tomization. Upon our review, we did discover several processes that had been changed due to the standard software configuration. In these cases, after lengthy discussions, we determined what we could accept and what needed to be re-programmed. Another step we had to complete was the configuration of the warehouse. That is, determining where product would be situated, to develop the general flow of the warehouse, and select picking strategies. The makeup of a typical customer order consists of mixed products on the same pallet. When building a pallet, we try to put the larger, heavier products on the bottom and smaller, lighter products on top. We also completed an ABC analysis to determine the products that are picked most often. We ended up with a compromise of the two philosophies by moving the heavier, faster moving items closest to the dock doors and then lighter, slower moving product towards the back of the warehouse. Picking slots would be at the floor level of each bay of rack with overstock in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th tiers of the bays. We also labeled each location with a bar code in a way that allowed picking on both sides of the aisles. This guaranteed only one pass down each aisle. We also developed a picking strategy in case the picking location was stocked out, that the system would search and direct the order picker to the next closest pallet of product.Programming and Testing:After the design specifications had been agreed upon and approved by all parties, work rapidly began to implement the design. Interfaces were built and linked between the RF scanning software and SAP R/3 and the SAP WMS module. As work progressed, completed pieces of the system were loaded into a beta test region. Concurrent to this activity, training programs were being developed detailing each step in a particular process. Each training program included written documentation, power point presentations and actual exercises to be used ...
