Sharing of information keeps all parties in the loop

Software systems make the difference RAY SMUTS THE basics of warehousing have remained much unchanged over the years but what has changed dramatically is the manner in which companies want to interact with information held by the warehouse and the role software plays. As to the basics of warehousing operations, Macro 2000 marketing manager Anthea van Breemen explains they will receive and hold stock in various locations from which goods will be distributed. The stock is kept in various ways by tons, pallets, volumes, serial numbers, expiry dates and so on, all kept track of by the warehouse management system in order to invoice the customer at the end of the month. Today warehouse management systems have become much more sophisticated in that all parties within the entire supply chain share information by interfacing with each other. A manufacturer’s own software package will interface with the Macro2000 warehouse management system and electronically update, for example, a pre-receipt with information of what the warehouse can expect for delivery from them on a specific day. Upon receipt of such delivery, the warehouse simply scans the goods into the warehouse and produces exception reports of any differences that may have occurred and advises the manufacturer. In the same way call offs, dispatch orders, and delivery details are received automatically into the Macro2000 warehouse management system and picking slips produced on the day of the requested delivery. Packing information and voyage manifests are produced and sent electronically to the customer. The receiver’s software package receives the information electronically on his/her side, to update software. All documentation is automatically e-mailed to the relevant parties for instant confirmation of their stock movements and all data is moved electronically between software packages of the relevant parties for instant updates, without human intervention. The main purpose of this, says Van Breemen, is the sharing of information to ensure all parties in the supply chain are in the loop and aware of the logistics of their goods. ‘The cherry on the top is the business to business over the internet, where all information can be viewed from one source.”