ACC-Scan – Warehousing Solutions for Business
For most businesses, handling of inventory from the time it is received at the warehouse, to when it is packed and sent out to your customers – accuracy, timeliness and overall efficiency are paramount.
Most businesses who deal with inventory have the goal of using barcodes, barcode scanning and other technologies to help them achieve these efficiencies, but realise quickly that their existing inventory management systems do not achieve the desired effect.
Investigations are usually begun to look at either barcode scanning through keyboard wedge style scanners that do little more that basic automation of keyboard input, or high end Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) that do everything you need, but also much more that what is required. These systems tend to be complex, requiring expensive consultation and configuration – not to mention the integration required to you ERP / Inventory package.
This is where The Accolade Groups ACC-Scan warehousing module for Jiwa comes in – a seamless, fully integrated module that just does not bolt on to Jiwa – it is part of the system. There is not integration to third party packages required.
Utilising a variety of handheld and portable barcode reading options and making use of the latest in networking, WIFI, 3G and web services technologies – the warehousing module facilitates real time processing of stock receipts and movements and other stock transactions wherever the user is.
There is a hardware and software solution available to suit your inventory control requirements.
Warehouse Modules
The warehouse module provides the following functionality:
1. Stock Enquiry
2. Stock Receipt
3. Shipment Book-in
4. Warehouse Transfers
5. Stock Takes
6. Scan and Pack (for customer orders)
A brief overview of each function follows:
1. Stock Enquiry
The stock enquiry module provides the user up to the minute information about any item. Simply scan the barcode and discover where the item is stored and what status it’s in. In an instant, the following data is displayed:
* Real-time stock on hand
* Stock by in location
* Stock by current warehouse
* Stock in other warehouses
2. Stock Receipt
Need your stock available more quickly after it is received? Too many receiving errors – with bad counting or stock identification? Double handling information between your warehouse and admin staff? This module is exactly what your business needs. Fully automate the process of receiving stock and enforce business rules at the same time.
The stock receipt module will enable the accurate and fast receipt of your stock and have it update into Jiwa ready for sale at the same time – without double handling of paperwork.
Some of the more important features include:
* Find outstanding orders by Supplier, Item Received or Purchase Order number
* Full validation of receipt against order
* Handle quantity variances, including partial receipt
* Handle non-ordered items
* Activation of the incoming stock receipt as a standard Jiwa Stock Receipt form
* Scan stock based on its outer packaging – automatically converting the units to individual unit.
3. Shipment Book-In
In addition to Stock Receipts (above) – fast, accurate receipt of inward goods can be achieved even for import shipments. Automate the process of booking in stock ready for sale, and ready for costing in Jiwa’s Landed Costing module. The same features apply to shipment book-ins as relate to the standard stock receipt process.
Benefits of the Shipment Book-in module include:
* Book stock in, on smaller batches without increasing paperwork
* Make Stock available for sale more quickly – even when receiving large volumes
* Automatically recognise when to receive an order as a local purchase order receipt, or as a landed-costing shipment book-on.
4. Scan & Pack
Looking for a way to process more orders through your warehouse? Processing too may credits due to picking errors? The scan and packing functionality of the warehousing module is the answer. This module helps eliminate picking errors by validating each item on an order as it is being picked. For those customers that require electronic shipping advice, the packing module keeps track of which items are packed into each box. In addition, it can identify and track pallets and their contents.
An overview of benefits of the Scan & Pack module includes:
* Reduce picking errors through validation of SKU’s and quantities picked
* Improve picking efficiency through directed picking (ie picking by bin locations in logical order)
* Process many orders through your warehouse by eliminating the paper shuffle between order processing and warehouse staff
* Real-time feedback to customer service / order entry on picking status of each order
* Adjustments to orders processed automatically on completion of picking
* Automatic printing of invoices where workflows require it
* Follows the same process for EDI and non EDI type orders
5. Warehouse Transfers
Give the ability to your warehouse staff to process warehouse transfers as they would a customer order with full scan/pack functionality. Warehouse transfer requests after having been entered in Jiwa are queued for picking alongside customer orders. There is no need to provide additional training to your warehouse staff, as the picking process is identical to that of standard customer orders. On the receiving side, the process is again no different to standard inward goods – only the actions on stock in the Jiwa database are different.
6. Stock Takes
Make time consuming, labour intensive stock takes a thing of the past. The stock take module has been written from the ground up to support more intensive warehouse operations – providing the ability to implement cycle counting, or full comprehensive stock takes with wireless barcode scanning support. The stock take process is greatly simplified by removing the manual data entry process and allows your staff to concentrate on the “Quality” of the stock take, reviewing the results and issuing recounts if necessary.
Benefits in this module include:
* No double handling, as soon as it is counted its available to the stock take manager
* Ensure accurate identification of items being scanned
* Removes illegibility from handwriting stock taking tickets
* Process the stock take results as soon as the last count is completed
* Full approval process at end of stock take, allows manager to request re-counts where substantial variances exist
* Allows multiple users to be participating in stock takes
Hardware Options
The Accolade Group recommends hardware for use with the warehouse modules depending on the specific usage requirements of our clients.
Hardware requirements are broken up into two general categories. Wireless capable (WIFI) or mobile (being GSM or 3G) capable handheld scanners.
The warehousing modules work with practically any Windows CE / Pocket PC type device that provides barcode scanning capabilities. This means that a full range of devices from portable handheld mobile devices, to fully weather proofed, drop rated, rugged scanners for use in industrial applications are available. In other words, there is no lock in, in relation to equipment providing a full range of options to suit your budget and usage needs.
To provide a starting point, we have selected one of the more commonly implemented hardware options and provided a brief overview.
Falcon 4400 Barcode Scanner with Pistol Grip
The Falcon 4400 comes in a range of options, from handheld to pistol grip. Other choices are Long range scanning, Bluetooth connectivity and more. They are suitable for general warehousing applications where barcode scanning is intensive, and can be utilised in hostile environments due to its ability to resist multiple drops, repeated knocks and accidental bumps.
Some Features include:
* Laser scanner with long distance scanning options
* Compact, lightweight and robust
* Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options
* High visibility colour graphic display with touch screen
* Uses Intel X Scale processor and the latest release Windows CE operating system.
* Falcon Management Utility (FMU) and Falcon Desktop Utility
* 128 MB RAM / 128 MB Flash Memory
