers greater functionality. To implement ‘Zero Stock’ system, companies need to have a good information system to handle customer orders, sub-contractor orders, product inventory and all issues related to production. If the company has no IT infrastructure, it will need to build it from the scratch.A good information system can help managers to get accurate data and make strategic decisions. IT infrastructure is not a cost, but an investment. A company can use RFID method, network inventory and other software tools for inventory optimization. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)RFID is an automatic identification method, which relies on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.RFID use in enterprise supply chain management increases the efficiency of inventory tracking and management. RFID application develops asset utilization by tracking reusable assets and provides visibility, improves quality control by tagging raw material, work-in-progress, and finished goods inventory, improves production execution and supply chain performance by providing accurate, timely and detailed information to enterprise resource planning and manufacturing execution system.The status of inventory can be obtained automatically by using RFID. There are many benefits of using RFID such as reduced inventory, reduced time, reduced errors, accessibility increase, high security, etc.Network InventoryA Network Inventory Management System (NIMS) tracks movement of items across the system and thus can locate malfunctioning equipment/process and provide information required to diagnose and correct problem areas. It also determines wherecapacity is to be added, calculates impact of market conditions, assesses impact of new products and the impact of a new customer. NIMS is very important when the complexity of a supply chain is high. It determines the manufacturing and distribution strategies for the future. It should take into consideration production, location, inventory and transportation.The NIMS software, including asset configuration information and change management, is an essential component of robust network management architecture.NIMS provide information that administrators can use to improve network management performance and help develop effective network asset control processes.A network inventory solution manages network resource information for multiple network technologies as well as multiple vendors in one common accurate database. It is an extremely useful tool for improving several operation processes, such as resource trouble management, service assurance, network planning and provisioning, field maintenance and spare parts management.The NIMS software, including asset configuration information and change management, is an essential component of strong network management architecture. In addition, software tools that provide planning, design and life cycle management for network assets should prominently appear on enterprise radar screens.Inventory Optimization Softwarei2 Inventory Optimizationi2 solutions enable customers to realize top and bottom-line benefits through the use of superior inventory management practices. i2 Inventory Optimization can help companies monitor, manage, and optimize strategies to decide—what to make, what to buy and from whom, what inventories to carry, where, in what form and how much—across the supply chain. It enables customers to learn and continuously improve inventory management policies and processes, strategic analysis and optimization.Product-oriented industry can install i2 Inventory Optimization and develop supply chain. Through this, the company can reduce inventory levels and overall logistics costs. It can also get higher service level performance, greater customer satisfaction, improved asset utilization, accelerated inventory turns, better product availability, reduced risk,and more precise and comprehensive supply chain visibility.Oracle Inventory OptimizationOracle Inventory Optimization considers the demand, supply, constraints and variability in extended supply chain to optimize strategic inventory investment decisions. It allows retailers to provide higher service levels to customers at a lower total cost. Oracle Inventory Optimization is part of the Oracle e-Business Suite, an integrated set of applications that are engineered to work together.Oracle Inventory Optimization provides solutions when demand and supply are in ambiguity. It provides graphic representation of the plan. It calculates cost and risk.MRO SoftwareMRO Software (now a part of IBM's Tivoli software business) announced a marketing alliance with inventory optimization specialists Xtivity to enhance the service offering of inventory management solutions for MRO Software customers. MRO offers Xtivity's Inventory Optimizer (XIO) service as an extension of its asset and service management solutions.Structured Query Language (SQL)Successful implementation of an inventory optimization solution requires significant effort and can pose certain risks to companies implementing such solutions. Structured Query Language (SQL) can be used on a common ERP platform. An optimal inventory policy can be determined by using it. Along with it, other metrics such as projected inventory levels, projected backlogs and their confidence bands can also be calculated. The only drawback of this method is that it may not be possible to obtain quick real-time results because of architectural and algorithmic complexity. However, potential scenarios can be analyzed in anticipation of results stored prior to user requests.Some ExamplesToyota’s Practice in IndiaToyota, a quality conscious company working towards zero inventory has selected Mitsui and Transport Corporation of India Ltd. (TCI) for their entire logistic solutions encompassing planning, transportation, warehousing, distribution and MIS and relateddocumentation. Infrastructure is a bottleneck that continues to dog economic growth in India. Transystem renders services like procurement, consolidation and transportation of original equipment manufacturer's parts, through milk run operations from various suppliers all over India on a JIT basis, transportation of Complete Built-up Units (CBU) from plant to all dealers in the country and operation of CBU yards, coordination and transportation of Knock Down (KD) parts from port of entry to manufacturing plant, transportation of aftermarket parts to dealers by road and air to Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt. Ltd.Wal-MartWal-Mart is the largest retailer in the United States, with an estimated 20% of the retail grocery and consumables business, as well as the largest toy seller in the US, with an estimated 22% share of the toy market. Wal-Mart also operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and UK.Wal-Mart keeps close track of the inventories by extensively adopting vendor-managed inventory to streamline the flow of goods from manufacturer to the store shelf. This results in more turns and therefore fewer inventories.Wal-Mart is an early adopter of RFID to monitor the movement of stocks in different stages of supply chain. The company keeps tabs on all of its merchandize by outfitting its products with RFID.Wal-Mart has indicated recently that it is moving towards the aggressive theoretical zero inventory model.Chordus Inc.Chordus Inc. has the largest division of office furniture in USA. It has advanced logistics and a model of zero inventory. It has Internet-based system for distribution network with real-time updates and low costs. Chordus determined that only SAP R/3 could accommodate this cutting-edge operational model for its network of 150 dealer-owned franchises in 44 states supported by five nationwide Distribution Centers (DCs) and a fleet of 65 delivery trucks.Small Scale Cycle Industry Around LudhianaIn and around Ludhiana, there are many small bicycle units, which are notorganized.They have a sharp focus on financial and raw material management enjoying a low employee turnover. They have been practicing zero inventory models which became popular in Japan only much later. Raw material is brought into the unit in the morning, processed during the day and by evening the finished product is passed on to the next unit. Thus, the chain continues till the ultimate finished product is manufactured. In this way, the bicycles used to be produced in Ludhiana at half the production cost of TI Cycles. Even the large manufacturers of cycles, like Hero cycles, Atlas cycles and Avon cycles are reported to maintain only one week's inventory.ConclusionInventory managers are faced with high service-level requirements and many SKUs appreciate the complexity of inventory optimization, as well as the explicit control that is needed over total investment in warehousing, moving and logistics. Inventory optimization can provide both an enormous performance improvement for the supply chain and ongoing continuous improvements over competitors. The company achieves the stability needed to have enough stock to meet unpredictable demands without wasteful allocation of capital. Having the right amount of stock in the right place at the right time improves customer satisfaction, market share and bottom line. Certainly, the organizations that are able to take inventory optimization to the enterprise level will reap greater benefits. Zero inventory may be wishful thinking, but embracing new technologies and processes to manage one's inventory more efficiently could move one much closer to that ideal.中文译文：零库存方法对于一个企业来说，在供应链中优化库存管理是至关重要的。
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International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)Volume 54– No.1, September 2012 Impact of Warehouse Management Systemin a Supply ChainRamaa.AR V C EDept. of Industrial Engg and Management, RVCE, B’lore.K.N.SubramanyaR V C EDept. of Industrial Engg andManagement, RVCE, B’loreT.M.RangaswamyR V C EDept. of Industrial Engg andManagement, RVCE, B’lore.ABSTRACTIn a supply chain, warehousing function is very critical as it acts as a node in linking the material flows between the supplier and customer. In today’s competitive market environment companies are continuously forced to improve their warehousing operations. Many companies have also customized their value proposition to increase their customer service levels, which has led to changes in the role of warehouses. This paper highlights the findings of the study carried out to evaluate performance levels and enhance productivity of the manual warehouses by developing a WMS framework and cost benefit analysis.General TermsSupply chain, Warehouse Management system. KeywordsWarehouse management system, supply chain, cost benefit analysis, value stream mapping.1.INTRODUCTIONA warehouse is a facility in the supply chain to consolidate products to reduce transportation cost, achieve economies of scale in manufacturing or in purchasing [1] or provide value-added processes and shorten response time [2]. Warehousing has also been recognized as one of the main operations where companies can provide tailored services for their customers and gain competitive advantage. There are various types of warehouses: they can be classified into production warehouses and distribution centers [3] and by their roles in the supply chain they can be classified as raw materials warehouses, work-in-process warehouses, finished good warehouses, distribution warehouses, fulfillment warehouses, local warehouses direct to customer demand, and value-added service warehouses [4].Fig 1. Typical warehouse functions As mentioned above the heterogeneous warehouses have different operations. However, most of them share some general pattern of material flow, and typical warehouse operations include: receiving, putaway, internal replenishment, order picking, accumulating and sorting, packing, cross docking, and shipping (Figure- 1) [5] Warehouses have been going through various challenges such as – supply chains are becoming more integrated and shorter, globalized operation, customers are more demanding and technology changes are occurring rapidly. In order to cope up with these challenges organizations are adopting innovative approaches such as warehouse management system.A warehouse management system or WMS primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, put-away and picking. A warehouse management system (WMS) is a database driven computer application, to improve the efficiency of the warehouse by directing cutaways and to maintain accurate inventory by recording warehouse transactions. The systems also direct and optimize stock based on real-time information about the status of bin utilization.. It often utilize Auto ID Data Capture (AIDC) technology, such as barcode scanners, mobile computers, wireless LANs (Local Area Network) and potentially Radio-frequency identification (RFID) to efficiently monitor the flow of products. Once data has been collected, there is either batch synchronization with, or a real-time wireless transmission to a central database. The database can then provide useful reports about the status of goods in the warehouse.The primary function of a warehouse control system is to receive information from the upper level host system, most often being the warehouse management system, and translate it for the daily operations. A common goal is to ensure a situation where warehouse employees never have to retype information because it already lies in one system or is collected automatically. Warehouse control system is usually the interface that is used to manage processes, people and equipment on the operational level.Based on warehouse control system, literature distinguishes three types of warehouse management systems [6]:Basic WMS–This system is apt to support stock and location control only. It is mainly used to register information. Storing and picking instructions may be generated by the system and possibly displayed on RF-terminals. The warehouse management information is simple and focuses on throughput mainly.International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)Volume 54– No.1, September 2012∙Advanced WMS– Above the functionality offered by a basic WMS, an advanced WMS is able to plan resources and activities to synchronize the flow of goods in the warehouse. The WMS focuses on throughput, stock and capacity analysis.∙Complex WMS– With a complex WMS the warehouse or group of warehouses can be optimized. Information is available about each product in terms of where it is located (tracking and tracing), what is its destination and why (planning, execution and control). Further, a complex system offers additional functionality like transportation, dock door, and value added logistics planning which help to optimize the warehouse operations as a whole.Warehouse management systems can be stand alone systems or modules of an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system or supply chain execution suite. The primary purpose of a WMS is to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse. The WMS can be deployed as a paper-based, RF/wireless based or combination of both.2.LITERATURE REVIEWWarehousing takes up to between 2% and 5% of the cost of sales of a corporation [7] and with today’s highly competitive global business environment organizations are emphasizing on Return on Assets, and hence minimizing warehousing costs has become an important business issue. Many firms are automating their basic warehousing functions to achieve the increase in throughput rates or inventory turns required for their warehousing operations to be cost effective.It is necessary to allocate warehouse resources efficiently and effectively to enhance the productivity and reduce the operation costs of the warehouse [8]. One vital area determining the efficiency of warehouse is the determination of the proper storage locations for potentially thousands of products in a warehouse. Various factors affecting the storage assignment like order picking method, size and layout of the storage system, material handling system, product characteristics, demand trends, turnover rates and space requirements are been extensively studied. It has been suggested that selecting appropriate storage assignment policies (i.e. random, dedicated or class-based) and routing methods (i.e. transversal, return or combined) with regards to above factors is a possible solution to improve the efficiency [9]. Various decision support models and solution algorithms have also been established to solve warehouse operation planning problems [10].The use of information systems for warehouse management is studied extensively in literature. Complexity of warehouse management is indicated among others by amount and heterogeneity of handled products, the extent of overlap between them, amount and type of technology as well as characteristics of associated processes. As the complexity increases it becomes necessary to use Warehouse management systems for handling warehouse resources and to monitor warehouse operations. The warehouses with a high amount of processed order lines and amount of stock keeping units will be best supported by customized software. It is difficult to update daily operations of inventory level, locations of forklifts and stock keeping units (SKUs) in real-time by using the bar-code-based or manual-based warehouse management systems [6]. RFID technology is adopted to facilitate the collection and sharing of data in a warehouse. Tests are performed for evaluating the reading performance of both the active and passive RFID apparatus. Implementing RFID technologies requires a thorough cost and benefit analysis of implementation. The costs of RFID implementation include tag reader costs, communication costs and other infrastructure costs. RFID can improve the automatic checkout process at a retail store, so it can reduce inventory costs as a result of more efficient shelf replenishment. RFID technologies can support the redesign of business processes; improve data quality; real-time data collection; synchronization and information sharing between the players of supply chain [10]. RFID implementation can also bring about additional benefits such as reduction losses due to shop lifting and increased use of point of sale applications [11].Implementation of Warehouse Management System (WMS) will necessarily provide an increase in accuracy, reduction in labor costs if the labor employed to maintain the system is less than the labor saved on the warehouse floor and a greater ability to service the customer by reducing cycle times. WMS will not only lead in inventory reduction but also in greater storage capacity. An increase in accuracy and efficiency of the receiving process might lead to reduction in level of safety stock required. But the consequence of this reduction will hardly be visible to the overall inventory levels. WMS might just not affect the factors (lot sizing, lead times and demand variability) controlling the inventory levels. However WMS is instrumental in more efficient and organized that leads to increased storage capacity [8].The implementation of WMS for a company demands significant investment and time period (several months) which has to be justified with the benefits obtained after implementation. The justification involves the excellent analysis of the current situation of the warehouse and warehouse operation for a specific period of time tuning the WMS. The firm should be prepared to change the entire process and system storage. Only WMS implementations without changing processes show that does not lead to cost savings or efficiency improvements, it will only reduce errors due to human factors.3.WAREHOUSE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTMeasuring warehouse metrics is critical for providing managers with a clear vision of potential issues and opportunities for improvements. Metrics are tied directly to the business strategy and operation’s success drives the financial results of the organization. If warehouses are going to contribute to be a source for adding value to the supply chain then they need to measure their performance with perfect metrics.The metrics for measuring performance in a warehouse fall into three main categories which includes order fulfillment, inventory management and warehouse productivity.The establishment of metrics for auditing warehouse performance and assessment of WMS potential as a basis for investment justification should be the first steps in any WMS project [13]. The identification of proper metrics and opportunities for improvement can be a preliminary justification to determine potential payback [14]. The following metrics supplements the above process.International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)Volume 54– No.1, September 2012Table 1 – Performance Metrics of a warehouse4. CASE STUDYThe study was conducted at India’s biggest retail company, which has developed expertise in Supply Chain Management of consumer product categories such as Fashion, Food and General Merchandise. The company operates from 60 strategically located hubs, servicing more than 2600 retail outlets spread across the length and breadth of India. Its network of facilities and specialized expertise enable it to manage more than 3 million SKUs per year. This requires 30 distinct supply chains to be managed simultaneously, each with their own specific requirements that require customized solutions.Out of the three warehouses where the study was taken up, one had automated WMS and the other two warehouses were manually run and had a high cycle time of 773 minutes. The retail chain company possessed three more warehouses which were catering to a total of 14 stores across south India. With the company planning to add more stores and establish a centralized warehouse this chain would become inefficient. In order to improve the efficiency a study was taken to analyse the impact of implementation of WMS in these warehouses. The study began with the understanding the current state of operations of the warehouses. Value stream maps were used for the same. Value Stream Mapping is the simple process of directly observing the flow of information and material as they occur and summarizing them visually. A Value Stream involves all of the steps,both value added and non-value added, required to bring a product or service through the process steps. It is a visual tool used to help see the hidden waste and sources of waste. A Current State Map is drawn to document how things actually operat e (this is the “as-is” process). Then, a Future System Map (how it should be) is developed to design a lean process flow through the elimination of the root causes of waste and through process improvements all leading to an implementation The current value stream map used in the study is as shown in figure 2.In these warehouses, the goods were received in bulk and put-away in racks. On the receipt of order, articles were picked, packed and dispatched. The process was tedious to carry out as no WMS was available. Though scanners were used for Goods Receipt Note in these warehouses, it was still considered a manual warehouse. Many vendors providing goods for the warehouse were still sending the goods directly to the stores then to the warehouse owing to the infrastructure and capacity constraints. This greatly increases the logistics cost involved.The current process had a cycle time of 773 minutes of which 537 minutes was non-value added time. A lot of time was wasted as the supplier had to wait about an hour before the unloading can take place. There was no system to schedule time for the arrival of vehicles. Since a flow through process was followed the goods were to be stored on the floor till they were dispatched. Amount of goods that can be stored directly corresponds to the total floor space available. The cubical space was not effectively utilized. Minimal racking was available to store “return to vendor goods”. With limited available infrastructure it was difficult to track and retrieve these items.The future state value stream map is drawn incorporating WMS, Put –to –light system and racking stacking infrastructure and is shown in figure 3. As shown in the map the cycle time of the process reduces to 236 minutes. The non value added time reduces to 95 minutes. The manpower required is reduced by 40 percent. The process wise improvements are shown in the table 2Table 2. Performance Improvements at Warehouse afterWMS ImplementationInternational Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)Volume 54– No.1, September 2012. Fig 2: Current state of the warehouseFig 3: Future state of the warehouseInternational Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)Volume 54– No.1, September 20124.1 Performance ImprovementsApart from the tangible benefits listed above there are many intangible benefits of implementing the WMS. Some the performance improving benefits are listed below: ∙ With WMS, time scheduling of vehicle is possible. This reduces the waiting of the supplier.∙ With Advanced Shipment Note enabling the warehouse has prior information about the goods it is about to receive.∙ WMS assisted put-away of goods is now possible.∙ 100 percent goods traceability. With RF infrastructure in place the goods can be pin pointed to exact their location. ∙ Algorithm based picking simplifies picking operation. ∙ Auto updating of information prevents manual data entry and also reduces error rates.∙ With many reports that can be generated decision making is assisted.∙Processing one order requires 19 sheets in a manual system while with WMS the paper consumption per order reduces to 4 sheets.The table 3 shows a comparison of WMS to Non WMS warehouse in terms of performance metrics adoption.Table 3 Comparison of WMS / Non-WMS4.2 Cost Benefit AnalysisThe cost- benefit analysis for implementation of WMS in one of the warehouse is done. This was done by estimating the Net Present Value of the savings. The initial investment breakup for implementing WMS is as shown in table 4 Assumptions: • Implementation period is assumed to be 6 months•Capital is borrowed at an interest rate of 10% fora period of 2 years• Transportation prices is assumed to increase by 10% once in the time horizon• Cost figures may have a deviation of 10-15 percent than that of actual figures•Losses incurred during implementation are Rs. 10,00,000Table 4: Initial Investment BreakupExpensesThe Initial Investment bears equal distribution during the 6 month phase. The cash flow diagram below shows the expenses.Fig 4. Cash flow diagram of the expensesKey SavingsThe tangible savings due to implementation of WMS are:• consolidation of warehouses •manpower layoffThe initial savings are due to shut down of warehouses. Currently there are four Factory warehouses one each in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam and Bangalore. A central warehouse in Bangalore can be used to cater to all stores in South India when WMS is implemented. With a central warehouse in place there is no requirement for the other three warehouses which can be closed down. Once the consolidation of all the warehouses is complete the manpower is gradually reduced.International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)Volume 54– No.1, September 2012The manpower reduction is assumed to be about 40 percent. The layoff is done over a period of four months. Once this process is complete the savings reach its peak. Now there is slight increase in transportation cost as goods have to be sent from Bangalore to other states as well. Thus there is a small dip in savings from the 18th month. This conservative estimate shows that the payback period is about 36 months and net savings of Rs. 19,60,000.The analysis shows benefits exceed the investments. WMS implementation is a capital investment. It takes some time to break even. But strategically it offers premium advantage to the company.Fig 5. Cumulative Flow Diagram of Savings after WMSimplementationThe net cash flow diagram showing both expenses and savings is given below.Fig 6. Net Cash Flow Diagram of a WMS implementation 5.CONCLUSIONAs an impact of large product varieties and shortened customer response times there is a greater emphasis on the ability of the organizations to establish smooth and efficient logistics operations. In this regard, warehouses play a vital role because they function as nodes that direct the flow of materials within a distribution network. The effects of organizing warehousing activities can directly be seen in customer service levels, lead times, and the cost structure of a company. Hence we can conclude that warehousing influences the performance of an entire supply chain.With the boom in organized retailing it becomes necessary for the players to continuously improve their process. The retailers have to strive continuously to reduce their costs. Technology being an enabler improved technology has to be incorporated into the current processes. Also the processes have to be designed in such a way that they provide for incorporating changes.The value stream mappings of the current systems showed many bottlenecks that prevail in the system. These bottlenecks restricted the capacity the warehouses could handle. Performance and productivity of the warehouse suffered as the operations were manually carried when it could be more easily and more effectively done using machines. With WMS implementation the cycle time of the process also decreases. The cycle time reduces from 773 minutes to 236 minutes The cost benefit analysis for WMS implementation in warehouse shows a savings of Rs. 19,60,000 per month. The study proves WMS to be an enabling factor for performance and productivity improvement. The productivity of a WMS warehouse is way higher than when the operations are manually performed.6.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe would like to thank our students Rishabh Shah, Sandeep, Niranjan and Bopanna who have contributed to this research. Also thank the company for providing us the opportunity to conduct the study.7.REFERENCES[1]Bartholdi III JJ, Hackman ST (2006), Warehouse anddistribution science. [2]Gong Y, De Koster MBM (2008), A polling-baseddynamic order picking system for online retailers. IIE Transactions 40 pages:1070–1082[3]Ghiani G, Laporte G, Musmanno R (2004), Introductionto Logistics Systems Planning and Control. John Wiley & Sons, England[4]Frazelle E (2001), World-class warehouseing andmaterial handling. McGraw-Hill, New York[5]Tompkins JA, White JA, Bozer YA, Frazelle EH,Tanchoco JMA (2003), Facilities planning. John Wiley & Sons, NJ[6]Faber, Nynke; De Koster, Rene B. M. (2002), Linkingwarehouse complexity to warehouse planning and control structure: An exploratory study of the use of warehouse management information systems.International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management [online]. vol. 32,(5), pages. 381 – 395 [7]Heung Suk Hwang, Gyu Sung Cho (2006), Aperformance evaluation model for order picking warehouse design, Computers & Industrial Engineering Vol. 51(2), pages: 335-342.[8]T.C. Poon, K.L. Choy, Harry K.H. Chow , Henry C.W.Lau, Felix T.S. Chan, K.C. Ho (2009), A RFID case-based logistics resource management system for managing order-picking operations in warehouses, Expert Systems with Applications, Vol. 36(4), pages 8277-8301International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)Volume 54– No.1, September 2012[9]Felix T.S. Chan, H.K. 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