This document provides an overview of Oracle Warehouse Management implementation at Lion Apparel, a 100-year-old manufacturer of protective clothing. It discusses the basics of Warehouse Management Systems and key concepts like License Plate Numbers and task processing. The implementation includes other Oracle modules and is undergoing system testing with a planned go-live in March 2004. It notes that the Rules Engine is the core of WMS functionality and drives tasks, material allocation, and other processes, but requires some programming experience. Key learnings include that the WMS functionality is still immature with bugs and missing logical features only available through mobile devices. It also notes that once using WMS, its methods must be followed and significant setup is required.

1. Oracle Warehouse
Management
Dave Herring – Lion Apparel, Inc.
Daveh@lionapparel.com
Brian Pellot – Pelley Consulting, LLC
Bpellot@earthlink.net

2. Overview







Project Status and Background
WMS Basics
LPN Concepts and Processing
Task Processing
Rules Engine
Key Learnings
Wrap-up

3. Background and Project
Status



100 years plus
World’s largest
maker of
protective clothing
Turn-out gear,
helmets, boots ...

4. Background and Project
Status



Implementing OM, Configurator,
Inventory, Quality, BOM, WIP, Cost, AR
and WMS
Starting second round of system testing
Planning to go-live March, 2004

5. WMS Basics




WMS augments other modules’ functionality
(Inv, Shipping, WIP, Quality)
Additional responsibility and set of forms plus
forms from the other modules
Rules engine – Core of WMS functionality
Mobile Web Applications(MWA), Mobile
Supply Chain Apps (MSCA) – Handheld/RF
ready interface

6. WMS Basics - MWA
Mobile Web Applications
•Intended for handheld, RF
devices
•Device Evaluation and
Selection
•Many are portable PCs with
other capabilities
•Easily integrated with flexible
setups in the application

7. WMS Basics - MWA
Transactions entered through a Telnet session
 Receiving/Putaway
 Shipping
 LPN transactions
 Physical/Cycle Counting
 Standard inventory transactions
 WIP Moves and Material Transactions
 Inquiry Screens

8. WMS Basics - MWA
Data can be entered, scanned
or selected.
Think about the amount of
information to be
entered(keyed) through the
handheld.
Subinventory Transfer

9. LPN Concepts and
Processing





License Plate Number – unique identifier for a
group of items/instances
Like a box, crate, truck, basket, pallet, vat,
tank, etc.
LPNs can contain other LPNs, boxes in
boxes, boxes in trucks
Pack, consolidate, unpack
Herring’s law of packing (with regards to
Newton)

10. LPN Concepts and
Processing
Items
Pack
Consolidate
Transfer the
Truck LPN
(one transaction)

11. LPN Concepts and
Processing
Receive the
Truck LPN
(one transaction)
Un-Pack
Un-Pack

12. Task Processing



Tasks are actions performed in the
warehouse. Putaway, pick
Tasks assigned to WH resources (people and
machines)
Rules engine assigns correct task to correct
resources

13. Task Processing
Task List
Pick 2 smiles
Pick 3 circles
Putaway LPN X
Pick 4 bolts
Resources
Joe in a Forklift
Rules Engine
Alice on Foot
Betty in Crane
Task assignment, progress and efficiency can be
directed and monitored through a control board.

14. Task Processing
Control Board used to monitor and manager tasks on the
floor.

15. Rules Engine


Core of WMS is the
Rules Engine
Drives the
functionality

16. Rules Engine
Dave’s first thoughts…
“Rules, we don’t need
no stinking rules”

17. Rules Engine

Uses Rules, Strategies and
Assignments to:





Assign Tasks
Allocate Material to Move Order (pick
waves)
Assign Cost Groups (inventory accounting)
Direct Putaways
Drive label printing

18. Rules Engine

Example Rules



If item to be putaway has a category of Frozen
Goods and is larger than 200lbs, place in
subinventory Bulk Frozen Goods
Pick material for customer X from a Grade A lot
Put internal order receipts in FG subinventories

19. Rules Engine


This is very flexible but can be difficult to
achieve the desired result
Some programming experience is necessary

20. Rules Engine
Example Rule:
These quickly get complex and technical.

21. Key Learnings

WMS is fairly immature



Bugs
Seemingly logical functionality is not
available
Much of the functionality only available
in MWA


LPNs
Pick confirmation by tasks

22. Key Learnings

Once you go WMS, you have to use the
WMS methods.





Cost groups – they have to be used as assigned
through the engine.
Locator Control must be turned on
Pick confirm must be manual and use tasks.
Receiving must be done in MWA
A Lot of Setup


Cartonization
Directed putaway by weight or volume

23. Key Learnings



Rules Engine requires functional and
technical help
Open interfaces do support much of the
functionality for extensions. However,
only briefly documented.
Some features are difficult to implement
since all information must be entered
through MWA

24. Questions
?