In a sense, warehouse management in logistics management occupies a central position. From the history of the development of logistics can be seen, the study of logistics is initially from the solution of the "bullwhip effect" began, that is, in the process of multi-link circulation, due to the existence of errors in each link for the prediction of the demand, so with the increase in circulation, the error is amplified, the inventory is more and more deviated from the actual final demand, which will bring about the cost of storage and the increase in market risk. This leads to the increase of storage cost and market risk. The idea of solving this problem starts from the study of reasonable safety stock, to changing the process and establishing centralized distribution centers, to changing the production mode and implementing order production, changing the static inventory management to dynamic JIT distribution, and realizing the purpose of reducing the quantity and cycle time of inventory. In this process, although the warehouse is more and more centralized, each warehouse covers a larger and larger range of services, the warehouse throughput of more and more items, more and more complex operations, but the cycle of warehousing is getting shorter and shorter, the trend of decreasing costs has not changed. From the statistics of developed countries, the history of the development of modern logistics is the history of inventory costs in the total logistics costs accounted for the proportion of the history of the gradual reduction.
From many micro cases, warehouse management has become the core link of supply chain management. This is because warehousing is always present in the logistics of each link of the interface, such as between procurement and production, production of primary processing and finishing between production and sales between wholesale and retail, between different modes of transportation conversion and so on. Warehousing is the existence of imbalance between the various segments of the logistics performance, warehousing is the solution to this imbalance means. Warehousing links concentrated upstream and downstream process integration of all the contradictions, warehousing management is in the realization of the integration of logistics processes. If we borrow the language of operations research to describe the status of warehousing management in logistics, it can be said that in the case of binding transportation conditions, seeking the optimal inventory (including the layout) program as a means of control, so that logistics to achieve the goal of the lowest total cost. In many specific cases, the integration of logistics, optimization actually boils down to the storage program design and operational control.
Here it must be noted that the traditional logistics and modern logistics is the biggest difference is also reflected in the inventory link. The traditional warehousing industry is to collect storage fees for the business model, hope that their warehouses are always full, this model runs counter to the purpose of logistics. Modern logistics to integrate processes, coordination of upstream and downstream as its own, the less static inventory the better, its business model is also built on the assessment of the total cost of logistics. As these two types of warehouse management in the business model has an essential difference, but in specific operations such as warehousing, warehousing, sorting, stocking, etc. is very difficult to distinguish, so in the analysis of the research must pay attention to their similarities and differences, these differences and similarities will also be reflected in the structure of the information system.
Two, the main content of warehouse management
The content of warehouse management should include three parts: the layout of the storage system design, optimal control of inventory, storage operations. This is a three-level problem, and related to each other.
Warehousing system layout is the top design, but also the core of the supply chain design. It is a complex and chaotic logistics system through the hub of the layout design to transform into a "trunk transportation + regional distribution" mode, the hub is based on the warehouse distribution center. In the corresponding information system design, the performance of the "joint library management" mode, divided into centralized, distributed and mixed three categories, including the selection and design of the distribution center is the key to the layout of the entire system. This part of the content is usually not included in the Warehouse Information System WMS, but for the layout of the design changes in adaptability, versatility will become an important basis for customers to choose the WMS.
The optimal control of inventory is part of the business model to determine the warehouse, that is, to (according to the requirements of the previous layer of the design) to determine the management objectives and management mode of the warehouse, if it is the supply chain is an implementation of a link, is the cost center, the quality of service, operating costs for the control of the goal of the pursuit of a reasonable inventory or even zero inventory; if it is the profit center of the independent accounting is a completely different goal! and management mode, in addition to the quality of service, operating costs, more concerned about profit accounting, so the billing system and customer relationship management has become an extremely important part of it, because in the billing system is solidified in the marketing strategy and tactics.
Warehousing operations is the most basic part of the operation, but also all the WMS has the most **** part, because of this, the operation of warehousing operations in the information technology part of the WMS and other management software, such as sales and marketing, ERP, etc., the sign of the difference. This part of the content should not only be based on the control objectives and management model determined by the upper level of implementation of the operational process, but also with a large number of specialized warehousing equipment connected to the automatic control system, so it is the most technically complex part. Domestic WMS compared with foreign advanced warehousing software, the biggest gap may also be here, the market price will be tens of times, hundreds of times the difference, and for this reason.
Three, the application of WMS in China
Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a specific form of warehouse management information technology, its application in China is still in its infancy. Currently in China's market presents a binary structure: multinational corporations or a small number of advanced domestic enterprises as the representative of the high-end market, the application of the higher proportion of WMS, the system is also more focused on the basic maturity of the mainstream brands abroad; domestic enterprises as the representative of the low-end market, the main application of domestic development of the WMS products. The following is mainly combined with the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing collection of excellent cases of logistics informatization, from the application point of view of the domestic enterprises to do an analysis of the WMS profile.
The first category is based on the typical distribution center business application system, in the sales logistics such as supermarket chain distribution centers, in the supply logistics such as the production of spare parts distribution centers, can be seen in such cases. The modern logistics center of Beijing Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is such a typical case. The goal of the system is, firstly, to implement the national management and control standards of pharmaceutical logistics such as GSP, and secondly, to optimize the process and improve efficiency. System functions include incoming management, inventory management, order management, picking, review, distribution, RF terminal management, basic information management of commodities and cargo space, and other functional modules; through networked and digital ways, it improves the level of control of operations and task scheduling in the warehouse. The system has shortened the distribution time by 50%, doubled the order processing capacity, and achieved significant social benefits, becoming a model for pharmaceutical logistics. This type of system is mostly used in manufacturing or distribution industry supply chain management, is also the most common type of WMS.
The second category is the integration of warehouse operation technology as the main goal of the system, to solve a variety of automated equipment between the integration and optimization of information systems. WISCO's second hot rolling mill production logistics information system belongs to this category, the system is mainly to solve the raw material warehouse (billet), semi-finished goods warehouse (rough rolled plate) and the finished product warehouse (fine rolled sheet) between the coordinated operation of the problem, otherwise it will not be able to maintain continuous operation, not only empty productivity, but also a waste of energy. The difficulty of the system is that the logistics system and the rolling line of the automated equipment system to be seamlessly connected to make the inventory become a flow link of the assembly line, but also to make the assembly line become an integral part of the inventory operation. All kinds of specialized equipment have their own information systems, WMS should not only integrate the equipment system, but also integrate the process system, but also into a larger scope of the overall enterprise information system. This type of system involves a relatively standardized process, specialization, more in the large ERP system, becoming an important part.
The third category is the warehousing industry's business decision-making focused on application systems, its distinctive feature is a very flexible billing system, accurate and timely accounting system and a well-functioning customer management system for the warehousing industry operations to provide decision support information. China Resources Logistics Co., Ltd. Runfa warehouse management system is such a case. Such systems are mostly used in some of the public warehousing services to provide warehousing services in the enterprise, its process management, warehousing operations, technical **** more, less characteristics, so the requirements are not high, suitable for most customers to provide general services. After the company adopted a set of WMS suitable for its own characteristics, reduce labor costs, improve the utilization rate of the warehouse, and significantly increase the economic benefits.
The above three types of WMS just from the application point of view to do a simple classification. The first type of WMS is more standard, but not all enterprises can be used at once. The second category is often used in the process of development of logistics within the enterprise, when the production enterprise or trade enterprises to promote its information technology, logistics part of the automation is often the first to start, and then integrated with the enterprise's other information systems. The third category is the traditional warehousing enterprises to the modern logistics industry over the process will often see the situation. WMS of these classifications reflect China's logistics needs are not yet very mature status quo, so each has its place.
Four, WMS development trends
From the trends of logistics development in China and abroad, there are some noteworthy features that may reflect the trend of changes in the development of warehouse management and WMS.
First, with the integration of logistics resources, in the process of network construction, raised the question of the relationship between the centralized and decentralized modes of warehousing management in a large logistics network. In the real application of both centralized management of the warehouse, but also by the decentralized management of the warehouse. The former, such as the national grain reserve system, the latter, such as the distribution center of the supermarket chain. Decentralized and centralized have their own market demand, there does not seem to be a better or worse problem. However, recent studies have shown that most complex systems in nature are composed of simple systems combined in a "distributed" mode. It can be argued that centralization is always relative, but decentralization is absolute. Distributed systems are the foundation when we model a large system. The idea of the technical program also becomes how to distribute the warehouse network based on the need to solve those centralized management difficulties. IBM launched the SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) framework is a typical representative of this type of research. On this basis the basic structure of the WMS, standard modules and data exchange interface standards and other aspects of the research is in-depth.
Second, RFID as the representative of the new technology is profoundly affecting the warehouse management and WMS, and even breeding a "logistics revolution". For a variety of reasons, RFID can not be immediately popularized and applied to all commodities, the world will not soon adopt a unified standard for commodity coding. But in the logistics sector through vehicles, containers, pallets, shelves and other equipment to apply RFID technology to improve logistics management. As a matter of fact, we have already seen the adoption of RFID technology in a number of WMS cases. Therefore, we expect the logistics equipment RFID plus commodity bar code may be the next period in the WMS to explore the promotion of RFID application of a practical road.
Thirdly, JIT delivery will increasingly become the main market demand for WMS services. We in the previous paragraph to the WMS application is divided into three categories, and pointed out that this is determined by the level of application. With the gradual maturation of the market, the integration of warehouse management in the process is becoming more and more obvious, traditional warehouses will be transformed into distribution centers. the generalization of JIT production methods will also lead to the growth of JIT distribution demand. the development of WMS to be based on the demand for this trend of change. At the same time, the distribution needs of the specialized market segmentation industry in depth, requiring WMS to more support for the specialization of JIT distribution.
Fourth, business intelligence technology (BI) in the WMS application will be more and more. Business Intelligence is the use of data mining technology to develop accumulated data information, so that it can be utilized knowledge. For example, the use of inventory data to analyze the pattern of change in the market, the discovery of market anomalies, the study of the optimization of warehouse operations and so on. The role of information is in the application, in support of decision-making. In the low level of application, often the system to collect data, manual decision-making. After a certain accumulation, should be transitioned to the system has the function of decision-making, which marks the system on a new level. Therefore, the BI module in the WMS will become an increasingly important component, which promotes the research of modeling theories and methods of WMS, as well as optimization methods and algorithms.