SuPCIS-L8 Warehouse Management Software: Optimal Logistics Solutions for nobilia Stickling GmbH

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. To optimize the logistical processes in the raw materials area, a new automatic pallet warehouse for front parts was created.

Only 10 days after the order was placed, 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. In further construction and extension stages SuPCIS-L8 was gradually used in further 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

1. larger storage capacity for the same area
2. Space for larger assortment in order picking
3. Reduction of walking distances
4. ergonomically designed workstations
5. Accurate inventory management of space management
6. Quality assurance during order picking
7. Flexible deployment of personnel
8. Elimination of search times
9. process-oriented solutions

S&P also supplied all the auto-ID equipment needed to operate the warehouse, such as wireless LAN, mobile terminals and scanners.

Nobilia also relies on the support provided by S&P helpdesk personnel during the operation of the logistics center and can therefore count on the shortest response times in the event of a malfunction.

‍Materialflow and inventory are managed in terms of process organization.

Front commissioning

• 7-aisle HRL (high-bay warehouse) 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 stock removal 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 shipping 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 (display of order position)
• 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) when a box arrives at the 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 goods receipt warehouse in the production completion message
• Transport of the stacks by forklift control system from the goods-in 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 stock

• one box with all fittings is provided per kitchen
• 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 LVS to the control of the V-system (TCP/IP)
• Assignment to V-plant is done automatically taking into account the shipping date and the loading zone for the sales order items
• with confirmation of the filled carton, a type label is printed (material accompanying document?) and the next order is specified

Pedestal foot sleeves packing line

• one bag per kitchen is to be filled with plinth 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 storage of raw particle boards

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 plates via production control systems: Semi-formats via HPO and worktops via FLS
• from the WMS, the requirements are combined into optimal picking stacks based on the aisles
• Commissioning of the picking robots on the RBGs 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 implemented on an IBM RS/6000 dual computer system with Oracle database. The connection to SAP R/3 is realized via database interface. The WSS1040 mobile radio data terminals with ring scanner are connected via the Spectrum24 wireless LAN from Symbol Technologies, as are the forklift terminals.

Functions

• permanent inventory in all warehouse areas managed by LVS
• comprehensive information system
• Picking performance recording
• Simple complaint processing during production
• Complaint processing after delivery

Solutions

• Paperless picking with online feedbacks
• Integration of the extensive storage and conveyor and packaging technology of a wide range of manufacturers
• Direct interfaces to the production control system
• Numerous expansions without affecting operations