WMS: Warehouse Management
Built in warehouse management system (WMS) with stock instance tracking
Last updated
Built in warehouse management system (WMS) with stock instance tracking
Last updated
The Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software to model, track and manipulate the physical properties of your warehouse(s), specifically:
physical stock i.e the location, quantity, lot or serial number, status.
physical locations, i.e warehouse, bin, pallet or skid, storage parameters, i.e. receive to, pick to, quarantine, reserved for SKU or Sales Order.
physical actions and workflows, i.e. pick, pack, ship, putaway, transfer.
Every SKU in the warehouse is modelled as an Instance - See Stock instance tracking.
The WMS has four key functions:
Warehouse manager ‘console’
Barcode Reader application (Android)
Stock Manager
General Ledger communication and housekeeping
Products/Services>Sites>+
The Site address will be the receiving address for Purchase Orders and RMAs.
The Warehouse 'Name' should be as short as possible so it comfortable fits in the Line Item Columns on Purchasing and Sales Documents.
'Stock is not owned' when checked means the stock will not be included in Free or On hand stock indicators.
Users can login to the WMS console from wms.salesorder.com
Each warehouse has its own independent Warehouse manager ‘console’. This screen gives the user access to a single screen with 11 different perspectives (tabs) of a single warehouse.
Each screen is divided into panes. Each pane has specific user controls that enable users to perform actions in context with the Tab and the Pane.
| Perspective (Tab) | Purpose |
|---|---|
Stock View: | View the instance of each stock item, how many are in stock and in which location(s) they are stored. |
Goods In: | View, manage and track the receipt of Purchase Orders |
Goods Out: | View, manage and track the progress of orders in the pick, pack and ship workflows |
Shipping: | View, manage and track the shipping workflows, including shipping vendor methods, rates, and label printing |
Pallets: | View Pallets and their contents |
Kits and Assemblies: | View, manage, build and track kits and assemblies |
Stock Actions: | Move, adjust, transfer stock. Load Pallets |
Stock Count | Manage and track a stock count |
Locations: | Add and configure Locations, Print Barcodes for Locations, Designate Locations for specific Items. View Locations and the Items stored in them. |
History: | View a history of Stock actions, and who did what when. |
Admin: | Add Barcode reader users, configure their access permissions and list registered Barcode devices. |
Config: | Configure scan workflows, specify packaging and its respective identifiers. Configure printers. Add EasyPost shipping. |
Android devices can download the Barcode reader App. The app has these functions:
Register: | Register the device in a specific warehouse |
Login: | Access the warehouse |
Goods In: | View and receive Purchase Orders |
Goods Out: | View Pick and Pack Sales Orders |
Move/Putaway Stock: | Move Stock within the Warehouse |
Pallets: | Create and Load Pallets |
Stock Count: | Create and action a Stock Count |
Find Stock: | Locate Items |
Stock Adjustment: | Adjust the physical quantity of Stock. The stock financial value is adjusted in the WMS. |
Logout: | Leave the warehouse |
All workflows can be configured and extended. New workflows can be added.
The Stock manager in the main Salesorder App keeps track of all Stock Instances. Users can find and view the properties (data) in individual stock instances.
Because the Stock Manager tracks which Purchase Order the stock was acquired and received on, and the Sales Order it was sold on, it is specifically useful for tracing Stock in the event of a recall, warranty claim, etc.
There are three warehouse actions that can affect stock value in the General Ledger:
The Item Receipt is an accounting Document to record the arrival of stock in the General Ledger. The Item Receipt changes the appropriate Stock asset and Liability accounts. When the stock is received in the Warehouse, the WMS updates the physical quantity.
The corresponding update of the balance sheet can only be performed by the creation of a symmetrical Item Receipt. Whether or not this is done simultaneously or separately is an accounting policy decision and configurable in the ‘Config’ section of the Warehouse management console.
See Item Receipt
Users can adjust the stock quantity in the Warehouse management console or from the Barcode application. The Balance sheet value in the Stock Asset account is not affected. The corresponding stock adjustment is recorded in Salesorder’s accounting (Doc Ref# SAnnn). The appropriate value adjustment can be made by the user by editing this transaction record.
See Stock Adjustment
When the Shipment status is changed to 'Shipped' a transaction credits the Stock Asset account and debits the COGS (Cost of Goods Sold). The balance posted is derived from the average cost of the commensurate Items.
