Warehouse Management System
Designed and implemented a warehouse management system from scratch — replacing unindexed storage and paper-based workflows with structured zoning, ERP-integrated bin management, and mobile data capture.
Standalone project.
The Problem
The existing warehouse had no systematic storage logic. Entire buildings were registered as single locations in the ERP, with item positions stored as free-text data entries. Picking relied on paper lists and staff memory. Inventory counts routinely showed ~55% accuracy, FIFO was not enforced, and the setup could not scale.
The Approach
Layout and indexing
- Zone design
- The new facility was divided into product-group zones, each sized and positioned according to the physical layout constraints. Within each zone, storage slots were assigned using ABC classification and pick-frequency analysis — high-pick items in ergonomic reach zones, bulk and slow-movers in upper or peripheral slots. Pick frequency was chosen over inventory value as the classification driver because the product mix included high-value but slow-moving items that would have dominated prime pick zones without actually reducing travel time.
- Naming convention
- The ERP's storage-location field had a fixed character limit and no native hierarchy support, so a structured location code was designed to encode building, zone, aisle, rack, and vertical level in a compact, scannable format that worked within those constraints while remaining human-readable on a handheld scanner screen. 18 storage locations with 1,717 individually indexed slots replaced the previous free-text system.
ERP integration
- Storage location master data
- Every slot was created as a discrete storage location in the ERP with correct zone assignment, capacity attributes, and product-group restrictions. Goods receipts, internal transfers, and pick processing were reconfigured to require a bin-level location on every transaction — eliminating the possibility of untracked stock movements. Enforcing bin-level granularity on every transaction was non-negotiable because the previous system's accuracy problems stemmed directly from allowing stock to exist in unspecified locations.
Mobile data capture
- Mobile scanner deployment
- Handheld barcode scanners running the ERP vendor's warehouse application were deployed across all logistics workflows — goods receipt, put-away, stock transfer, picking, and inventory counting. Every transaction is captured at the point of action, replacing paper lists and manual ERP entry.
Process design
- Warehouse workflows
- Receiving, put-away, picking, packing, and shipping workflows were redesigned around the new layout and the ERP's transaction model. FIFO enforcement was built into the pick logic. Cycle counting replaced the annual full-inventory shutdown — which had previously taken the warehouse offline for two days and still produced unreliable results. Distributing counts across the year by zone rotation caught discrepancies weeks instead of months after they occurred, and eliminated the operational disruption of a full shutdown.
Architecture
The Result
Inventory accuracy
From ~55% to over 95%
Picking time
~40% reduction in average pick-to-pack time
Scale
18 storage locations, 1,717 indexed slots
FIFO compliance
Fully enforced through ERP pick logic
Adoption
Production since 2016, used by all warehouse staff