WMS video documentation for the highest security and maximum transparency in the warehouse

All movements at a glance

You have to break an egg to make an omelet – this is also valid for warehouse logistics: where there are a lot of movements within and out of the warehouse, there are also damages, quantity discrepancies, faulty loadings or theft.  This causes comprehensive financial damage. High costs for compensation – like replacement and reclamation – as well as investigation put even more pressure on the affected enterprises.

In case of damage, the exact cause analysis is the main problem, as a visual tracing of goods movements in the warehouse is impossible in most cases. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) maintain, organize and manage those processes. The actual, physical goods handling, however, could not yet be represented. The new WMS module for video documentation, which guarantees a permanent visual tracing of all goods movements in the warehouse, is in the focus of this article.

Connection to LFS

For LFS 400 – the warehouse management system of the Ehrhardt + Partner group - a software module has been developed which allows the permanent visual documentation of warehousing processes in combination with appropriate video hardware. This is independent from a pallet, a carton or single items being moved - LFS 400 automatically connects the data of the material flow, like for instance order number, processing time, storage location and barcodes, with the recorded video material of the warehouse cameras. Whenever goods are moved, the system synchronizes and saves the process data with the according video records. The result is a video archive which reliably guarantees the permanent tracing of all warehouse processes and movements. By entering a process number, the relevant video material of the according storage location and the goods movements can be called, analyzed and sent per e-mail within a few seconds. While tracing goods handling is impossible without a video system, or only with a high effort, the new E+P solution guarantees a fast data access and an accordingly short reaction time. This significantly reduces the time and personnel effort which is required for investigation in case of damage.

Optimization potential

In case of reclamation, damage or “shrinkage“, the video documentation allows a perfect evidence of damage. Unjustified equalization claims without evidence in the range of goodwill could be avoided or, at least, be reduced – this is also valid for shipment losses and consequential costs. Another advantage of the new solution: it contributes to the detection of theft and “pseudo-damages” and supports their prevention. With the video module, frequent error sources and weak points in the warehouse can be detected and rectified. “Fewer cases of damage increase the warehouse quality and, in consequence, customer satisfaction. With the new video support, enterprises increase their status in terms of reliability and security”, Marco Ehrhardt, managing partner of Ehrhardt + Partner, explains. Furthermore, the improved security in the warehouse and the respective reduction of damages has a positive influence on the development of insurance rates.