Overview
As sales grow, many companies face the challenge of managing increasingly complex warehouse operations. The nature of the business and the growth of new sales channels mean that the features of standard warehouse software or ERP systems are no longer enough.
XWMS is an advanced logistics system that lets you run professional warehouse management regardless of the sales management system you use. Thanks to optimised integration with other software, you can keep the programs you already use in other areas of the company and focus on dedicated logistics solutions.
XWMS is the ideal solution for trading companies with a medium to high volume of transactions, as it optimises receiving, relocation and dispatch of goods. A wide range of configuration options lets you tailor the warehouse parameters to your company’s flow of goods, whatever the industry or scale. It works equally well for mass dispatches to individual customers and bulk transfers between warehouses. XWMS can operate 24/7, and the configuration we propose ensures high performance and data security.
When designing the XWMS interface we put special emphasis on intuitive, simple operation. This shortens onboarding for warehouse staff, simplifies their daily work and helps minimise human error. Managers will appreciate the system too: it comes with many built-in reporting tools and can automatically calculate warehouse staff bonuses based on the volume and type of goods handled.
Another highlight is integration with most courier companies. Shipping labels are generated automatically from dispatch documents, which brings significant savings in time and effort when shipping goods to customers and practically eliminates delivery errors.
We built XWMS on our hands-on logistics experience. That is why companies that choose our system also gain streamlined (and error-free) warehouse processes. This is possible thanks to a thorough pre-implementation analysis, which drives the dedicated configuration of the system and the optimisation of selected logistics processes.
About the system
Business security
XWMS increases business security by giving you much greater control over logistics processes and stock levels, and by making that control independent of the know-how of experienced employees.
XWMS lets you monitor from your computer, precisely and in real time, stock shortages, products with short shelf life and the location of goods in the warehouse — including an optional 3D visualisation of the entire warehouse.
XWMS minimises the risk of misuse and theft, because the pickers who assemble orders do not know the final recipients. That information is available only to the supervisor or manager using the desktop application.
XWMS guarantees continuous, stable handling of all logistics processes in the warehouse, enabling multi-shift work 24/7.
Warehouse data is additionally protected. The system backs up the XWMS server database at a frequency matched to your company’s requirements.
Automated, controlled warehouse processes
The system’s mechanisms eliminate user errors by not allowing stock movements that are not defined in the system. For example, goods cannot be moved to a new location without the system knowing.
Staff work is as efficient as possible. Warehouse operators equipped with smart barcode scanners carry out tasks based solely on the system’s instructions.
Every stage of an order or any other warehouse process is visible in the system in real time, with full identification of the people involved.
The system can be configured so that different employees have different permissions — certain operations or access to certain zones can be limited to designated staff.
Extra gains, intuitive operation
High staff turnover is not a threat: after just 20 minutes of training, new employees can fully operate the intuitive scanners that guide their work.
Thanks to an innovative way of labelling locations, new employees don’t waste time learning the warehouse or memorising where racks and goods are.
All this lets you hire less experienced (and therefore less costly) staff and take on extra workers only during peak sales periods.
System components
XWMS consists of three environments:
- XWMS SERV – the application and database server. A dedicated PC on the company network is all it needs; memory and CPU requirements depend on the size of the warehouse (number of SKUs).
- XWMS DESK – the administration tool for the manager or supervisor. It runs on any PC, so existing computers can be reused during implementation, which keeps costs down.
- XWMS MOBILE – the mobile app for terminals with barcode scanners. It runs on Android devices, and for companies using older hardware we also support Windows CE terminals (e.g. Motorola MC 90XX). You can deploy XWMS on modern terminals or keep using the devices you already have. Industrial terminals are highly resistant to mechanical damage while remaining comfortable to use thanks to the touchscreen and built-in scanner.
Supported devices
XWMS works with:
- barcode printers (Zebra)
- industrial printers (Printronix)
- mobile terminals with barcode scanners running Android and Windows CE (e.g. Motorola MC 90XX)
Integration with accounting systems
XWMS can be integrated with the accounting and sales software your company already uses in two ways: offline (no permanent internet connection required) or online.
Online integration means that XWMS is permanently connected to other programs. Thanks to two-way integration, XWMS can automatically post warehouse transfer, goods receipt, goods issue and invoice documents in the accounting system (e.g. an ERP). Users of either system don’t have to do anything outside the system they are working in.
With offline integration, the system records all operations and sends them once a connection is established — which is why this mode is also called “semi-online”. It can import existing warehouse or accounting documents and generate tasks for warehouse staff based on them. This mode is designed for points of sale that cannot guarantee a permanent connection.
Warehouse operations
Receiving goods
XWMS enables professional, advanced warehouse management. Rules for receiving and dispatching goods are fully configurable (e.g. FIFO or LIFO), with the option to intervene manually and dispatch goods from any chosen location. With a complete 3D map of the warehouse, the system keeps full control over the position of goods and any change of location from receipt to dispatch.
During receiving, the system lets the operator take goods from active deliveries and store them anywhere. It can also suggest the best storage location (e.g. a shelf that already holds the same product) or even enforce it. Receiving rules are fully configurable.
Picking
The system optimises order picking for completion time and the distance warehouse staff have to travel. The process can be configured to match the size and specific features of the warehouse (e.g. separate zones or halls accessible only to designated staff).
XWMS can process an unlimited number of documents at the same time. In zones furthest from the dispatch area, documents are consolidated: one operator can pick goods for any number of documents. Once the goods are brought close to the dispatch bays, operators sort them by customer. During this step, goods can be packed straight into parcels. The system can of course also be configured to pick across the whole warehouse floor — a good fit for smaller warehouses.
At every stage, the system only allows the operator the actions defined during configuration, which minimises mistakes. Each action is verified by scanning the barcodes of products, locations and documents.
Dispatch
After picking, the system allows an additional check that the order was assembled correctly (scanning the document and the products) and then generates the shipping label. An order picked by one or more operators (each using a scanner) is checked again — also with a scanner — by the person using the desktop application. This procedure practically eliminates errors in orders and other warehouse dispatches. Shipping itself is automated too: thanks to integration with most courier companies, issuing the document in the system sends the shipment data to the courier. This reduces the dispatch process to the bare minimum.
Functional modules
Receiving
- Receiving deliveries based on purchase orders.
- Receiving deliveries based on goods receipt, transfer and purchase invoice documents.
- Managing deliveries waiting to be received.
- Suggested storage locations.
Warehouse
- Relocating goods.
- Recording product dimensions.
- Assigning EAN codes.
Stocktaking
Stocktaking operations.
Dispatch
- Managing documents awaiting dispatch.
- Pausing and resuming a document during dispatch.
- Dispatch prioritisation.
- Support for zone types:
- Picking.
- Consolidation.
- Overflow.
- Mezzanine.
- System racking.
- Packing goods into parcels.
- Optimised picking routes.
Shortages
Handling of stock shortages.
System configuration
Extensive configuration of:
- Zones.
- Locations.
- Actions (permitted moves between zones).
- Permissions.
Courier integration
Integration with the systems of courier companies.
ERP integration
Integration with the ERP system for:
- Receiving deliveries (posting goods receipt documents).
- Assigning EAN codes.
- Transfers between warehouses.
- Dispatching goods (automatic posting of transfer and invoice documents).
Advanced reporting
Reports:
- Stock levels.
- Shelf occupancy monitoring.
- Product history (including moves between locations).
- Detailed transaction history per product, operator and location.
- Operator and team rankings.
- And more.
Find out more about XWMS
If in your company:
- more people work in the warehouse than in sales,
- goods are getting lost and stock losses are increasingly common,
- picking orders is getting harder and takes more and more time,
- the number of SKUs in the warehouse has grown significantly,
then XWMS is the answer to these challenges. Get in touch with our sales team — we’ll be happy to advise you and answer your questions.
