Latest On The Move Video Series Explores Warehouse Execution System (WES) Benefits

As our recent research report  indicates, 58 percent of companies recognize the need to increase investments in software and technology to integrate more warehouse automation and keep pace with unrelenting e-commerce demands. With the launch of our Momentum WES software platform earlier this year, we thought it was important to understand how WES differs from other technologies — and how it’s designed to meet the emerging and ongoing complexities of modern distribution and fulfillment operations. 

That’s why we’re happy to introduce a new five-part video series featuring Honeywell Intelligrated’s WES subject matter experts. The videos, which are now available on our YouTube channel, cover different aspects of warehouse execution system technology and its associated benefits. Here are brief summaries of what you’ll see and hear in each video.

Make the transition to greater automation

The growing labor shortage, combined with the realization that labor alone can’t address today’s volume requirements, is prompting retailers to expand their automated capabilities within their distribution centers (DCs). This video demonstrates how WES enables increased automation to offset labor challenges, while helping to maximize the utilization of your workforce. You’ll learn how automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) bring goods to the operator to minimize labor requirements; support dynamic storage capabilities to maximize available shelving; and provide intelligent routing based on real-time resource availability to help meet throughput requirements.

The many Information Technology (IT) benefits of a unified software platform 

One of the greatest challenges our industry encounters is the amount of customization taking place in software. The existence of multiple code bases — especially customized code bases — creates multiple IT challenges. In this video, you’ll learn why the Momentum warehouse execution system was built on a singular technology and product platform, reducing the complexity and risk of your original implementation, ongoing maintenance, and future changes. It’s also the key difference between Momentum and existing warehouse control system (WCS) and warehouse management system (WMS) offerings.

Meet demanding service level agreements (SLAs) and increase throughput

The exponential proliferation of SKUs and the subsequent variety in order profiles have introduced tremendous complexity in fulfillment operations. Meanwhile, SLAs are getting tighter. Staying competitive means orders have to get out the door faster (and with fewer errors) than ever before. This video explains how WES integrates with WCS, WMS and machine control systems to seamlessly execute order fulfillment and establish consistency and continuity among key processes. You’ll learn how Momentum prioritizes the right orders — at the right time and with the right resources — to ensure your SLAs are achieved. 

Improve facility and worker utilization 

With the e-tail economy driving service level requirements, improved utilization of the overall distribution center footprint is becoming more imperative. Many of these facilities must also address fulfillment across multiple channels, from retail store replenishment to direct-to-consumer shipping. Maximizing utilization while successfully performing multiple processes requires the deployment of automated solutions. This On The Move video will discuss our approach using WES to facilitate AS/RS shuttle storage solutions, which allow DC operators to exploit vertical space and create greater storage density — without having to increase a facility’s footprint. You’ll also learn how Momentum drives the dynamic utilization of space in picking areas, either by adding new locations or matching product profiles to pick locations. You’ll also learn how the integration of automation helps workers by limiting the physical space they have to cover, reducing footsteps and enabling goods-to-operator workflows.

Momentum: The next-generation warehouse execution system

It’s estimated that more than 50 percent of a DC operation’s IT budget is spent on “glue,” i.e., the efforts needed to tie disparate warehouse systems together. With Honeywell Intelligrated’s approach to warehouse execution systems, we wanted to eliminate traditional customization paralysis and offer customers a single software platform designed to streamline configuration requirements. In this video, you’ll learn how we set out to make a next-generation WES software platform via a clean-sheet approach that enables modular, configure-to-need simplicity and the extensibility to grow and adapt to myriad fulfillment scenarios and business demands.

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