A large mid-western manufacturer of electrical products for commercial, industrial, hazardous and adverse environments has extended Oracle WMS to gain significant efficiencies in its warehouses. Stretching back as far as the early 1800s, this company has been an industry leader and their brands are known for their durability, safety, quality, easy installation and  global availability.  The company maintains its leadership by taking advantage of new technology as it becomes available.

Business need

With a continuous need for increasing efficiency as well as providing rapid response to internal and external customers, the client contacted Computer Technology Resources (CTR) to help them implement the right solution via Oracle Warehouse Management System (WMS). CTR consultants were a part of project scope definition as well as analyzing the warehouse in Memphis to understand existing pain-points and system constraints.

Scope of the project

CTR met with relevant stakeholders and prioritized requirements. Scope definition also involved extensive interaction with warehouse business and supply chain users in order to understand and document To-Be business processes.

Strategy, Execution and Implementation

This extensive Oracle WMS implementation strategy involved executing the following tasks:

• Worked with the client on a Mobile Supply Chain Applications (MSCA) implementation strategy.
• Determined MSCA Scanner Vendor evaluation strategy by identifying different test parameters that will allow workers to operate in any extreme weather conditions
• Spearheaded Transportation Management System (TMS) software evaluation which assisted the client management team to decide on the best fit TMS vendor
• Setup Warehouse Organization for receiving, picking, shipping, returns, label generation
• Created Picking and Put-Away rules to address the client’s business requirements
• Designed and finalized the Oracle WMS-TMS integration flows
• Integrated Wave Management process with Precision for freight rating to minimize shipping cost
• Designed custom picking by using Pick-by-Label process
• Designed the complete pallet building process in Order Management by generating Container License Plate Number (LPN) and shipping goods in pallets by having unique LPN using Oracle Pick, Pack and Ship API’s.

Training

Part of implementation also involved training the ‘super users’ and documenting the complete process for quick references and learning. Some specific actions involved:

• WMS boot camps for business and IT super users to help them leverage Oracle’s WMS capabilities and features.
• Documentation of functional processes related to MSCA customizations, Task Splitting, Shipments, and Replenishment.

Time to Completion

The entire project was completed while under short lead times and strict deadlines. The End to End project took fifteen months and the handover was completed on the final day with a walkthrough.  As a final acceptance of the deliverables, the users validated common functionalities and processes.  Acceptance was received shortly thereafter.

Results

Oracle’s WMS system was successfully implemented. Customizations were developed and deployedby CTR based on the client’s requirements. It is critical that customizations and extensions arecarefully designed so as not to affect Oracle Support. This is always an important consideration when dealing with a supported system.

Benefits and Return on Investment

The client saw the results of implementing Oracle WMS and the subsequent return on investment (ROI) from day one. Some benefits included:

• Significant Cost savings due to reduced time spent in searching for an item in the warehouse.
• Associated labor efficiency due to automated and tracked systems.
• Efficient warehouse management as the WMS system directs where the material is put away.
• Efficient management of shipping and freight charges yielding considerable savings.
• Ability to pick different types of orders by using specific wave templates.

Know More

To know more about customization and integration of Oracle WMS system, please contact Dick Kenny at 714-912-9719 or email dkenny@ctrworld.com