S&P warehouse software - productive in 10 days - start of a long-term partnership
nobilia Stickling GmbH produces complete kitchens for the German and European market in Verl, Westphalia.
To optimise the logistical processes in the raw materials area, a new automatic pallet warehouse for front parts was created.
S&P Computersysteme GmbH handed over the application software for the warehouse management computer of the then new building based on the customer-specific extended SuPCIS warehouse management modules only 10 days after the contract was awarded. In further construction and expansion stages, SuPCIS-L was gradually used in other logistics areas:
- High-bay warehouse
- Front picking
- Front buffer
- Goods receipt fronts
- Pedestal foot sleeve packaging
- Fitting box warehouse
- Raw board storage
- Worktop storage
- Carcase picking warehouse
Likewise, the ERP originally used was replaced by SAP R/3.
Project goals
- Larger storage capacity with the same area
- Space for larger assortment in order picking
- Reduction of walking distances
- Ergonomically designed workplaces
- Accurate inventory management Space management
- Quality assurance during order picking
- Flexible deployment of staff
- Elimination of search times
- Process-oriented solutions
S&P also supplied all the AutoID equipment needed to operate the warehouse, such as wireless LAN, mobile terminals and scanners.
Nobilia also relies on the support provided by the S&P helpdesk staff when operating the logistics centre and can therefore count on the shortest response times in the event of a malfunction.
Material flow
Material flow and inventory are managed in terms of process organisation:
Front commissioning
- 7-aisle HRL for storing kitchen fronts (2 height classes, 2 area classes)
- Goods receipt based on SAP orders for third-party goods with pallet formation (repacking) in the WMS
- Goods receipt from in-house production fronts based on SAP-related pallet notifications
- Storage via I-point
- Stock confirmation to SAP
- Picking station/ full retrieval station for LVS material requirements
- 2 picking stations for picking the C-fronts in boxes (tray trolleys) transported via EMS
- HRL serves as a replenishment warehouse for A-fronts , which are picked in the picking warehouse FKL
- Picking of the fronts via MDE
Transport of the "complete" boxes into the 2-aisle fully automatic front buffer - Retrieval of full boxes from the front buffer, whenever the pre-assembly line reports an empty box
- Determination of the box in the front buffer depending on the dispatch date and pre-assembly line
Additional management of empty boxes in the front buffer - Manual release of the orders related to the trolley ("boxes")
- Automatic start of the empty boxes after assignment of the "ideal" job
- Consideration of the transport capacity of the EHB
- Consideration of the current picking capacity in the 12 picking areas of the FKL
- Consideration of the filling level of the boxes (no. of order items)
- Consideration of FT pitches for boxes in front of the HRL
- Transport award to EHB with all destinations
- Automatic printing of front slips (pick slips) upon arrival of a box in picking island
- Calling off the backlog (missing parts) in assembly
- Picking of the catch-ups via MDE in the FKL (and in the HRL)
- Management of catch-up movements
Carcase parts picking
- Automatic addition of the carcass stacks to the GR warehouse when the production completion message is issued.
- Transport of the stacks by forklift guidance system from the WE warehouse to the production replenishment warehouse, which is managed on a pallet-by-pallet basis.
- Call-off of the carcase stacks from the production warehouse via MDE (Kanban principle)
- Transport of the goods by forklift guidance system to the assembly station-related production warehouse
- Retrograde debiting of production stocks via SAP
Fitting box warehouse
- One box per "kitchen" is provided with all fittings
- The carton is filled via a fully automatic packaging line with 3 picking lines
- The carton positions determined by the planning computer are transferred from the WMS to the control of the V-system (TCP/IP).
- Allocation to V-plant takes place automatically, taking into account the dispatch date and the loading zone for the sales order items.
- When the filled box is confirmed, a type label is printed (material accompanying document?) and the next order is specified.
Base foot sleeve packaging line
- One bag per "kitchen" is to be filled with socket sleeves
- The bag is filled via a fully automatic packaging machine
- From the WMS, the customer-related picking positions incl. type label files are transferred to the V-system (TCP/IP).
- The type label information is printed directly on the bag
Raw board storage
- Manually operated warehouse with MDE support for the storage of raw chipboards
Worktop storage
- 3-aisle storage for multiple-deep storage of worktop stacks
- Collection of the plates on the basis of SAP orders (repacking)
- Call-off of the panels via production control systems:
- Semi-formats via HPO
Worktops via FLS - The WMS combines the requirements into optimal picking stacks based on the aisles
- Commissioning of the picking robots on the RGBs via LVS
- Confirmation of withdrawals to SAP
- Feedback of missing parts to FLS
Feedback of picked stacks to Beckhoff control station for fully automatic stacking in production
Platform
The logistics control system was realised on an IBM RS/6000 dual computer system with Oracle database.
The connection to SAP R/3 is realised via database interface.
The WSS1040 mobile radio data terminals with ring scanner are connected via the Spectrum24 wireless LAN from Symbol Technologies, just like the
forklift terminals.
Functions
- Permanent inventory in all LVS-managed storage areas
- Extensive information system
- Picking performance recording
Simple complaints processing during production - Complaint processing after delivery
Solutions
- Paperless picking with online feedback
- Integration of the extensive storage and conveyor and packaging technology of a wide range of manufacturers
- Direct interfaces to the production control
- Numerous expansions without affecting operations
