Implementing an ERP efficiently can bring in the needed control, processes and integration in almost every department in an organization. However, in the rush to optimize our Sales, Purchase, and Manufacturing process we miss the importance of optimizing the back end activities performed at our warehouses.

The time spent by a person in a warehouse, physically receiving the goods and picking them for shipment doubles when this information has to be loaded in the ERP system as well. This is done manually by the warehouse people working on their PC. The time multiplies if your inventory is Serial and/or Lot tracked. Having the Inventory Bar Coded isn’t an option unless they are scanned to the ERP as well. As I have seen this situation at multiple warehouses, it is a major issue and a bottleneck.

For the organizations using a Microsoft Dynamics NAV based system, our simple WMS HHT application can solve the problem. The WMS application on HHT(s) (Hand Held Terminal) works directly and on top of the Warehouse Module of Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Since there isn’t any middleware system to be installed or maintained here:

• The information scanned on HHT gets passed and posted to NAV at real time
• There isn’t any need of Inventory reconciliation and
• NAV remains to be the primary system for holding Inventory
• The ultimate control of what warehouse users do remains to be within NAV since the requests and instruction originate from NAV and ends in NAV

Major operations performed in NAV’s warehouse for Inbound and outbound orders are Picking, Packing, Receiving and Put Away. Below flow diagrams and application screenshot explain the typical processes and operations performed in a warehouse and how does the Alletec’s WMS application for HHT handle them:

WMS solution for Receiving order

WMS solution for Shipping order

Below is the screenshot of the WMS HHT application:

The solution has helped many organizations in bringing control and efficiency in their supply chain. As a matter of fact, Alletec’s WMS doesn’t require any additional NAV licenses to be bought. It works on an HHT device license concept and hence can be shared by an unlimited number of warehouse users.