You need to keep up with it because it will help you maintain your warehouse as a well-organized business asset.

Material handling automation has made it easier for manufacturers to manage and use the desired level of right material or raw goods at the right time.Conventional Vs. Modern Material Handling Systems:Materials handling can be simply defined as the movement and stocking of raw goods from storage locations to the point of use – manufacturing process.

Now, this all depends on the nature and scale of your business.In previously used, material handling systems raw goods were usually managed as single units and that also in a discontinuous manner and without proper tracking.

This often led to inefficiencies and inaccuracies both in warehouse management and thereby in production planning and execution.

The early material handling methods involved three stages including, material collection, manufacturing process and product delivery.

Raw and finished goods are usually moved from their native sites to the shop floor and logistics unit through the cranes, conveyor belts and other equipment.

Demarcation:Material handling equipment is the term specifically used for the machine tools and equipment used for controlling, storing, protecting, moving, lifting, shipping, and transporting the products and goods during the whole supply chain process cycle.

All the phases of manufacturing, development, shipment, disposal, deployment, and consumption in the Material Handling System do require some sort of material handling equipment.Classification of Material handling equipment:Material handling equipment is of various kinds and forms.

Based on their utility domains all the equipment are classified into the following 5 basic sorts of categories:• Storage EquipmentAll the material handling equipment that is solely used for protecting and storing the goods and products developed falls under this particular category.• Unit Load Formation EquipmentEvery kind of equipment that facilitates the division, classification, and manufacturing of the products, they are collectively classified as unit load formation equipment.• Positioning EquipmentThe tools and equipment that are used for positioning the product while production and handling other material equipment in their workplaces are classified under positioning equipment.• Lifting EquipmentAll the tools and machines that are required to lift up the heavy loads of goods during production, transportation, and deployment, are gathered under lifting equipment.• Transporting EquipmentAll the equipment classified under the tag of transporting equipment are responsible for the shipment and moving the goods within the warehouse and even outside for disposal and delivery,Importance of Material Handling Equipment:Material handling equipment including the small tools to the gigantic automated machines has revolutionized the whole process of product development life cycle, from manufacturing till disposal and consumption.

Due to the material handling equipment, the efficiency and productivity of the whole supply chain management workflow have been increased 10 thousand times when compared with the work that was done without tools in the past.Types of Material handling equipment:Based on the specified utility in their own particular domain the material handling equipment are divided into the following 4 basic types:1.

Material Handling industrial trucksEngineered Systems:All the automated equipment i.e.

machines and tools that follow a defined set of instructions given to them and perform their tasks as they are designed and programmed to do, all fall under the engineered systems.

There are hundreds of various kinds of warehouse control software deployed all around the globe in almost all kinds of organizations that involve some sort of warehouse for keeping up with their supply chain and logistics needs.

An organization based on its size and overall functionality needs to choose from the bunch of available warehouse control software available in the market.Quality warehouse control software that needs to be efficient in all ways and needs to check to mark some of the quality standards that are overall common among all kinds of material handling systems deployed.

The basic functionality includes the monitoring of the automation systems working in the warehouse-like the machinery etc.

and the other important feature to look for is the ability to work in coordination with other management software working and play a vital role as a bridge among the high and low-level domains.Warehouse Control System ProcessThe warehouse control system process has some particular steps that need to be followed accordingly and a hierarchy to achieve the desired result.Following are the important steps and their particular working inside a warehouse control system process.Planning:This is the first and most important phase of the whole warehouse control system process.

Full-fledged working warehouse control software should possess such programming algorithms that can do the automated planning, to enhance the working flow of the whole warehouse and other concerned departments coordinating with it.Automation:After everything is planned, the next important step is initializing the automation process.

Automation here does not only refer to the machinery and tools but the work done via human resources and commands given to them needs to be generated automatically as per the need of the logistics that have the warehouse control.The warehouse control system automating the functionality of the warehouse is the need of the hour.

A warehouse control system is an important part of the complete material handling system that incorporates the whole supply chain management cycle.

A warehouse control system is a full-fledged software that helps in the automation of the process from manufacturing, storekeeping, inventory management to dispatch and disposal.A full-fledged warehouse control system works as a bridge between the warehouse facilities and the disposal system.

A particular product stored in a warehouse after the production and testing are then sent to the distribution center for delivery.

A warehouse control system is not only responsible for just managing the data and stuff included and relating to the warehouse only but it also has to deal with almost every domain residing inside the supply chain logistics process.How Does A Warehouse Control System Work?A warehouse control system as discussed earlier works as a bridge between the warehouse management software and the good distribution system.

These laws or rules could be relating to the human resource working inside the warehouse, the machinery installed for the automation process and even the delivery process technical graph is monitored and handled by a warehouse control system.

It is a software system installed to gain control over the automation within and activities being performed outside the warehouse.Functions of Warehouse Control SystemThe main function and responsibility of a warehouse control software are to monitor all the actions and things going around in the warehouse and to ensure the achievement of set standards and protocols.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have established a pattern of congestion that practically every sector of the international supply chain predicts will endure at least through the summer — and maybe longer — if second-half volumes do not decline.According to industry insiders, recent figures on trucker wait times, container stay times, the number of ships in the harbor, and chassis availability have all plateaued, indicating that things aren’t improving significantly but aren’t getting much worse either.

Several executives from ports, ocean carriers, intermodal equipment providers (IEPs), non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOs), third-party logistics providers (3PLs), terminal operators, waterfront employers, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) have met and discussed the issues multiple times.Material handling systems optimized connections, effective technology, good information sharing, and simplified infrastructure are all essential components of a successful supply chain.

Although there are many things that businesses can do to avoid delays and maintain accuracy in their own shipping, receiving, and transportation infrastructure, one important area that can be difficult to manage is ports.Why Is There Congestion on the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach?The elements below depict the impact of record imports and port congestion in Southern California.Operational IssuesThere is still a chassis shortageThe chassis rental system requires more time and moves per delivery, further reducing daily dray capacityNew Clean Air program requirements have reduced the number of available trucksDriver compensation has been reduced due to congestion, making hiring additional drivers difficult Lines at the port, on the train, and at the pickup points for chassisCarrier Issues• A 5% increase in volume due to larger vessels arriving with more cargo to load/unload at onceConfusion about where to pick up and deliver containers due to alliances delivering freight on terminals throughout the portDespite the coalition’s efforts to reduce the amount of ships, they prefer to arrive all at once rather than over the course of a weekTerminal IssuesThe union is not providing enough crews to efficiently manage the larger vessels Worker productivity in terms of containers handled per hour has reduced dramatically Restricted gate hoursThe union is fighting automation of port tasks because it threatens worker jobsThe union is conducting additional safety checks on vehicles and chassis arriving at the port, which slows down the operation even furtherSteps to Take to Mitigate Port CongestionTo restore West Coast port efficiency, four major steps must be taken:The issue of labor must be resolved.A chassis “gray pool” must be constructed.To enhance overall unloading/loading volume, the port must enhance dockside capacity.To transport vehicles through gates at a faster rate, automation must be used at all chokepoints.This congestion can be mitigated by accurate inventory management.

Inventory tracking and stock control allow you to readily notice sales trends, track recalled products, and track expiration dates.Planning for Seamless TransportationTo eliminate duplication and inefficiency, profile your company’s global carriage activities across distinct trade lanes and strategic business units.

For West Coast port owners and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, 2008 is a new contract year.The Impact of Supply Chain Management on the Port CongestionWithin global supply chains and global manufacturing networks, seaports serve as platforms.

As global trade patterns, consumer preferences, and improvements in supply chain management, material handling equipment and information technology alter, these supply networks become more dynamic.

The process of supply chain management (SCM) is an essential aspect of business management.

Inefficiencies in supply chain processes cause problems in the supply chain network (SCN), which can influence profits at a variety of key points in supply chain operations.

Supply chain administrators are in charge of ensuring that it gets to the end user as easily and effectively as possible.In this article, we’ll look at supply chain processes that can be significantly enhanced and accelerated with the right tech tools to improve distribution.

WCS also helps to drive an array of automated fulfillment technologies such as Goods to Person (GTP), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and paperless picking technologies (Pick to Light).Set A StandardAny supply chain strategy’s effectiveness hinges on process standardization.

This will help ensure orders are consistently prioritized and delivered on time, to the right place, and to the right customer.Cost AwarenessWith supply chain management, there are several uncontrollable factors and variables.

This would promote cost-related collaboration as well as cost-cutting and process-streamlining initiatives.Obtain Data IntelligenceYour supply chain plan relies on reliable and timely data and knowledge to make decisions.

A Warehouse Management System is a software solution that is used by companies and businesses dealing with logistics and supply chain operations.

A good WMS with professional-level functionality enables the warehouse managers and other authoritative persons to optimize all the processes in and out of the warehouse to enhance the efficacy and maximize the productivity of the company.The warehouse management Software has numerous benefits and a gigantically influential impact that helps in speeding up all the processes and making the workflow totally unstoppable and hurdle-free.Top 8 benefits of Warehouse Management System· Enhancing Asset UtilizationEnhancing asset utilization refers to the optimization of resources like machines and software used in all the phases of the product development life cycle.

All the progress and success of a product or service is directly proportional to the working of human resources including both white and blue-collar officials.

WMS enables the higher cadre to monitor the performance of the labor deployed inside the warehouse and in other domains as well so that they can take effective measures to improve their performances.· Maximization of ProductivityWMS helps in locating and removing all the hurdles in the supply chain management process and enables the higher management to make full use of optimized solutions to make the workflow more smooth and productive.

Productivity is enhanced by concentrating on small attributes of all the systems and process interlinked, and that’s what WMS do manages and optimizes all of them collectively.· Increased SecurityWith the ability in-depth monitoring and evaluation a WMS does not only provide the warehouse managers with extra eyes to be aware of the happenings in the warehouse and its surroundings but also enhances the overall security system of a warehouse.

As all the data and every minute detail are being stored and managed inside a WMS so there is no need to worry about the security of the stock and inventory present inside the warehouse.· Reduction in the CostAnother vital benefit of having a quality WMS deployed in the warehouse is its immense ability in cost reduction.

Storage Assist Tools for Material Handling for Warehouse Management SystemStorage Cabinets have a certain appeal to one and all, for good reason.

In a better warehouse management system, you can outfit an ERP solutions system with your warehousing necessities.

But in an office setting, you can outfit a storage closet with your ERP needs.

A company’s ERP must be stored somewhere in order for the system to function.

Those companies that use legacy systems and have outsourced storage to an outside vendor will need a solution for electronic storage solutions.Automation and Integration of Businesses with Best ERP SolutionsThe problems that plague best ERP systems that are stored on tape or physical media are numerous and include issues such as re-formatting all your files.

This occurs when you move offices or losing files if the system loses power or electrical connection.

Latest technology trends tend to change so rapidly that when one starts to adapt to the change that occurred by the recent technology, that particular thing is no longer desirable and is replaced by something new that is more efficient and productive.

Similarly, the material handling system and the whole supply chain workflow system are being introduced with the latest technologies on and off.

These technologies help in increasing productivity and enhance the potential of logistics to reach the next level of excellence.Below we will see some of the latest trends and material handling technologies and will get to know how they are making an impact on the modern logistics and supply chain management system.Advanced RoboticsThe coolest thing ever imagined was living with robots and making them work for us.

It seemed to be unrealistic at the beginning but slowly the concept was normalized but still considered to ...... take a lot of time to achieve something worth mentioning.

As in manufacturing, the use of robots in material handling will free humans from performing routine tasks and bring greater speed and accuracy to repetitive tasks, supporting the ultimate goal of reducing material handling costs.IoT (Internet of Things)Internet of things is one of the most sorts after technology trends from the past couple of years and has become a game-changer already when it comes to sensor technology, connectivity, and communication.

No matter if there are more than one warehouse or production plants, no matter wherever they are located on the map, IoT helps to link up all the segments so that they can be monitor and operated from one place that might be head office or headquarters.Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence is that particular technology that helped to bridge the gap between semi-automated material handling systems and fully automated material handling solutions.

What is Material Handling?Material handling is a series of operations that help in the movement, protection, repository, and control of products.

Keeping in mind, it suffices to say that material handling holds tremendous influence in logistics and productive supply chain management.Over time, material handling technology has advanced, and now industries have loads of options to choose from to store, process, and deliver products.This advancement has resulted in improved productivity in warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing plants.Various types of material handling equipment include:Storage handling equipment.Engineered systems.Industrial trucks.Bulk Material Handling Equipment.Above mentioned equipment work by storing, moving, and handling goods.

Some of these systems use material handling software that uses technology such as robotic delivery systems and conveyor belts that are programmed to work without human intervention, thus reducing the workload on staff.Reduced need for human involvement means a lower risk of theft, damage, and spoilage of material that the workers may do.

Also, it saves the company cost of human labor.

Human labor in few companies is still used for the packaging process, though.It also means that more goods are stored in a more standardized manner, meaning it’s more convenient to select and pack inventory for shipments.An organized and competent Material handling System requires efficiently designed software paired with appropriate machinery to handle, pack and organize goods when a shipment arrives.Automated tools work better as they improve material handling and efficiency brought by the computer-controlled system.A Warehouse Management System is also essential as it gives insight into the entire Warehouse operations.While setting an effective Material Handling system, some of the things that are considered over the planning, space, work, environmental, and other such principlesThe food and beverage chain differs significantly from other chains of supply such as pharmaceutical and automotive.Handling food items is more complicated and demands more time since food items require extra care, making sure they’re being stored at the right temperature and adequately sealed.

Thus, food items call for special facilities and tools for handling and transportation.Typically racks or shelves are used to store products in times of downtime or material when not in use.

We often think of how these warehouses and factories have well-organized product management systems?The diverse process of transportation, controlling, storing, loading, and unloading smallest to most complex products fall under the general structure of a ‘material handling systems.’ This manifolds equipment, tools, vehicles, storage units, and appliances to run the entire system.Use of Material Handling Equipment :Material handling equipment has a broad usage scope in production houses like industries and warehouses.

These play a vital role in the crucial tasks of lifting and transporting heavy materials.

Apprehension of all the complex techniques is difficult, but the four broad equipment types areBulk product handling equipmentStorage and handling equipmentEngineered systemsIndustrial material trucksApplication of Material Handling Equipment :Each category has a diverse range of equipment with helpful functionality.

These are long buildings that carry and elevate out of the container when sent for processing.Stackers piles up stock, moving between two points or aisles.

These also includeStacking frames in the warehouse helps safely crush products such as liquid containers to be secured without damage.Bins are used to stock material when not in use.

It is adjusted according to the material dimension.Mezzanines help create more elevated floors in a warehouse to provide additional storage for a brief time.Pallet racks help explicitly to store product vertically which consume less space.

Material handling automation referrers to the phenomena of moving heavy products into and out to the different domains in a supply chain management workflow atmosphere.

In other words, we can say that reducing the requirement of manpower and human workers in the manufacturing and moving of the products is termed as material handling automation.Various types of material handling methods and techniques have been used worldwide by different companies and organizations to fulfill their supply chain needs.

Most of the large-scale businesses and companies have switched to the material handling automation system in the recent past and many more are shifting every passing day.This dramatic shift in the material handling approach is due to the benefits of material handling automation and various advantages of material handling automation over the regular orthodox approaches used in the past.

The three common types of material handling system approach used all around the globe include the following:Manual Material HandlingThe manual material handling approach includes all the heavy working and lifting either it is in the manufacturing department or shipment phase, everything is done and controlled by the human laborers working in shifts.

Still, most of the small-scale industries completely rely on manual material handling systems as in such industries there is no heavy product lifting and movement is involved and everything can be easily catered by the human workers on their own.

Many companies and industry does not want to leave the material handling just due to lack of establishment of the trust factor on the machines developed for such purpose and moreover being old school.

An Inventory Management Software refers to the system that enables a company to meet its supply chain management process goals assisting in tracking the orders, sales, managing deliveries, tracking inventories, etc.Every business involved in the supply chain process usually has to go for inventory management software to maximize their productivity and maximize efficiency.

There are basically two types of Inventory management software to choose from other than few customized solutions being provided by some material handling solutions providers like MWI.Salient Features:Some prominent and common features that are a must in every kind of inventory management software system are listed down below:Asset TrackingProducts stored in the warehouse as inventories or on their way to the shipping destinations can be classified and tracked via their barcodes or special serial number assigned to them after being manufactured.Product IdentificationRadio frequency identification tags are used for identifying a product and sorting out a particular product from the whole inventory.

Various other wireless identification methods are also used for this purpose by inventory management software.Service ManagementApart from being useful in terms of physical goods and products, an inventory management system can also be used by firms that are providing services as their products.

There is a whole separate module for catering to such needs of a particular firm.Inventory OptimizationIt helps in optimizing the whole inventory managing process by automated forecasting algorithms to gain the maximum quality metrics.Reorder PointA company cannot run out of products with the ability of inventory management software to keep a record of products so that they can be immediately prepared to meet the selling curve.Types of Inventory Management Software:ERP Inventory Management SoftwareCloud Inventory Management SoftwareAdvantages of ERP Inventory Management System:Enhanced EfficacyIt automates most of the tasks and jobs inside a warehouse that maximize the productivity of the whole supply chain process.Cost-effectiveIt helps in cutting costs from extra deployed workforce labor and even machinery that is of no use despite its presence and cost.Data HandlingEnable a firm to deal with real-time data and manipulate it according to usage.

It enables monitoring and accessing data graphs from multiple devices at the same time.Trends insightFuture forecasting and trend analysis are made so easy with an attractive graphical representation of data and are optimized too accordingly.Data SecurityA good inventory management system helps in securing important data from leaking out and even prevents various kinds of data loss.Warehouse OrganizationIt is responsible for all the tasks carried out inside a warehouse directly or indirectly related to the inventory, workforce, and others.Disadvantages of ERP Inventory Management System:ComplexityERP systems are complex in nature and are hard to handle sometimes.

One needs to efficient and professional to deal with them.Hard to debugERP systems are hard to debug due to their complex coding and interlinked algorithms coordinating together at the same time.Hardware IssuesOften has to face hardware breakdown and failures that cause the whole system to halt and working is affected for some time.Benefits of Cloud Inventory Management System:Live Tracking InventoryNo Hardware ExpenseNo Hardware FailureEasy MaintenanceEnhanced EfficacyEnhanced Control and CoordinationThe downside of Cloud Inventory Management System:Difficulty in IntegrationLess FlexibilitySecurity and Privacy IssueDependencyHow MWI resolve it for you?MWI Solutions got your back when it comes to choosing a suitable inventory management system for your business.

In this competitive environment, starting a company is stressful, time-consuming, and difficult.

Several factors combine to aid in the selection of the right inventory management tools.This guide will assist you in determining your business needs and selecting the appropriate software for the success of your business.What Factors to Consider When Selecting A Warehouse Management SoftwareYou must choose the right warehouse management software to get the best out of it.

A successful warehouse management software allows you to keep track of all of your inventory, including raw materials and finished goods.

It also includes functions for forecasting inventory levels in order to best support customers.Barcode scanning capabilities are included in successful inventory applications to eliminate data entry errors and provide automation.

The most critical consideration is whether the program is flexible and integrates seamlessly with other systems, such as accounting software.Is Inventory & Warehouse Control System Important to A Business’s Success?Inventory is classified as an asset and is reported on a company’s balance sheet as such.

As part of their enforcement activities, companies must demonstrate well-documented, well-understood, and well-controlled supply chain processes.

With the advent of a new and more efficient form of energy and the whole World facing a 360-degree paradigm shift due to climate change and various other factors, the material handling and its solutions too are getting slight touches of improvisation.

This is the question that has been bothering supply chain experts and material handling researchers from all around the globe.

The biggest goal to achieve is to find new resources of renewable forms of energy that could replace the traditional modes of energy that are harmful and are negatively impacting the whole world.

Other problems relating to the existing energy means apart from their bad impact on the climate is their storage.

Storing the energy coming out of any form is the most difficult task that eliminates the future use of such energy resources due to the lack of reliability and dependability.Material handling solutions being part of the logistics and supply chain process is the core valued system that requires energy to execute the product life cycle from manufacturing, storage, and dispatch.

As the modern technology solutions kept on adding and the competitive advantage is to adopt such modern changes at first, many organizations were not able to improvise.