WMS for Vertical Storage System

Depending on how you use, or plan to use, your Vertical Lift Module or Vertical Carousel Software with various functionalities may be required to manage your workflow. The type of system used to manage inventory levels and control inventory flows is generally referred to as a WMS (warehouse management system). In this guide, you can read our tips on how to approach selecting software for your Vertical Storage System.

Background on WMS

Since the advent of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, inventory management and logistics have always been among the most critical business processes—alongside procurement, logistics, and finance, among others. In other words, it is quite possible that your ERP system has a “built-in” WMS to some extent. As early as the 1980s, however, many businesses realized they wanted their own, more specialized software to manage their inventory—and that’s when WMS was born. A WMS can include a wide range of features for managing a company’s inventory, but fundamentally, the standard processes a WMS should include at a minimum are as follows:

Goods Receiving
Storage
Picking
Pack
Refill
Inventory
Warehouse Relocations

So what do you need for your Vertical Lift Module and Vertical Carousel?

The range of software requirements for an organization’s use of Vertical Lift Modules and Vertical Carousels can vary from virtually nonexistent to very extensive—it all depends on how and for what purposes they are used. Below, we’ve listed four common levels; perhaps this will help you determine the best way forward.

Level 1 - Manual handling

You manage your balances in your business system, in Excel—or not at all.
You have one or a few Vertical Lift Modules and Vertical Carousels
Space savings are the most important factor for you, not picking efficiency
You have a simple workflow; the Vertical Storage System are primarily used for storage

If this sounds familiar to you, then you don’t need a WMS for your Vertical Lift Modules or Vertical Carousels. In this case, your Vertical Lift Modules can be viewed as a very compact shelving unit. The control system that comes with the Vertical Lift Modules—which allows you to manually select and retrieve trays—is more than sufficient.

Level 2 - Balance verification but no integration with the business system

You need a simple system for managing balances
Space savings are the most important factor for you, not picking efficiency
You don't have long picking lists; mostly just a few items per order
The storage machines are primarily used for storage

If this sounds familiar to you, a simple WMS—the kind often offered by the original manufacturer of the Vertical Lift Modules or Vertical Carousels—will usually suffice. With such a WMS, you can manage balances and handle basic processes, which provides effective balance control, a user-friendly interface, and a straightforward IT environment with low maintenance costs.

Level 3 - Picking Flow and Integration with Business Systems

You need a simple system for putaway and picking in the Vertical Storage System and retrieval systems; inventory management is handled in the enterprise resource planning system.
You have picking orders with many order lines that need to be automatically sent to the warehouse computers.
You have several Vertical Lift Modules or Vertical Carousels where you pick 100–1,000 order lines per day.

If the above description sounds familiar, in most cases the WMS offered by the original manufacturer of the Vertical Lift Modules or Vertical Carousels will still be suitable—though with the addition of connecting it to your business system. In many cases, a simple connection to the business system can be established with relatively few integration messages. If you have the needs described above, it’s important to not only estimate the cost of the software itself, but also to carefully specify the costs associated with implementing it—including integration, configuration, training, and startup support.

Level 4 - High degree of automation

You already have a WMS or a well-developed ERP system that you use for your inventory management
In addition to several Vertical Lift Modules or Vertical Carousels, you have a large manual warehouse and/or other automated equipment such as conveyor belts and packing machines.
You process over 1,000 order lines per day...

If this sounds familiar to you, you’ve likely come a long way in your warehouse management. In this case, there are often advantages to using the WMS or ERP system you already have.
Choosing the right software solution for your Vertical Lift Modules or Vertical Carousels can seem complicated if it’s your first time. Let us help you—we have experience with hundreds of storage machine installations and can help you determine the best option for your specific situation.