Information Technology in the Warehouse

In the early 1970’s companies began to realize that the computer was a much-needed solution to increasing productivity, accuracy, and efficiency in the warehouse. A new industry category was introduced in the 1980’s called Supply Chain Management (SCM). An important component of SCM is the business system WMS or Warehouse Management System. WMS is designed to support all distribution activities and provide efficiencies and real-time information throughout the operations. Interlink Technologies began offering WMS solutions in 1986 and was a pioneer in the supply chain industry.

WMS brings together two worlds that could not be further apart from each other; one world involves technology, algorithms, logic and imagination and the other world is occupied with forklifts, conveyors and a lot of hard physical work. The warehouse environment is changing every second. Before WMS, information was static and only a snapshot of a moment in time. Static information does not always produce the best decisions. The real-time information provides accurate, current information to managers, warehouse workers, and operations personnel – all at the same time – for better decision-making.

Besides real-time information, WMS removes the guesswork of where the product is located. With the click of a few keys, product information flows freely – where it’s located, how many, where it’s been, who touched it and where it is in the supply chain. WMS eliminates most human error and wasted time. System directives tell the worker the task at hand, where to put the product and the next task at hand. Gone is the need to decipher handwriting and transposed numbers. Information is relayed on computers – desktop, rugged hand-held devices, vehicle-mounted terminals, laptops and virtually any mobile device through automatic ID technologies, most commonly barcodes.

As an industry leader, Interlink Technologies incorporates flexibility and scalability into the Warehouse-LINK® Warehouse Management System. Flexibility frees up valuable warehouse space using dynamic slotting, mixed locations, and temporary locations. Flexibility enables on-demand cycle counts, optimized labor needs and easy to change business rules. Scalability allows Warehouse-LINK® to grow as your business grows.

Businesses that focus on customer satisfaction, quality, accuracy and timeliness rely on Warehouse-LINK®. When FIFO is important, Warehouse-LINK® ensures that the oldest product is picked and shipped first. Audit trails that include expiration dates, lot/batch/serial numbers and shipping details are tracked by Warehouse-LINK® and maintained in the history for reliable audit trails.

Information technology has found a permanent home for growing successful companies in the warehouse industry. For more information about Interlink Technologies and Warehouse-LINK® WMS, visit www.thinkinterlink or call 800-655-5465.

References:
Information Technology in the Warehouse from Wikipedia