Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
The Challenge
Retailers face increasing pressure for faster fulfillment, higher accuracy, and lower costs in warehouse operations, but legacy WMS systems can't keep up.
Root Cause Analysis
- Manual processes: Paper-based picking and manual inventory counts lead to errors
- No real-time visibility: Inventory levels are hours or days out of date
- Poor slotting: Items placed inefficiently, increasing pick times
- Siloed systems: WMS disconnected from OMS, TMS, and demand planning
How We Solve This with Cloud Technologies
Cloud-Native WMS Platform
- Real-time inventory: IoT sensors + RFID for perpetual inventory accuracy
- Intelligent slotting: ML algorithms optimize product placement based on velocity and affinity
- Wave planning: AI-driven pick wave optimization reduces travel time by 40%
- Integration hub: API-first architecture connects WMS to OMS, ERP, and 3PL systems
Architecture
- IoT layer: Barcode scanners, RFID gates, weight sensors streaming to cloud
- Event processing: Real-time inventory transactions via Apache Kafka
- Optimization engine: ML models for slotting, wave planning, labor scheduling
- Dashboard: Operations control tower with real-time KPIs
- Integration: RESTful APIs and EDI connectors for partner systems
Business Impact
- 99.8% inventory accuracy with real-time tracking
- 35% reduction in pick-to-ship time
- 20% labor cost savings through optimized scheduling