WAMAS Labour & Resource Management system brings transparent productivity

Warehouse and logistics systems solutions provider SSI Schaefer is launching the new WAMAS LRM (Labour and Resource Management) system -- the latest addition to the range of successful IT services based on proprietary logistics software WAMAS developed by SSI Schaefer.

SSI Schaefer’s WAMAS LRM provides total transparency in all staff-related warehouse processes.

Whether as a standalone system linked to an existing warehouse management system (WMS) or as a built-in component of WAMAS, the LRM system not only captures data on the total productivity of all intralogistics employees, but also the performance of the warehouse itself. All the acquired data can be analysed individually, in groups, or by shift productivity. Following in-depth analysis of the data, WAMAS LRM optimises the use of all resources to enhance the efficiency of operations for the day-to-day running of the warehouse. WAMAS LRM is already proving itself in a number of customer systems where the transparency it delivers has successfully boosted efficiency.

Turning goals into reality

"WAMAS LRM provides total transparency in all staff-related warehouse processes," explained Franz Bauer-Kieslinger, executive vice-president of IT Solutions. "We anticipate that it will deliver productivity gains somewhere in the region of twenty percent. It will also add procedural and process analyses plus optimisation to our portfolio of logistics services."

The new model from SSI Schaefer calculates all distances that have to be covered and the resulting transit and lifting times in the warehouse. Depending on the transport devices used or the walking speed of the warehouse staff, the system divides every warehouse process into freely definable blocks of time. Target times for each activity are then compared with the actual times in order to calculate productivity, evaluate it in real time, and compare and analyse the value-adding and non value-adding work.

Uniform labour as a means of success

More than ever the use of efficiency-boosting workforce management systems is proving to be a decisive commercial advantage in highly competitive markets. Due to the constantly increasing volumes that have to be handled in warehouses and retrieval quantities that vary enormously due to promotional events such as Black Friday, the pressure on warehouse operators is also increasing. "This trend makes the efficient use and swift provision of resources, as well as in-depth monitoring of productivity, more important than ever. It also means that even bigger intralogistics systems and more staff are required," added Bauer-Kieslinger. Generally speaking, the bigger the workforce in the warehouse, the more attractive a sophisticated workforce management system becomes.

Further development of WAMAS LRM

The IT experts at SSI Schaefer are pursuing a long-term vision in WAMAS LRM and are already working on ways to develop the system further – by ensuring a seamless combination of automated and human performance. In future, not only will all work processes carried out by warehouse employees be captured, but those of machines too. It will then be possible to take this into account when planning the ideal combination of material handling devices and human workforce. In the next step, warehouse throughput and resulting workload forecasts will support detailed staff and workplace planning, tailored to every single warehouse.