WISL WM Inventory Control

Overview

Waterloo Information Systems Limited

33 Dupont Street East

Waterloo, Ontario

N2J 2G8

© Waterloo Information Systems Limited 1997

The information contained herein is proprietary and considered a trade secret of Waterloo Information Systems Limited and shall not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written authorization of Waterloo Information Systems Limited.

I. Introduction

Central to the WISL WM Inventory module is the maintenance of an inventory data base. The capability is established to maintain the inventory data base directly and automatically as a function of various warehouse operations such as order picking and stock transfer.The maintenance of the product data base is supplemented to provide for attributes to support inventory control. A location data base is included to provide control over the assignment of location of inventoried items. An RF stock taking routine is included to accommodate periodic audits. Various inventory control and analytical reports are included. An interface provides for ongoing transfer of inventory change transactions to the corporate financial information system.

II. Inventory Maintenance

1. A maintenance routine designed to run on a traditional workstation provides for maintenance of the inventory to accommodate miscellaneous adjustments to inventory. The maintenance of this data base satisfies the requirements to maintain a perpetual inventory.

2. The product file maintenance facility provides for the update of certain attributes that relate specifically to inventory control and analysis.

3. A routine to maintain the warehouse location grid allows for ongoing adjustments in storage planning in each warehouse.

III. RF Inventory Audit Routine

The current audit is selected from a list(multiple audits may be maintained concurrently) and the scanning option is chosen(ID only with number of items prompted or scan every item).

A control routine provides for the storage of inventory counts on the perpetual inventory file as of the date of the count to be used in comparison with those taken in the audit. Such a count may be stored for each calendar day to facilitate the calculation of warehouse capacity/utilization statistics.

1. The ID of the warehouse is selected from a list.

2. The grid section of the warehouse is prompted.

3. The product ID is scanned from the shipping unit container or the item.

4. If ID only scanning option was chosen then the number of units is prompted.

5. The process is continued until "x" or "\4" is entered to return to the previous step.

IV. RF Inventory Inquiry Routine

1. Inventory status queries provided within warehouse by product or grid section from the perpetual inventory data base.

2. An additional menu action with this routine provides for the generation of a re-stocking report for the pieces rack. Upon scanning a given product code the count is prompted, this count is compared with the re-stocking level recorded on the product file and if required an entry would is recorded to indicate the number of items to be transferred to the pieces rack. After completion of the re-stocking inquiry the re-stocking report is initiated from a separate menu action.

V. RF Label Generation Facility

An interactive routine is provided to generate various labels to support inventory control. A menu is presented that includes four menu actions.

1. The first routine assigns a sequence number from an incremented parameter and prints an ID label on an attached printer(two copies) for a long storage rack.

2. The second routine assigns a sequence number from an incremented parameter and prints an ID label on an attached printer(two copies) for a short storage rack.

3. The third menu action accepts barcode input(scanned or entered) and prints an ID label on an attached printer(two copies) for a storage rack.

4. The fourth menu action accepts barcode input(scanned or entered) and prints a pieces rack label on an attached printer that id's the piece stored in the sepcific rack.

VI. Reporting

1. Inventory Audit Control Reports

2. Stock Level Reports

3. Stock Transfer Analysis

4. Inventory Movement Analysis

5. Warehouse Grid Section Labels

VII. Interfaces

1. Each of the operational routines of the picking and stock transfer modules includes the capability to generate inventory update transactions.

2. A transactional interface is available to provide inventory updates to the corporate financial information system. Included in this interface is batch control and inquiry of transferred batches and transactions.