QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
In the current issue of Supply Chain Digest, Cliff Holste, Materials Handling Editor profiled, “More Intelligent Real-Time Control, Integration with Picking Systems Can Increase Productivity and Throughput in Many DCs; Pick Module “Zone Skipping”
According to Holste, “When companies take that approach, generally the WCS assumes more control of the picking process and product release into the material handling system than the current system does. Warehouse Control Systems (WCS) are, of course, critical for the effective operation of an automated distribution center, but, nevertheless, are often not well understood by users of those systems. A WCS is an execution program that sits between the lower level machine controls and PLCs of different automated hardware systems (conveyors, sorters, etc.) and the Warehouse Management System (WMS) being used in the facility. (See The Role of the Warehouse Control System in the DC.)”
The author also noted that there is a growing interest in WCS in recent years for a number of reasons, including the fact that the functionality of Warehouse Control Systems has, in many cases, increased dramatically – in some cases, encroaching on capabilities that were within the domain of the WMS. That evolution, in turn, means that some distribution centers may find that upgrading to a new WCS may be the fastest and most economical path to increasing DC productivity and throughput.
Rich Hite, president of QC Software, a national provider of Warehouse Control System solutions based in Cincinnati, says that this is a path an increasing number of companies are taking. “They may have an older or homegrown WMS that isn’t getting the job done any more, but they don’t want to go through the risk and expense of a new WMS search and implementation,” Hite told SCDigest. “A new WCS can often deliver a nice productivity gain at a fraction of that cost.”
When companies take that approach, generally the WCS assumes more control of the picking process and how product is released into the material handling system than the current WCS system does. An advanced WCS will also bring a lot more smarts into the handling of materials on the automation system that can deliver improved system throughput. Holste suggested, a WCS can put more dynamic intelligence into a split case “pick and pass” system that will drive more efficiency and increase the number of cartons picked per hour. On a sorter, a WCS may be able to more dynamically assign cartons to divert lanes based on what is happening at the pallet build stations at the end of each lane to keep the cartons flowing more smoothly.
Of course, to make this work, the WCS needs to be integrated with the material handling controls/PLCs on one side, and the WMS on the other. However, this type of integration is usually a relatively modest software coding effort. In some cases, certain changes in the configuration of the existing WMS may also be needed, if the WCS takes on more real-time control of the picking process. But generally, it’s just a matter of the new WCS matching the existing messaging into and out of the WMS.
The WCS solutions provided by QC Software enables companies to streamline their warehouse operations with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry ensuring increased corporate profitability. The complete feature article may be read at www.qcsoftware.com.
QC Software, Inc.
www.qcsoftware.com
Jerry List
[email protected]
(513) 469-1424
