WAMAS® WAVELESS ORDER PICKING AND OPTIMIZATION

Order handling logic that minimizes labor downtime.

Understanding Waveless Order Processing

Waveless order processing maximizes the volume throughput in a facility, but requires several inputs in order to provide greater flexibility.

It is important to know that waveless does not mean batchless. The WAMAS® waveless process still utilizes batches as technology decides to collect items. As orders come in from the host ERP system, WAMAS takes several parameters from the existing order information to assign a priority.

Some of these parameters may be, order cutoff time, loyalty, special promotions, shipping method, etc. This information enables WAMAS to identify work in a sequence different from the first in first out (FIFO) principle and reprioritizes them based on business logic. As new orders drop into the system, WAMAS continues to look for and reprioritizes orders.

Waveless Order Handling Logic at Work

Once an order is ready to release for processing, an operator will signal that he or she is available to work.

The number of orders that they are capable of handling is also suppled. WAMAS then batches the next highest priority orders and releases them to an operator for processing.

The system may add additional single line picks to existing orders as needed. This process gives a continuous (waveless) flow for order picking based on proximal location and work availability. This process greatly increases throughput volume without releasing additional waves or batches.

Benefits of WAMAS Waveless Order Optimization

Overall, there are several benefits with using WAMAS waveless technology.

Most important is the ability to keep operators and equipment fully utilized throughout the entire shift. This technology ensures a consistent workload within the facility. In addition, the waveless process improves overall material flow and dynamically responds to any change within the warehouse.

Business logic is a strategic logic and should never be overlooked by a software solution.

Customers are important and loyal customers even more so. This is why WAMAS looks for opportunities in order combinations and interleaves last-minute high-priority orders with existing orders.

WAMAS Waveless Order Optimization Features

Improves overall material flows throughout the entire facility
Consistent workloads during entire shift
Ensures steady stream of order fulfillment
Dynamically responds to changes within the warehouse
Optimizes orders and combines them for greater throughput
Staggers last-minute high-priority orders with existing orders

Traditional Wave Picking

Allocates work hours in advance with no ability to respond to changes while the wave is processing
Creates inefficiencies by not generating a consistent workload for operators and equipment
Needs to finish processing the previous waves before releasing subsequent waves
Causes a stop-and-go pattern for the operation
Complex exception handling
Not suited for most automated solutions

How Does WAMAS Waveless Order Processing Work?

Orders are continuously dropped from the ERP/Host system into WAMAS
WAMAS maintains all orders in an order pool
The order pool is constantly re-evaluated in real-time and the next-best order is released based on several different criteria including, but not limited to:
- Periodization rules
- Inventory availability
- Business logic
- Physical capacity of workstations, conveyors, sorters, shuttles, and cranes
Order optimization increases picking efficiency

Priority Order Process Example

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