Effective warehouse management is essential to fully leverage its role in the supply chain
Warehouse management should possess information traceability, extending forward to logistics transportation and supplier production and shipment status, and connecting with supplier production scheduling and actual shipment status. At the same time, warehouse management must conduct ETD/ETA online traceability with logistics providers. Specifically, ETD (Estimated to Departure) refers to the quantity of goods leaving the supplier's factory for shipment at the dock, the quantity leaving the supplier's outsourced warehouse at the dock, and the quantity of third-party logistics and fourth-party logistics vehicles leaving the departure location. ETA (Estimated to Arrival) refers to the quantity of third-party logistics and fourth-party logistics vehicles arriving at the destination, the quantity arriving at the company's factory dock, and the quantity arriving at the company's production line side warehouse, as well as the replenishment status connected with the VMIMin/Max inventory system.
When receiving goods, the warehouse should use barcodes or more advanced RFID scanning to confirm the status of incoming materials. Key points include: when the supplier delivers goods without the purchase VPO number, the warehouse should promptly contact the relevant department to investigate the reason and confirm whether the goods should be accepted at this time; when counting materials, if there are odd boxes that do not meet the minimum packaging quantity, they should be opened and carefully counted. Only after confirmation can the goods be accepted; when scanning and confirming the receipt of goods, if the system does not accept it, the warehouse should promptly contact the relevant department to investigate the reason and confirm whether the goods have been accepted.
The warehouse should possess the capability to inspect goods. Special control measures should be implemented for Class A materials (Type A materials in limited competition markets with only a few suppliers to choose from and in exclusive supply markets with monopolistic sources), with strict quantity control, independent warehouses, and 24-hour security monitoring. An exemption system for packaging and consumable materials should be established, requiring suppliers to unconditionally and promptly replenish, return, or replace defective packaging and consumable materials on the production line. Additionally, an analysis should be conducted on the storage duration of materials, and a deadline should be set for handling defective materials.
The fourth part: storage
When materials are brought into the warehouse, they must not be allowed to fall to the ground or at least they should be stored on pallets that can be moved at any time. Each type of material can only have one loose box or loose boxes must be grouped on one pallet. There should be automatic alerts for temporary storage time limits. Bin-Location control should be implemented as much as possible, and NoPickList (work order inspection sheet) must be followed, meaning no movement is allowed!
The fifth step: picking
Picking materials should be done according to the consumption order of work orders. It is optimal to pick materials based on light signals (also known as Pick to Light). During material picking, it is best to achieve automatic scanning and deduction actions, promptly updating inventory information and informing the central scheduling system for replenishment.
Sixth movement: Rhapsody
The material issuance from the warehouse should be based on the work order picking list. It is advisable to integrate the work order, material preparation list, and picking list into a single document, making the on-site consumption of work orders clear at a glance. An automatic scanning system should be used to facilitate information transmission.
Seventh Trilogy: Dish
The principle of "scattered boards, scattered boxes, scattered numbers" is always followed in the process of sorting and counting. For example, if the total number of one type of material is 103, which consists of 10 boxes (10 pieces per box) plus 3 odd pieces, the counting method on the inventory sheet should be written as 10 boxes × 10 pieces + 3 pieces = 103 pieces. Materials should be graded and classified to determine the inventory time for each type of material. Regular inventory can be divided into daily inventory, weekly inventory, and monthly inventory; daily inventory is conducted together with the MoveList (inventory movement sheet); the target of closing the account at 12 noon on the 1st of each month should be set.
Chapter 8: Retreat
The principle of processing is based on whole-package returns and exchanges. The processing time limit and quantity should ensure that all whole packages are returned immediately or completely returned in batches at 3 pm every Friday. The ForceParts (automatic replenishment and exchange in the line-side warehouse) system should replace the RMA (Return Material Authorization) method. It should adhere to the principle of sharing with the VMIHub return temporary storage area, and suppliers are required to provide free packaging boxes.
