Oracle Cycle Count

Step by Step Cycle Count in Oracle Warehouse

ABC Compile: 

It sorts the items in descending order in the subinventory or org based on the selection criteria

• Define the ABC compile based on need 
• Select subinventory/organization 
• Select criteria to choose current onhand or historical transactions 
• Once defined, click on compile. It will submit a request and will generate a sorting output list of items 

ABC Assignment Groups:

• Create an assignment group 
• Assign the ABC compile 
• Attach the ABC classes 
• Then Click on Assign Items 
• Select sequence to classify the items into A B C classes 
• Then click on Assign. It will submit a request 
• Once request is completed, you can see how items are classified by clicking on Update Items 

Define Cycle Count

• Define Cycle count based on need 
• Give Adjustment account 
• Enter late Days: after how many days uncounted cycle count will be considered as late count 
• Starting seq: This is the staring number of the count 
• Enter all other details as needed 
• in Serial, LPN and Schedule tab, 
• select the serial controlled count options 
• Select the schedule, if you want to schedule the count 
• In Adjustment and ABC, 
• select approval criteria 
• Give the ABC group created earlier 
• In Option, select reinitialize and save, it will submit a request. Once the request is completed, you can see status will be completed in the cycle count as well. 
• Then click on Classes and enter the no of counts you want to do for each class in a year 
• From Tools –> Select Perform Full Cycle Count, it will submit request set, submit with proper parameter 
• Once the request is completed, go back to cycle count and re-query and click on items, you will see last scheduled date should be populated against items 
• Also in Serial, LPN and Schedule tab, you see Last date and Next date is populated as per the schedule 

Cycle Count Entry

• Now Go to cycle count entry form, select the cycle count header name and then find all open counts 
• It will show all open request counts pending 
• You can either use this form or you can directly go to MSCA –> Inventory –> Counting –> Normal for entering the counts against the records 
• Also you can count using WMS Task feature by going to MSCA, Task –> Directed task –> Warehouse –> Counting 

Approve Count

• Go to Approve Count section post counting 
• It will show all pending approval including adjustments if needed 
• Select the option and save 

View Adjustments in material transactions

WMS Zone Picking

WMS Zone Picking basic setup steps

Oracle Inv & WMS: Cycle Count

Cycle Count

Oracle WMS Setup Navigations

Please go through the Setup steps, their significance and the navigation to the setup forms.

Define Profile Options
Define Mobile User ID

Navigation:

System Administration>Security>User>Define

Define Warehouse

Navigation:
Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Warehouses>Define Warehouses

Define Warehouse Parameters

Enable WMS attribute

• Serial Control
• Lot Control
• LPN Control
• Crossdocking Information
• Time Zone
• Default Cycle Count Header
• Default Picking Rule
• Default Put away rule
• Cartonization Options
• Default pick task type
• Default replenishment task type
• Default Move Order Transaction Type
• Default Move Order issue Task Type

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Warehouses>Warehouse Parameter

Receiving Options

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Warehouses>Receiving Parameters

Define Subinventory Attributes

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Warehouses>Receiving Parameters

Define Stock Locators Attributes

Units, volume, weight, Dimansions, coordinates

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Warehouses>Stock Locators

Define Dock Door to Staging Lane Relationships

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Warehouses>Dock Door to Staging Lane Assignments

Define Shipping Networks

Define the required shipping networks between different warehouses also attach the shipping method if needed

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Warehouses>Shipping Networks

Define Item Attributes for WMS

Lot, Lot Expiration,Serial controlled, Physical attributes and Material Status

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Items>Master Items

Define Material Statuses

You use this form to setup material status codes that enable you to control the movement and usage of material for portions of on-hand inventory that might have distinct differences

Navigation:

Setup>Transaction Setup>Inventory Transactions>Material Status

Define Lot and Serial Attributes

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Lot/Serial Attributes>Lot/Serial Attributes Descriptive Flexfield>Segments

Define Warehouse Resources

Define all resources here Human, Equipment, etc so that accordingly you can assign tasks to these resources

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Resources>Resources

Define Equipment Items

Equipment, such as forklifts, pallet jacks, and so on are used to perform tasks in a warehouse.  In WMS, you set up equipment as a serialized item and a resource.  

Users sign on to the serial number of the equipment and are dispatched tasks appropriate to that equipment.

• Define the equipment as an item
• Define the item as an equipment type 
• Specify the equipment as serial controlled (predefined)
• Enter the equipment capacity (optional)
• Generate serial numbers for the individual pieces of equipment

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Items>Master Items

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Resources>Equipment

Define Equipment Serial Numbers

Navigation:

Setup>Inventory Management>Material Maintenance>Generate Serial Numbers

Define Departments

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Departments & Resources>Departments

Define Transaction Reasons

Navigation:

Setup>Transaction Setup>Inventory Transactions>Transaction Reasons

Define Label Formats

You are setting up the data fields that you want the system to include on a particular label

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Printing>Define Label Formats

Define Associate Label Formats to Business Flows

Navigation:

Setup> Warehouse Configuration>Printing>Assign Label Types to Business Flows

Assign Labels to Printers

Navigation:

Setup> Warehouse Configuration>Printing>Assign Printers to Documents

Define Cost Groups

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Costs>Cost Groups

Define Account Alias

Navigation:

Setup>Transaction Setup>Inventory Transactions>Define Account Aliases

Define Pick Sliationp Grouping Rules

Setup pick slip grouping rules to specify different ways in which a warehouse might choose to fulfill a group of orders

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Rules>Pick Wave>Pick Slip Grouping

Define Release Sequence Rules

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Rules>Pick Wave>Release Sequence

Define Release Rules

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Rules>Pick Wave>Release Rules

Define Container Types

Before you set up cartonization and container items, you should verify that the appropriate container types exist.  Container types represent the codes that you assign to various containers, such as boxes, bins and pallets.  The WMS system comes pre-seeded with a variety of container types but the system also enables you to set up your own

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Items>Container Types

Define Container Items

Containers can be defined as item

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Items>Master Items

Define Cartonization Groups

Inventory class categories can be defined for this

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Items>Categories>Category Codes

Define Cartonization Category Sets

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Items>Categories>Category Sets

Define Container Item Relationship

Navigation:

Setup>Material Setup>Items>Define Container Item Relationship

Define Shipping Parameters

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Warehouses>Shipping Parameters

Define Task Types

For each unique combination of human and equipment resourses, a new task type should have been defined.

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Tasks>Standard Task Types

Define Task Type Assignment Rules

To define rules for Cost Group Assignments, Label Format, Pick, Put Away and Task Type assignments.

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Rules>Warehouse Execution>Rules

Define Warehouse Strategy

A strategy is an ordered sequence of rules that the system uses to fulfill complex business demands. The rules strategy are selected in sequence until the put away or picking task is fully allocated, or until a cost group that meets the restriction is found. When you define strategies, you also specify the date or range of dates on which the strategy is effective. You also specify whether you want the system to execute a strategy, if it can only successfully execute part of that strategy.

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Rules>Warehouse Execution>Strategies

Define Warehouse Rules Workbench

Add the strategies here in a sequence with required parameter values to execute in required sequence.

Navigation:

Setup>Warehouse Configuration>Rules>Warehouse Execution>Rules Workbench

Define MWA Personalization Framework

To customize any mobile pages, any fileds in there, you can use this to customize

Navigation:

Setup>MWA Personalization Framework

Oracle WMS: LPN Context

LPN Context

LPN Context is nothing but the state/status of the LPN. Oracle WMS provided many states for an LPN. As per the current state/context, the usage of the LPN will change.

These context can be used to customize specialized picking and put away rules. Also context will help in querying tasks in warehouse control board.

Below are the different LPN context and their state definition

These context have a numeric value in the back end table.

Definition

Resides in Inventory:

Indicates that material associated with this LPN has been costed and accounted for in inventory. A LPN with this context may not be used when receiving material against a standard or inspection routed receipt, but may be used during a direct delivery routed receipt. Outbound transactions can be performed on LPNs with this context.

Resides in WIP:

Indicates that material associated with this LPN is currently being transacted in WIP (Work in Process). Therefore, the associated material is not yet in inventory and has not been costed to inventory.

Resides in Receiving:

Indicates that material associated with this LPN have been received using a standard routing or inspection routing receipt and have not been delivered/put away yet. Therefore, the associated material is not yet in inventory and has not been costed to inventory.

Issued out of Stores:

These LPNs are no longer tracked by the system, and hence, no longer associated with a locator within the warehouse. The system does however retain history information pertaining to transactions this LPN was involved in and material it was associated with prior to leaving the warehouse. LPNs shipped out of inventory receive this context and may not be re-received.

Pre-generated:

When LPNs are pre-generated by Oracle WMS and have not been used yet, they are not associated with any physical material. They can be printed and used to identify material during any stage of the material management process such as inbound, replenishment, outbound, and so on. Essentially, this context refers to LPNs that are ready to be used.

Resides in In-Transit:

A LPN with this context is an indication that it is currently moving from one location to another. Possible uses for this are when a LPN is moved from one organization to the next, for example while the LPN is on a truck. The LPN is in an intermediary state, but resides within the entire system. This context is used only for inter-org transit or internal sales orders where an indirect shipping network is defined between the organizations.

Resides in Vendor Site:

When a vendor sends an Advanced Shipment Notice (ASN) to Oracle WMS, the system internally generates LPNs and associates them with material information on the ASN. These LPNs receive this context. Material associated with LPNs of this context are not on-hand or costed until it is actually received.

Packing Context:

This context is temporary and used internally by the software as an intermediary. It should not be used or referenced anywhere including the setup of picking or put away rules.

Loaded for Shipments:

An LPN loaded for shipment has just been loaded onto a carrier ready to leave the warehouse. Once the entire carrier leaves the dock, the LPN obtains a context of 6 Resides in Intransit or 4 Issued out of Stores.

Prepack of WIP:

LPNs that reside in WIP and are associated with material that is pre-packed by WIP receive this context. This context adds an extra level of granularity to an LPN’s usage within WIP. This is used when the system has associated the LPN with material and printed the labels, but the material has not yet been physically packed.

Picked:

LPNs picked during the picking process receive this context. They are intransit within the warehouse.

Oracle Warehouse Management System: License Plate Number (LPN)

Oracle WMS: LPN

LPN is License Plate Number.

This is nothing but an identification of a certain object which holds Item/Items.
So for understanding, you can say LPN is an identification of a box in which you have kept the item/s whether in your warehouse locations or you have consolidated for shipping or identified for picking or receiving. At any point of time, item/s/group of items can be tracked using one single identification that is called LPN.

•  This can be a physical container or a logical grouping.
•  A single LPN can contain one or many qty of the same or different items
• This is used to store information of items such as LOT, Revision, Serial, Organization, subinventory, locator, etc.
• Contents of an LPN can be tracked during inventory stocking, shipping, receiving, in-transit
• Receiving, Shipping, Picking, Packing of material can be done using LPN
• Onhands can be tracked using LPN
• Multiple items and qty can be transacted using LPN
• Contents can be packed, unpacked, split or updated in LPN
• Labels can be printed based on LPN for the contents inside an LPN
• LPNs can be reused if that is empty or not assigned to any content

Nesting LPN

Oracle WMS allows to use LPN in nested also.

For example, you have made a Combo deal sale for Christmas.

If customer buys 2 laptop units, they will get one USB hub free.

And for better and faster shipment, you have already packed the units and kept for ready to ship.

So now the nesting hierarchy is like this

New and Changed Features in Oracle WMS in R12 Release

New and Changed Features in Oracle WMS in R12 Release

Oracle WMS automates and optimizes material handling processes to reduce labor costs, improve facility utilization, increase order accuracy and provide innovative services to customers. Oracle Warehouse Management supports inbound, outbound, and reverse logistics, finished, raw and work in process materials, manufacturing and distribution environments and advanced value-added services such as kitting and cross docking.

Oracle Warehouse Management is part of the Oracle Supply Chain Execution solution and integrates seamlessly with other Supply Chain Execution products, including Oracle Order Management, and Oracle Transportation Planning.

Features

Distributed WMS Deployment

Customers interested in using WMS to manage warehouse operations now have much more flexibility in choosing the deployment mode. Prior to this release, WMS can be installed only as an integrated module within the E-Business Suite instance. With this feature, it’s possible to deploy WMS in a distributed environment that is physically decoupled from the E-Business Suite instance. This feature also comes with a predefined integration based on Oracle Data Integration (ODI) tool. The ODI maps can be used to interface master data and transaction information between distributed WMS and host system.

This feature makes it possible to leverage the latest features in WMS R12.1.1 with an EBusiness suite installation that is on an older application release e.g. 11.5.10. Distributed WMS can potentially also be used with a non-EBS host system.

Distributed WMS also ensure greater availability of WMS instance. Since WMS will be a physically distinct deployment, any patching or maintenance activity on the host EBusiness suite will not impact WMS.

Advanced Wave and Task Planning

Warehouses that fulfill a large number of small orders can streamline their execution process using Wave Planning. Wave Planning offers a flexible and powerful tool to group order lines into waves. The planning features include tools to check stock and labor availability prior to releasing the wave to the warehouse floor. Wave Dashboard provides full visibility and monitoring of waves in real time from release to shipment.

Wave Planning also comes with an exception engine that can be configured to generate exceptions whenever wave execution deviates from acceptable standards. These exceptions allow warehouse management to take corrective action in a proactive mode.

Wave Planning also includes task planning features that can be used to group and dispatch tasks based on execution criteria.

Forward Pick Replenishment

Forward pick area replenishment is an important activity in a warehouse. By replenishing a forward pick area, a distribution center disaggregates material stored in reserve or bulk area and moves it into a pick area that is optimized for unit picking. In this release the following replenishment features are available for use:

• Pull Replenishment: This type of replenishment is useful for items with high uniform demand in forward pick area. A replenishment suggestion will be auto-created as soon as a shortfall is detected during order release process.
• Push Replenishment: This type of replenishment is useful for items with irregular demand in forward pick area. Using push replenishment, the aggregated future demand for an item is replenished to a forward pick area for future order picking activity.
• Dynamic Execution: The dynamic replenishment execution feature orchestrates the warehouse tasks in such a way that pick tasks to a forward pick area will be dispatched only when replenishment has been completed. Similarly a replenishment task will be dispatched only when a forward pick area has enough capacity to receive the replenished material.

These features provide tremendous productivity benefits to a warehouse engaged in distribution activity. Replenishment to forward pick area will allow distribution center to reap the benefits of bulk procurement and optimized storage in a reserve area as well as optimized picking for order profiles with smaller quantities.

Mobile User Interface Personalization

A major benefit of Warehouse Management’s mobile data entry capability is to ability to record a material movement at the point of usage. Data entry at the point of usage enhances inventory accuracy and records real time information. Mobile personalization goes one step further by providing the user with the flexibility to record data that is most relevant for the transaction without compromising the accuracy of transaction. In addition, mobile personalization can record additional use defined data in flex fields for specific transactions. Using this feature a warehouse can immediately realize the following benefits:

• Improve transaction execution speed by hiding or defaulting fields on a mobile transaction form.
• Improve transaction accuracy by defaulting a value in field using a user defined logic.
• Allow recording of additional data on a mobile transaction form using flex fields.
• All the above changes to a mobile transaction form can be made using a user friendly configuration screen without resorting to code changes that are expensive to complete and difficult to maintain.

Extensibility Enhancements

Task Extensibility features provide tremendous implementation flexibility in the execution of WMS tasks. This feature will deliver a public API to modify, update, split and cancel a WMS task. Using these features, WMS task functionality can be extended for customer or industry specific needs. The following list of business scenarios illustrates the applicability of this API:

• A user defined application that dispatches tasks to warehouse workers. Task API will be used to modify task status from unreleased to pending
• An extension that assigns a task to a warehouse operator based on a customer specific logic
• An extension to the cartonization algorithm that can split a task and assign a cartonized LPN to tasks
• An extension that supplements the warehouse control system layer to allow the warehouse automation system (for example and automated storage and retrieval system) to enable the automation system to drive updates to the lots, serials or quantities picked

Dock Scheduling and Load Sequencing

Organizations leveraging both Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) and Oracle Warehouse Management (WMS) can now make use of additional integrations between the two products to drive distribution efficiencies. OTM can schedule shipments to dock doors and sequence the loading of trailers at the doors based on time required, door availability and stop sequence for drop offs. With this feature, the dock doors, the dock door appointments and sequence of loads into a trailer can be synchronized with WMS.

WMS will use this additional information to plan outbound activities such as:

• Release of shipments for pick execution based on dock door schedule
• Sequencing of drops in the staging area for a multi-stop shipping itinerary
• Sequencing of tasks for picking when a multi-stop shipping itinerary is being used

LPN Status

Even in the most efficient manufacturing and distribution networks, quality issues may arise. Packages may arrive damaged from transportation; defects may be detected in manufacturing long after the product has left the production center; or quality issues may affect only some of the LPNs produced in a manufacturing batch. With this feature, the material status model has been extended to provide License Plate (LPN) level holds.

This will enable warehouse users to:

• Put individual pallets, cases or totes on hold without impacting the rest of the lot or the batch.
• Place holds on material that is neither lot nor serial controlled without moving that material to a quarantine location for speedier intervention when issues are discovered.
• Separate the physical movement of material and changes to the material status into different responsibilities, which will prevent the accidental change of material status when material is moved.

UCC-128 and Case Picking Enhancements

In consumer packaged goods industry, its common requirement to have the goods packed into containers with UCC-128 labeling. While the ability to print UCC-128 label already exists in WMS R12, this feature makes it easy to manage varied compliance needs of customers in consumer packaged goods industry based on customer’s ASN preference e.g. pallet level ASN or case level ASN, order type e.g. bulk order, store order, etc. This feature will also allow printing of sequential carton count on label e.g. “1 of 3”, “2 of 3”, etc. and also allow generation of ITF-compliant (I 2 of 5 labeling standard) labels with shipping information.

This feature also introduces support for efficient “Case Picking”. The case labels printed at order release can be assigned to pick operators. The operator can now perform case picks and either perform “Pick to Belt”or “Pick to Pallet” by scanning multiple case labels.

Over-Allocation Using WMS Rules

This feature is useful to pick items that are difficult to fulfill in exact order quantity.

Examples of such items are: Metal strips, Gas cylinders, fluid containers, paper rolls, wire bobbins, etc. Such items are typically stored or packed in non-standard quantities in the warehouse. Over shipment is a very common business practice for such items since it’s not cost effective to cut, split or unpack the items in order to ship the exact ordered quantity.

In this feature WMS rules can be configured to over allocate containers that are within over shipping tolerance and at the same time closest to the requested quantity on the order. In this way WMS operators are directed to pick containers that require minimal material handling without entering any pick exception codes even though the pick quantity may be greater than requested quantity.

LPN Over Allocation during Pick Release

Certain industries and business situation require that an Order can not be fulfilled in the exact quantity. A good example is primary metal where an order for an item such as steel sheets can not be exactly fulfilled because it’s expensive to cut a steel sheet to match the exact order quantity. In such situations, over allocation or under allocation is a normal business practice. This feature in Oracle WMS facilitates over allocation of an entire LPN provided it’s within over shipment tolerance defined on the Order Line.

Directed Putaway of Reserved LPNs

In a made to order manufacturing environment, the finished material is often packed into LPNs at manufacturing completion. In order to ensure that the manufactured material is fulfilled correctly, the entire LPN is reserved to the sales order. However it’s a common business scenario to putaway the LPN within the warehouse prior to its eventual shipment to the customer. This feature allows a reserved LPN to be transferred or putaway within the warehouse while retaining the reservation for the customer. The reservation guarantees the supply for the order line while the system enables you to move reserved lots within an LPN throughout the warehouse.

Reusing LPNs

The REUSE_LPNS API enables you to reuse LPNs and to review an LPN history. This API enables you to physically re-use returned containers after their contents have been issued out of stores, or returned using an RMA (return materials authorization).

Cluster Pick by Label

One Step Pick and Pack Process i.e. picking of products directly into a shipping carton offers huge productivity gains as no downstream packaging is required. Oracle Warehouse Management System currently supports One Step Pick and Pack Process using cartonization and “pick by label” picking. This feature makes it possible to pick one or more orders (the cluster) directly into their respective shipping cartons (pick by label). With this feature it’s now possible to get further productivity boost using one step pick and pack for several orders at once.

With cluster pick by label, labels are printed at pick release and manually distributed to operators based on criteria such as cart capacity. An operator scans multiple labels, and WMS facilitates interleaving of picks from several orders in one pass of the warehouse.

Distributed WMS Deployment

Distributed WMS deployment is an added feature delivered as a patch on R12.1. Until now Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) Warehouse Management System (WMS) required the transaction source systems like Purchasing and Order Management and execution systems like WMS reside and operate within the same instance. With Distributed WMS deployment, it’s possible for WMS to be installed on a separate physical instance that is independent from remaining applications of E-Business Suite such as Order Management, Purchasing and Financials. This feature gives powerful choices to customers to deploy WMS either as an “integrated” as a module within EBS or as a “distributed” and independent solution installed on a separate instance. Customers who want the latest WMS features in R12.1 can have WMS deployed on a separate instance without upgrade of the entire application suite. This feature also makes it possible to use Oracle WMS for warehousing operations along with an EBS or non-EBS host system. In addition, Warehouse with network connectivity issues can also consider a distribute WMS installation for an “always on” WMS solution.

The feature also ships with an integration framework based on Oracle Data Integration (ODI) tool

Advanced Wave Planning

Advanced Wave Planning is also being released as a patch on R12.1. Advanced wave planning provides advanced Pick Wave management functionality over and above what currently exists in pick release. Wave Planning is particularly useful for warehouses that fulfill a high volume of small order lines. Wave planning makes it easier to manage large order volume by grouping orders into waves and subsequently releasing them for execution and monitoring.

Using advanced Wave Planning warehouse managers can select order using simple criteria and group them into pick waves. In addition, advanced filters similar to WMS rules engine can be used to select orders for waves as well as create waves by constraining them to be within certain line count, weight, cube or value. Wave planning provides preview of lines and tasks, expected completion, fill rate and labor needs prior to release of the wave. Advanced wave planning also comes up with Wave Dashboard that can be used to view wave progress and drill down to detailed line or task status. The exception engine in wave planning can be configured for specific business case to proactively look for exceptions such that corrective action can be taken. For example, a severe exception can be triggered if 80% of the lines in a wave are not loaded to the trailer 30 minutes prior to dock appointment end time.

The other advanced wave planning feature is task planning. The task planning criteria can be used to configure the conditions under which tasks will be released automatically for execution.


Source: Oracle

Difference between Oracle Inventory and WMS

Both Inventory and WMS modules are used to hold the inventory and do transactions like receiving and picking goods but WMS is more expensive then inventory coz WMS has got some important premium features which is not there in Inventory module.

So to explain the differences are

Inventory without WMS is basically small in size and where the granular level management and information are not required like labor cost, resource cost, etc. For example small shops or small manufacturing units who basically holds the stocks and ship it to their customer where not much of resources involved from warehouse point of view, they can simply fulfil their business requirement by using the Inventory module but if you will consider big transportation companies like UPS, DHL or big retail or FMCG manufacturing companies who manufacture thousands of products and they have their warehouse worked by number of resources, machines maintained by various departments and spread across large locations, they cannot fulfil their business requirement by simply with Inventory module, they need bit more detailed analysis of warehouse resources, cost, efficiency, effectiveness and want to track the time and labour to fulfil the customer demand in a more efficient and cost effective ways then need to go with Warehouse Management System which comes with all these features.

These are the basic features which WMS provides but not in Inventory

• WMS comes with rule workbench which makes warehouse management lot easier and efficient by defining different rules, pick rules, putaway rules, label printing rules.
• WMS provides cost involved in granular level in different tasks like shipping, picking, fuel costs by machine, labour costs, etc.
• From finance or accounting point of view, suppose business maintains a line of products (more than one number of products but in one line, suppose a health care company in its hair care product line makes different products like 100 ml, 200 ml bottles, 10 ml sachets) stores in one subinventory but want to get valuation accounting details for each product. It is not possible by Inventory as in inventory all products are comes under one accounting which is defined in subinventory but the same can be derived in WMS by using cost group rule.
• So in Inventory module, accounting details canot be given down the subinventory level but in WMS it can be derived in many different levels, in locator level, lot level, supplier level, etc.
• Lot more features are there like operation management, task dashboard where warehouse manager can check each and individual resources and how much they are occupied, according he can assign the task to complete in timely and cost effective way which is lacking in Inventory.
• From technology point of view, Mobile devices enabled with RF can be used with WMS, so that means you can do transaction in real time on the go when you do physical movement, you can do the same in system and also get the required label printed on the go. But in Inventory these are two different tasks, you have to physically do the transaction then need to come to the machine and do the transaction in system. In big warehouses where everyday thousands of transactions are happening, this is not a cost effective or efficient solution. But with WMS, all these things will be ease.

What and Why Oracle Warehouse Management System (WMS)

Oracle Warehouse Management System

Oracle Warehouse Management System (WMS) is an advanced inventory module with lot of efficient, unique and enhanced features that improves productivity of distribution centers, manufacturing and inventory handing processes. It supports manual data entry, data entry through barcode scanning and through RFID too.

It enables organizations to maximize their utilization of labor, space and equipment investments by coordinating and optimizing resource usage and material flows across a global supply chain on a single platform.

Key Business Processes supported by Oracle WMS are:

• Inbound Logistics (Receiving from Supplier, Returns, Corrections)
• Outbound Logistics (Picking, Packing, Shipping)
• Reverse Logistics (Customer Returns)
• Stocking and Internal Inventory Movements
• WIP JOB Assembly completion, Component issues

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Broad Based Support for Warehouse Processes

Oracle WMS provides a robust warehouse solutions platform to efficiently manage the flow of goods and warehouse resources across a wide variety of business processes including order fulfilment, manufacturing, field service, inbound logistics-from receipt, inspection to storage, counting and replenishment.

Optimize Warehouse Resources

Oracle WMS enables users to optimize resources such as storage space, labor and equipment using rules based execution. Putaway rules based on configurable parameters like velocity, volume and material classifications. Rules can be used to minimize fragmentation, enforce storage policies, reduce obsolescence or implement other storage restrictions. Similarly pick tasks for outbound orders can be generated considering one or more goals such as reduction in material handling (tasks for full or split cases), reduce travel time (nearest location), minimize obsolescence (FIFO) or other customer specific preferences (grade, color, size, etc).

Advanced Wave and Task Planning

Using wave planning, Oracle WMS can fulfil a large number of orders quickly by streamlining the full execution process. Oracle WMS provides a flexible and powerful planning tool with a dashboard to create, plan and track wave progress, drilldown to task or line level and the ability to configure exceptions to facilitate proactive resolution of issues. Advanced Wave Planning also includes task planning features that can be used to group and dispatch tasks based on an execution criteria.

Planned and Opportunistic Crossdocking

Oracle WMS can identify crossdocking opportunities in the warehouse by matching expected receipts with outbound shipments and manufacturing component requirements using flexible crossdock rules. These rules allow the users to have greater of control over supply and demand eligibility for crossdocking and minimize the product wait time in outbound staging areas before getting crossdocked.

Demand Driven Replenishment to Forward Pick Locations

Oracle WMS offers Push and Pull based replenishments to forward pick area for warehouses to efficiently pick high volume of orders lines. The Pull replenishment feature automatically creates a replenishment task when a potential shortage is detected in the forward pick area. The dynamic replenishment execution capability ensures that pick areas are replenished with minimal oversight and pick tasks are dispatched only when material is available to pick. Push based replenishment allows a warehouse to effectively manage a surge in demand e.g., promotions by replenishing a forward pick area based on future demand visibility of an item.

Improve Loading Efficiency and Dock Door Utilization

Oracle WMS facilitates integrated transportation planning and execution by leveraging the dock door appointments created in Oracle Transportation Management (OTM). Oracle WMS ensures that orders are released based on the dock appointments and material is staged to the correct dock door. Oracle WMS improves trailer loading by recommending loading of containers in the reverse stop sequence of a multi-stop shipping itinerary.

Support for Advanced and Non-traditional Warehousing Processes

Competitive pressures and globalization is forcing traditional warehouses to take on value added services previously reserved for manufacturing and service centers. It is forcing manufacturing centers to take on warehousing and order fulfillment activities. Oracle WMS offers advanced material and resource handling capabilities for these additional business flows.

Repair Services, Returns, Disposition, Teardown and Refurbishment

Oracle WMS also offers the materials management feature set required in reverse logistics operations. Users can define required return product flow to guide subsequent inspection and rework processing (repair, teardown, etc.). This enables users to seamlessly manage reverse logistics operations in the same distribution centers that handle vendor receipts and customer order fulfilment.

Manufacturing, Assembly and Distribution

Oracle WMS provides a seamlessly integrated system for all manufacturing execution processes including repair and maintenance business processes. Oracle WMS supports component picks for discrete jobs and schedules, ingredient picks for process manufacturing batches, parts picks for maintenance work orders and repair orders generated in Enterprise Asset Management or Depot Repair.

Adapt to Changing Needs

To adapt rapidly changing business requirements driven by customers, regulatory bodies, new product introductions, fluctuating demand and global outsourcing, Oracle WMS provides a configurable, rules-based infrastructure that easily adapts to changing business needs and compliance mandates without customization.

Distributed Deployment of Oracle Warehouse Management

Customers can deploy WMS in a decentralized environment that is physically decoupled from rest of the E-Business Suite (EBS), making it possible to leverage the latest features in WMS but with older EBS installation or potentially non-EBS host systems. Distributed WMS also ensures greater availability of WMS instance, it is an “always on” solution that is unaffected by the network connection or the general availability of the host system.

Pick Method Suited for Warehouse Business Needs

Oracle WMS provides flexibility to warehouses to choose a pick methodology that is aligned with the ordering profile of the item. It supports pick and pass, zone picking and cluster picking to reduce warehouse travel. It enables one-step pick and pack directly into shipping cartons thus eliminating downstream packing operations.

Personalized Mobile User Interfaces and Workflow Processing

Oracle WMS facilitates efficient transaction processing by enabling users to configure mobile transaction pages for their specific needs. This allows the user to view or enter only the required information that is needed to complete the transaction for a specific business context.

Rules-Driven Processes

Oracle WMS has, at its core a flexible and powerful business rules engine, which permits extensive tailoring of key WMS processes such as directed picking and putaway, labeling, material routing selection and task dispatching without the need to customize code as shown in Figure 2. This extensible rules based architecture enables key processes to evolve and adapt dynamically.

RFID Enabled

Oracle WMS provides out of the box support for RFID and EPC technology for addressing RFID labeling compliance. EPC’s can be extracted from an inbound ASN and provided on outbound ASN’s to customers. Oracle WMS also provides a flexible framework to automate any warehouse transaction via RFID or any other sensor based on an event detection infrastructure.

Device Agnostic Material Handling Equipment Integration

Warehouse Control System (WCS) feature in Oracle WMS provides out of the box integration with material handling equipment such as conveyors, carousels, ASRSs, pick to light and even voice directed picking systems. Customers can deploy diverse equipments using an open API device integration to request tasks, and receive responses from diverse equipment types. Managerial workbenches enable real-time monitoring of the equipment and provide real-time visibility to the entire automation environment.

Oracle WMS enables organizations to transform their materials management operations to agile fulfilment centers through optimal use of inventory supply and warehouse resources. It leverages a flexible framework that provides supply and demand matching, advanced task management, automation hardware support and support for the breadth of materials management processes frequently required in warehouses, manufacturing facilities and service depots