NetSuite WMS Advanced Warehouse Tour with Alpha Comm

Summary

Alpha Comm designs, manufactures, and distributes cellphone accessories, focusing on efficiency through NetSuite's warehouse management system (WMS). Their process involves receiving, storing, and picking products for shipment across 17,000 locations. WMS integration streamlines procurement, receiving, inventory management, replenishment, order allocation, and shipping. Workers follow WMS-guided steps to ensure accuracy and efficiency, ultimately enhancing their ability to fulfill large volumes of orders swiftly and accurately. This systematic approach is detailed through a walkthrough of their 150,000 square-foot warehouse and subsidiary operations in Montebello, California, and Mexico City.

Takeaways

• 📱 The company specializes in designing, manufacturing, and distributing a wide range of cellphone accessories available at local carrier stores.
• 🚚 They offer a unique 'ship to store' service for carriers, handling the entire process from picking to packing and fulfilling to 17,000 locations.
• 🔄 NetSuite and a fully integrated warehouse management system (WMS) are crucial for achieving the required efficiency in their operations.
• 🏭 The facility described is approximately 150,000 square feet, with additional warehouses in Montebello, California, and a subsidiary in Mexico City.
• 📦 The process begins with procurement, where purchase orders are created and sent to manufacturers, and continues with receiving and storing the products.
• 🔖 Upon arrival, products are unloaded, sorted by SKU, and assigned a license plate (LP) number for tracking and storage location assignment.
• 🔍 A cycle count of SKUs is performed daily to maintain accurate inventory balances, which is managed through the WMS.
• 📈 Replenishment plans ensure items are transferred from storage to pick faces, setting minimum levels to maintain stock for pickers.
• 🛒 Sales orders are processed with an allocation step in the WMS to prevent multiple salespeople from selling the same product simultaneously.
• 🌊 The waving process in WMS consolidates orders for efficient picking, with the ability to cluster orders and control the number of totes per picker.
• 🔗 The picking process relies heavily on RF guns for scanning and instructions, ensuring accurate order fulfillment.
• 📦 After picking, a PAC outstation is used for cross-checking the picked items against the customer's order to ensure accuracy before shipping.
• 📈 The WMS integrates with FedEx for shipping label generation, verifying correct item quantity, weight, and shipping method before finalizing the order.
• 📊 The final shipping label routes the package to the appropriate shipping method container, and the system updates the order status and triggers billing in the accounting department.

Q & A

What kind of products does Alpha Comm specialize in designing, manufacturing, and distributing?

Alpha Comm specializes in designing, manufacturing, and distributing cellphone accessories that are commonly found in local carrier stores.

What sets Alpha Comm apart from other companies in the same industry?

Alpha Comm stands out by offering a ship-to-store service for their carriers, where they pick, pack, and fulfill orders to 17,000 different locations, emphasizing speed and efficiency.

How does Alpha Comm integrate technology to improve efficiency in their operations?

Alpha Comm uses NetSuite and a fully integrated warehouse management system (WMS) to streamline their operations and increase efficiency.

What is the approximate size of Alpha Comm's warehouse in Montebello, California?

The warehouse in Montebello, California is approximately 150,000 square feet.

How does Alpha Comm manage the receiving process of new products?

The receiving process starts with the procurement department creating and sending purchase orders. The receiving department then pre-assigns system homes for products, receives the goods, and prints a license plate (LP) number to track the pallets.

What is a 'license plate' number in the context of Alpha Comm's warehouse operations?

A 'license plate' number is a unique identifier printed by the WMS and attached to a pallet of products, which helps in tracking and managing inventory.

How does Alpha Comm ensure inventory balances through their cycle counting process?

Alpha Comm performs cycle counting of a set number of SKUs every day, where materials workers physically count items and the WMS allows for this process to be recorded, ensuring inventory accuracy.

What is the purpose of the replenishment plan in Alpha Comm's WMS?

The replenishment plan in the WMS ensures that items are transferred from storage locations to pick faces when the stock level falls below a predetermined minimum, keeping enough inventory for pickers.

How does Alpha Comm handle the allocation of items during the sales process?

Salespersons must allocate the items they intend to sell into their orders within the WMS to prevent multiple salespeople from trying to sell the same product.

What is the waving process in Alpha Comm's WMS, and how does it work?

The waving process involves grouping orders into a wave, which can include multiple orders for a single customer. This process helps in organizing and optimizing the picking and packing of orders.

How does Alpha Comm ensure the accuracy of the items picked and packed for shipment?

After picking, the picker uses a PAC outstation to cross-check the items picked against the customer's order in the WMS. The system only allows the creation of a FedEx shipping label if the quantities and items match the order.

What is the role of the integration process between Alpha Comm's WMS and FedEx?

The integration process between the WMS and FedEx ensures that once a shipment is verified and the shipping label is generated, FedEx is notified to update the order status in the WMS, which then routes it to accounting for billing.