Larocque Luc, Sales Executive, Generix Group

How System Integration Across Supply Chain Execution Is a Catalyst for Growth

Each function in a supply chain must work together like a well-oiled machine. Not only does this require systems and technology to work together, but also the processes built around it and the people managing it. Integrating diverse solutions deployed within a supply chain network can maximize data sharing to improve visibility, processes, and overall operational excellence.

Successful supply chain management relies on information and communication in order to track the movement of goods, spot issues, and make effective day-to-day decisions to, ultimately, deliver the right items, to the right customers, on time.
Integration across this ecosystem can yield:

1. Greater efficiency through streamlined and optimized operations.

2. Time and cost savings through productivity improvements, waste reduction, and efficiency increases.

3. Accelerated time-to-market with automated processes, optimized workflows, and the ability to make decisions faster.

4. More flexibility to adapt and change strategies to meet demands or shifts in consumer behavior.

5. Added insights by using advanced analytics on centralized, accessible data.

supply_chain

Often, the types of systems in this ecosystem include:

-Warehouse management systems (WMS)

-Order management systems (OMS)

-Manufacturing execution systems (MES)

-Transportation management systems (TMS)

-Warehouse control systems

-Yard management systems (YMS)

-Enterprise asset management systems (EAM)

-Enterprise resource planning systems (ERP)

A Digital Supply Chain Hub with SOLOCHAIN WMS Integrations

Companies that focus on creating Digital Supply Chain Hub can break down silos of legacy systems and bring processes and data into an integrated and connected ecosystem. SOLOCHAIN WMS transforms warehouse operations to scale for growth with the integration capabilities to support companies, in particular Food and Beverage, digitizing the supply chain processes.

Importance to Food & Beverage Companies

Digitization of supply chain processes is critical to future growth. The SOLOCHAIN WMS ecosystem provides the specific processes and capabilities Food & Beverage Companies require:

-Advanced warehouse functions and manufacturing execution

-Optimized production floor execution and lean manufacturing

-Work-in-process management and tracking

-License plate and container management

-Recipe management and consumption module

-Quality assurance with electronic checklists

-Track and trace capabilities

-Electronic recall capabilities

Built-in MES

As the command center of manufacturing operations, MES enables manufacturers to attain high inventory accuracy, productivity, and waste elimination throughout the manufacturing process. SOLOCHAIN WMS has built-in MES functionality to give businesses visibility and traceability within their supply chain. This integration is ideal for manufacturers and industries with multi-stage manufacturing processes and traceability regulations, like Food and Beverage, that need to connect the warehouse to the production floor and trace raw materials and finished goods forwards and backward.

Warehouse Control System Integration

Warehouse control systems are important to a warehouse’s automation capabilities as it controls and monitors equipment performance. SOLOCHAIN WMS integrates with various warehouse control system components, such as conveyor belts, sorters, scales, pick-to-light systems, carousels, and print and apply stations.

Mobile Hardware Integrations

Mobility is central to efficient warehouse operations. Handheld and mobile devices make it possible for a worker to be mobile within the warehouse, but it also can boost employee morale. By giving and utilizing devices that workers are comfortable with – iPads, touch screens, etc. – work is more enjoyable, and it takes less time to complete tasks. SOLOCHAIN WMS is platform-agnostic and compatible with Apple iOS, Android OS, and Microsoft Windows mobile.

For Cameron’s coffee, using iPads and tablets for production combined with other handheld devices enabled workers to run more production lines, be more mobile, and reduce the need for computers at every station.

ERP Integration

ERP systems support supply chain planning and manage day-to-day business activities, such as procurement, purchasing, risk management, accounting, and more. It is critical for a company’s warehouse management system to share information with its ERP seamlessly. SOLOCHAIN WMS provides out-of-the-box integration with third-party ERP systems to synchronize data and monitor inbound and outbound transactions in real-time.
This integration allows companies to report faster, close month-end sooner, and manage all business processes better.

ERP integrations include:

-SAP

-Oracle Peoplesoft

-Oracle JD Edwards Enterprise One

-Microsoft Dynamic AX

-Microsoft Dynamics Nav

-Microsoft Dynamics GP

-Syspro

-Epicor

-And others as we are ERP agnostic!

TMS Integration

TMS systems can vary. And how companies ship their products is shifting with changing consumer behaviors. Traditionally, large companies would send products LTL using freight brokers. With eCommerce and omni-channel distribution taking priority, there is a movement toward using small package courier systems. SOLOCHAIN WMS integrates with a variety of TMS systems.

SOLOCHAIN can further optimize warehouse processes, such as picking strategies, based on information exchange with the TMS through this integration.

Manufacturer Blue Streak Electronics doubled output capacity and expanded to eCommerce channels using SOLOCHAIN WMS and a TMS, ProShip, for small parcel shipping.

Read more about how four companies used SOLOCHAIN WMS and integrations to digitize their supply chain processes, transform operations, and facilitate growth.

Generix Group North America provides a series of solutions within our Supply Chain Hub product suite to create efficiencies across an entire supply chain. Our solutions are in use around the world, and our experience is second-to-none. We invite you to contact us to learn more.

This article originally appeared here. Republished with permission.

In the wake of the pandemic, many manufacturers are aggressively pursuing new supply chain technology deployment. Decisions and deployments that would have taken years in the past were suddenly rolled out in months as personnel began working from home and consumers moved their shopping online. Many of these technology initiatives are covered by the concept of digital transformation or Industry 4.0.

Supply chain technology deployment themes

Three key themes stand out as we survey the new supply chain technology deployment landscape:

-Connectivity

-Intelligence

-Automation

Let’s explore each of them one at a time.

Connectivity

Technologies that support the ability to get the right information to the right decision-maker in the supply chain at the right time include 5G connectivity, with its promise of ultra-reliable communications and low latency; cloud-based applications that knit together various business systems; and Internet-enabled sensors on production equipment that capture data about the operating state.

5G is set to become a key enabler of smart supply chain initiatives as its features provide manufacturers the opportunity to introduce or enhance a variety of real-time and highly reliable applications. As McKinsey & Co. write, “If 5G consistently meets its performance promises, [programmable logic controllers] could be virtualized in the cloud, enabling machines to be controlled wirelessly in real-time at a fraction of the current cost.” In addition, “5G speeds up the decision-cycle time, allowing massive amounts of data to be ingested, processed, and actioned in near real-time.”

Intelligence

AI-powered analytics, leveraging the wealth of data generated by operations, enable quality control, predictive maintenance, and supply chain optimization. In recent years, all manner of cloud-based applications for enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing execution systems, and warehouse management systems have been imbued with artificial intelligence and analytics capabilities, enabling them to make smart predictions about future needs for raw materials, work-in-progress goods, and demand for final products.

Leveraging the previous thread about 5G connectivity and IoT sensors deployed at scale, the addition of artificial intelligence and analytics enables manufacturers to execute on the vision of the smart factory and the intelligent supply chain.

As an enabling technology, artificial intelligence also provides the foundation for autonomous planning; this is predicated on internal data as well as external data from suppliers, customers, demographics, and broader economic indicators.

Automation

As IndustryWeek notes, in the wake of the pandemic, “automation will be a key component of the effort to revive domestic manufacturing … advances in automation and robotics have drastically increased productivity across a number of manufacturing processes.”

In addition to robotics, automation depends upon access to real-time data to enable process automation, supervision, and remote control. Real-time data collection along the supply chain at scale is made possible by the widespread use of digital sensors (IoT) and low latency 5G connections.

As McKinsey and Co. write, “automated equipment-monitoring and process-control systems can bolster the continuity of operations, even with skeletal crews. These systems can further optimize operating-equipment and process parameters, increasing overall equipment efficiency for reduced cycle times and higher yield, quality, energy, and throughput.”

Ultimately, McKinsey & Co. write that what we see is, “a complete consolidation of devices and process management. ‘Process and device’ will be inseparable; physical things become part of the process. What this means for the plant is that machines and workflows merge to become a single entity. The workflow ceases to exist as an independent logistical layer; it is integrated into the hardware⁴.”

Conclusion

Supply chain experts agree that the new normal, this post-pandemic world, is here to stay. In response, manufacturers and their suppliers have undertaken several initiatives, such as integrating warehouse management systems into their warehouses, to meet the challenges brought about by Covid-19. With many initiatives accomplished in record time, supply chain participants have enabled new supply chain resiliency.

As McKinsey & Co. notes, “players utilizing digital solutions are better positioned to weather the storm, having moved faster and further than their peers during the crisis. As companies think about restoring operations and building the muscle to deal with future crises, using digital technologies will be top of mind for many.”

Generix Group North America provides a series of solutions within our Supply Chain Hub product suite to create efficiencies across an entire supply chain. Our solutions are in use around the world and our experience is second-to-none. We invite you to reach out to us here to learn more.

This article originally appeared on here. Republished with permission.

Growing Food & Beverage Companies Through WMS System Integration