Smart WMS + RFID third-party logistics cold chain intelligent warehouse management solution
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Program overview
Through the combination of RFID technology as the center and Smart WMS intelligent warehousing management system, deepen the third-party logistics cold chain warehousing business process, and integrate RFID into the business of identification, tallying, stocking, warehousing and putting, unloading, and moving warehouses. Technology to overcome the severe low temperature, condensation, and complex cold chain storage environment, widely improve efficiency, enhance the accuracy and real-time of data collection, and effectively solve manual operation confusion, inefficiency, untimely inventory reports, and inferior attributes of warehouse goods Warehouse management issues such as clarity, chaotic stacking, and inaccurate inventory. The following case experience accumulated by Tianjin Little Bee and everyone summarizes the solutions for the application of RFID and WMS in the third-party logistics cold chain warehouse management.
Smart WMS + RFID system resource overview
RFID radio frequency identification technology is a typical representative of automatic identification technology, most of which are UHF applications in storage. It has the characteristics of high recognition accuracy, reliable performance, large amount of stored information, and resistance to oil and sewage washing. It is especially suitable for automatic identification requirements in cold-chain logistics storage under low-temperature extreme working environments. The use of RFID tags to replace bar codes and other identification products can be effectively combined with the automated management of paired warehousing, and realize the automatic collection, automatic processing and information reporting of the information of the goods.
RFID technical characteristics and application warehousing advantages analysis
demand analysis
With the vigorous development of e-commerce and economic and trade globalization, the advantages of warehousing and logistics activities, especially third-party logistics, are becoming more and more significant. As the core hub of third-party logistics, warehousing is also undergoing profound changes. How to continuously improve the business operation mode according to the actual situation, increase the response speed and customer satisfaction, etc. have become the proposition of every third-party logistics. Third-party logistics companies have such basic characteristics: individualized services, specialized functions, systematic management, and networked information. The cold chain storage of third-party logistics has special requirements for temperature and humidity, and most of the stored goods are commodities with special attributes such as food, biological products, and medicines.
Difficulties in warehousing management
System goals
The world’s leading companies have applied the latest technology according to the characteristics of their industry sectors. However, in China, especially small and medium-sized enterprises are still using more traditional management methods. In the development of modern information technology, intelligence has unprecedentedly connected people, equipment, and related parties to each other, providing necessary technical conditions for the improvement of warehouse management. Informationization is a key factor for enterprises to promote rapid business growth and improvement.
RFID in-depth cold chain warehouse management
At present, the backwardness and lack of informatization means the lack of an enterprise as a whole, and vice versa. Intelligent warehousing will change the traditional warehousing management methods, realizing quantitative and interconnected facts, and on this basis, we can make smarter judgments and processing, and achieve efficient, accurate and lean management.
The construction of intelligent warehousing should be guided by business needs and problem solving, and mainly achieve the following goals:
Suggest a unique identification, non-contact and efficient automatic identification of the attributes of the warehoused goods;
Efficiently and accurately handle business activities such as warehousing, transfer, etc.,
Manage the accurate attributes and quantity of warehoused goods, and control the quantity and quality;
Realize the network real-time sharing and management of inventory data, and complete report output according to needs;
Establish a visual inventory and accurately locate the storage situation of the warehoused goods;
Establish a unified database to provide a basis for the management of the entire business activities.
system structure
The smart warehouse management system based on RFID technology is based on the combination of current leading information technology and warehousing business. From the technical dimension, it is a set of integrated system, which is the extension and application expansion of the Internet and communication network, and is a highly integrated new generation of information technology. And comprehensive application involves: cloud computing, database technology, data collection, mobile Internet, middleware, etc., which reflect efficiency and accuracy at the business layer, and the application layer more reflects interaction and experience, realizing global, visual, and collaborative management and Insight, acting on workflow and inventory control, to achieve the expected lean warehouse management.
RFID system architecture
Various sensing technologies, such as barcodes, RFID tags, sensors embedded in goods, equipment, etc., can see exactly what is happening and can accurately quantify the changes that have occurred.
The Internet and the mobile Internet link unprecedented methods with various equipment objects, and the integration inside and outside the enterprise has become increasingly close, which has promoted the breadth and depth of collaboration and innovation among stakeholders.
Use huge computer clusters and cloud computing to process, model, predict and analyze massive amounts of data. Maximize the use of information resources, gain unprecedented insights, and make decisions faster and better.
What is a smart warehouse
This will change the traditional warehouse management method, realize the quantification and interconnection of facts, and on this basis, we can make smarter judgments and processing, and realize efficient, accurate and lean management.
Main business process
Combining with the construction of RFID system of one of our third-party logistics cold chain customers, we will explain some RFID application and warehouse management processes. This customer RFID warehouse management application is very representative. Almost all types of RFID devices are used, such as handheld devices, car readers, fixed readers, and various types of RFID tags, covering the entire business process of in and out of the warehouse. At the same time, the business processes adopted by customers with different types of warehouses are also different.
Initialization of cargo information
First of all, it is the binding of the label and the goods. The electronic label is used as the identity mark of the warehoused goods (such as pallet stacking position, carton materials, separate equipment, etc.). Before the label is placed on the goods, the coding of the electronic label and material attribute information are completed. Input and other operations. After the ID information of the tag and the attribute information of the material are associated through the tag issuance management software (card issuer or handheld device) (the specific binding information is subject to the cargo information).
For the process of warehousing, there are many types of warehouses in reference to customer cases, and examples are described in detail.
Semi-automated and flat library
When the goods arrive, the unloading operation is carried out first, and the tying operation is carried out. After the goods are simply packaged with stretch film, a basic cargo unit is formed. Use the RFID handheld device to bind the information of the goods with the ID of the RFID tag on the pallet. The low-level forklift will send the goods to the stocking area, and then the high-level forklift will carry out the shelf work. The reader system on the forklift will read the tag information, and then Put the goods on the shelf according to the storage slip on the tablet computer, read the corresponding RFID tag information of the goods location for binding, and transfer the data to the back-end database through the wireless local area network, and then complete the loading operation of the one-drag goods. The warehousing method of the flat warehouse is to read the RFID tags on the ground through the reader when the goods are bound on the shelf.
RFID storage business process
Fully automated warehouse storage
When the goods arrive, the unloading operation is carried out first, and the tying operation is carried out. After the goods are simply packaged with stretch film, a basic cargo unit is formed. Use the RFID handheld device to bind the information of the goods with the ID of the RFID tag on the pallet. If there are RFID tags on both sides of the length and width, the tags will be operated separately. Then use a forklift to perform operations, and the RFID reader will read the cargo information of the pallet, and the data will be transmitted to the back-end database. Next, the goods are directly placed on the fully automatic inbound device, and the fully automatic inbound device will be sent to the corresponding cargo location.
RFID outbound business process
Features
Regarding the functions of the WMS warehouse management system, combined with our own Smart WMS intelligent warehouse management system professional version, select the extended functions corresponding to the third-party logistics. Smart WMS Professional Edition provides a “free function + extended function + customized function” flexible mode, and can be better integrated with RFID, deep into the customer’s business process, rather than simple warehouse management.
As a customer, you can obtain the management platform and basic business functions for free, and you can choose cost-effective extended function modules according to your needs. At the same time, you can choose custom development and modification according to their unique needs. The free function is the warehouse management business of basic inbound and outbound, transfer, and return. The extended function is based on the characteristics of third-party logistics. There are multiple warehouses, multiple owners, production batch numbers, KPI key performance indicators, business review and quality inspection, and early warning inventory. , Safety inventory, rate management, etc. The customization function Little Bee provides a fast customized development service, and makes full use of the common components and common coefficients of demand assessment to further reduce the total cost of ownership of customers.
Smart WMS extended functions can be selected on demand
Business appointment planning, integration of warehouse resources, coordination operations
Establish the basic information of the supplier and the demand-side business in the system, and plan and manage the inbound and outbound business. The supplier and the demand-side business can log in to the system to make an appointment, or it can be managed by the warehouse. The appointment management coordinates the customer’s inbound and outbound requirements. Effective collaboration with warehouse business management makes the entire business more planned and transparent.
Rich business strategies promote more accurate and fast order fulfillment
The system supports multi-dimensional business management strategies. For example, when outgoing, you can choose first-in-first-out, last-in-first-out, manual selection and other strategies to guide picking staff to take off the shelves. Customers can also customize and choose personalized warehousing strategies, batch number management strategies, early warning strategies, etc. Help e-commerce companies to carry out accurate and efficient order fulfillment to the greatest extent.
Smart WMS system function system
Multi-warehouse, multi-owner management provides centralized management and differentiated services
Multiple warehouses can help you better manage the nationwide warehouse system, and can adapt to the management characteristics of different warehouses, provide unified management and differentiated warehouse management services for different customers, and provide shared private inventory visibility. At the same time, your suppliers and other upstream and downstream partners can manage and query different permissions. Inventory allocation among multiple warehouses, centralized deployment, overall planning of resource management, and construction of a comprehensive warehousing logistics management system.
Intuitive visual management helps managers make quick decisions
The warehouse layout visualization (Lay-Out) function displays the warehouse locations and various functional areas in a scaled form. The storage time of each location is marked with a different color for management. Managers can easily visualize the information of warehouse inventory storage time and warehouse utilization rate. With a mouse click, you can quickly switch to the specific information of the location, and at the same time, you can enter the corresponding query conditions to easily learn the storage location of the goods and the number of goods in the warehouse.
A catalyst for mobile application components to promote work efficiency
Today’s forward-looking enterprises are adopting wireless and mobile applications to accelerate business efficiency. Smart WMS solution components provide a variety of mobile methods, enabling efficient real-time data collection in scan-intensive environments through handheld data terminals. Check inventory and key performance indicators on your mobile phone. Business operations and warehouse operations can be realized at any time, any place, and any time.
Expanded system architecture meets the needs of the company’s continuous growth and development
Smart WMS system has good scalability, constantly updated functions and easier customization of customers, with regard to the individual needs of e-commerce companies, such as: faster order fulfillment, rich picking strategies, and docking with other platforms And other application functions can be expanded and implemented in the system according to the individual needs of customers.
Smart WMS system expansion
RFID hardware integrated installation and debugging
The hardware installation and debugging of RFID needs to seamlessly integrate vehicle-mounted, fixed, and handheld RFID reading devices and tags into the customer’s on-site environment according to the working conditions of the customer’s site. Industrial control, etc., is a highly integrated project. Especially in order to ensure the read rate of RFID technology and reduce the misread rate, a lot of debugging work needs to be done. The following is an explanation based on the tests we have done for customers.
We develop vehicle-mounted, handheld, and fixed specific RFID middleware and Demo application software in accordance with the customer’s warehousing business process. In the software development, we incorporate the intelligent algorithms and filtering mechanisms accumulated by the Smart WMS team of the Little Bee Company on RFID applications. We contacted and selected read-write devices and various types of tags from multiple hardware suppliers, and prepared various accessories for forklifts, automated warehouses, and pallets.
RFID master equipment atlas
RFID equipment, accessories and tags
(1) Main RFID equipment
In the choice of equipment, the main RFID equipment has chosen the world’s top brands, especially the vehicle-mounted RFID vehicle-mounted reader/writer and tablet computer must have anti-vibration and impact capabilities. The main equipment mainly includes: vehicle-mounted RFID readers, handheld RFID readers, fixed RFID readers, and antennas of various specifications.
(2) Main auxiliary equipment and accessories
Due to the needs of forklifts, automated warehouses, and different processes in different warehouses, the requirements for project integration are very high. The requirements for accessories for this project are very high and the quantity is relatively large. In our list, there are as many as two hundred items, mainly including the storage battery on the forklift, the power supply for the tablet and the RFID reader, and the constant current and constant voltage automatic charger for charging the battery because of the high shelf. For forklift operations, we chose the Bluetooth solution for wireless communication.
(3) Various types of electronic tags
Various types of RFID electronic tags are used in different processes of automated, semi-automated, and flat warehouses, and they must be affixed to different positions such as pallets, floors, and shelves. There are labels in PVB, paper, plastic, and ceramic packages. The installation method requires screws, rivets, super glue, cable ties, or double-sided tape.
Integrated installation and commissioning of RFID equipment
In the project, the debugging of RFID hardware equipment is the focus, including the development of RFID middleware and application software, and the debugging of communication methods. The process is mainly equipment installation, scene deployment, testing of different scenes, different types of warehouses, and problems found in the process and solutions. Select some content as follows for readers’ reference:
Integrated installation of RFID equipment
The integrated installation of RFID equipment on forklifts mainly includes vehicle-mounted readers, multiple antennas, tablet computers, power supplies, etc. The aluminum alloy brackets designed and manufactured by us are used to carry all important equipment.
Integrated installation of forklift RFID equipment
Place RFID tags on shelves
After entering the warehouse, the first thing to be done is to place RFID electronic storage tags on the shelves, which must be installed on each layer. According to our experience at different heights, the corresponding reading effect is definitely different.
Place RFID tags on shelves
Testing of various business processes
After the goods are in the warehouse according to the process, first enter the stocking area, and then the forklift loads the goods to read the label, and obtains the location information of the goods from the Smart WMS and displays it on the tablet. Then carry out the shelf operation, scan the goods label first, and then scan the cargo location label. The data is communicated with the database through the wireless network, and the data is compared. After the accuracy is correct, the shelf is completed.
The removal operation is to find the location and the goods according to the task, carry out the scanning operation respectively, and then complete the removal operation. In the middle, it is necessary to adjust the corresponding RFID middleware, parameter settings, and the antenna angle of the antenna reading the pallet tag and the antenna of the shelf tag.
Putting on and off the shelves test
High-bay warehouse high-position forklift integration test
Fixed reader test
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