Warehouse Management

Warehouse management is the organization of processes in the warehouse and thus primarily the management of stocks (quantities) and storage places.

In addition, warehouse management has to ensure a smooth and cost-efficient processing of all warehouse operations; On the one hand institutionally as a management and execution organ of the warehouse management in a company, on the other also functional in the sense of the examination, execution and recording of all intralogistic processes. These include, inter alia, the maintenance of the various storage system components (mechanical and IT-based), the management of transport aids and reusable packaging, such as pallets, containers, cable drums, empties etc.

Increasingly, the management of resources, e.g. labor force, conveyor technology or storage technology, is seen as an integral part of warehouse management.

Thus, storage management can be ascribed to two main tasks:

1. The smooth and cost-efficient processing and administration of all intralogistic processes, from goods receipt to dispatch

1. The complete recording of all individual movements of the storage objects in order to ensure control of the quantity and value of stocks

Warehouse management can be done manually (eg using paper lists or with Excel sheets). However, this method is only suitable for very small bearings with simple procedures.

Manual storage management is also often referred to as software-supported warehouse management, which, however, is carried out manually in the warehouse (for example by the order-pickers), in contrast to automated warehouse management.

Nowadays, warehouse management is usually carried out with the help of a warehouse management system (WMS). A WMS is a stock-taking system that describes and manages the various relationships between the inventory (article, assortment, batch, etc.) and their physical locations (storage location, storage bin, storage unit, loading aid, etc.).

In logistics centers with more complex processes and partly or fully automated storage areas, a system is used which, in addition to simple warehouse management, also includes the control and optimization of the material flow. This is where some people make the distinction between warehouse management systems and logistics software. Warehouse management systems (WMS) offer, in addition to the possibility of disposition, comprehensive functions for the control of the system states and a selection of operating and optimization strategies.