The difference between smart logistics and traditional logistics in warehousing

Differences between Smart Logistics and Traditional Logistics in Storage

First of all, explain the relationship between warehousing and logistics.

Warehouse management is a part of logistics management, and it can be said that warehouse management occupies a core position in logistics management. In the process of multi-link logistics circulation, because there are errors in the forecast of demand in each link, with the increase of circulation links, the errors are amplified, and the inventory deviates from the actual final demand more and more, thus bringing about the increase of storage cost and market risk.

The way to solve this problem is to start with the study of reasonable safety inventory, and end with the change of technology and the establishment of centralized distribution center, so as to change the production mode, implement order production, change static inventory management into dynamic JIT distribution, and achieve the purpose of reducing inventory quantity and cycle.

In this process, although warehouses are becoming more and more concentrated, the service scope covered by each warehouse is getting bigger and bigger, the goods handled by warehouses are getting more and more, and the operation is getting more and more complicated, but the storage cycle is getting shorter and shorter, and the trend of decreasing costs has not changed.

Warehousing always appears at the junction of logistics links, such as between purchasing and production, between primary processing and finishing of production, between production and sales, between wholesale and retail, between different modes of transportation and so on. Warehousing is the manifestation of the imbalance in all aspects of logistics, and warehousing is also a means to solve this imbalance.

Second, the difference between smart logistics and traditional logistics in warehousing.

Based on the business model of charging storage fees, the traditional warehousing industry hopes that its warehouses will always be full, which runs counter to the purpose of logistics. At present, it has been proved to be an advanced intelligent logistics, with the responsibility of integrating processes and coordinating upstream and downstream. The less static inventory, the better, and its business model is also based on the assessment of total logistics cost. These two kinds of warehouse management are essentially different in business mode, but it is difficult to distinguish in specific operations such as warehousing, warehousing, sorting and tally.

Third, share some analysis of the specific content of warehouse management.

Generally speaking, the content of warehousing management includes three parts: layout design of warehousing system, optimal inventory control and warehousing operation. This is a three-level problem, which is interrelated.

1. Warehouse system layout is the top-level design and the core of supply chain design. It is through the layout design of the hub that a complex and chaotic logistics system is transformed into a model of "trunk transportation+regional distribution", and the hub is a distribution center based on warehouses.

2. The optimal control part of inventory is to determine the management mode of the warehouse, that is, to determine the management objectives and management mode of the warehouse (according to the requirements of the upper design). If it is the implementation link and cost center in the supply chain, we should take service quality and operating cost as the control objectives and pursue reasonable inventory or even zero inventory.

3. Warehousing operation is the most basic part and the most important part of all WMS. Because of this, the information part of warehousing operation has become a symbol that WMS is different from other management software such as invoicing and ERP. This part of the content should be implemented as a workflow according to the control target and management mode determined by the previous layer, and it should be connected with the automatic control system of many special storage devices, so it is the most complicated part in technology.

Warehouse management system (WMS) is a concrete form of warehouse management informationization, and its functions include purchasing management, inventory management, order management, picking, re-inspection, distribution, radio frequency terminal management, and basic information management of goods and cargo spaces. Through networking and digitalization, the level of library work control and task arrangement can be improved. At present, the well-known brands in the market are Wei Zhi, Fuller, infor and so on.

With the rapid development of science and technology, the new technology represented by RFID is profoundly affecting warehouse management and WMS, and even gestating a "logistics revolution". In logistics, RFID technology can be applied to vehicles, containers, pallets, shelves and other equipment to improve the level of logistics management. At present, the author understands that some enterprises with large warehouses, such as port areas, have tried to apply this technology. Related companies in the market include Aerospace Information Shenzhen Internet of Things Center, Burt's Bee, COSCO and so on. It is conceivable that RFID and commodity bar code of logistics equipment may be a feasible way to explore the application and promotion of RFID in WMS in the future.

Article reference: How does the network transition from traditional warehouse to intelligent warehouse?