Digitalization : Dialog Optimization for More Accurate and Effi­cient Warehouse Processes

Good and clear communication is an important success factor in logistics. This is particularly evident during order picking, when products are put together in the warehouse for an order.

Here, the interaction between the picker and the digital warehouse management system (WMS) takes center stage. This process is known as the "picking dialog". As part of this process, the picker is provided with information about the relevant items, for example via mobile devices.

The information includes, for example, the exact storage location, the required quantity or the order in which the goods must be removed from the warehouse.

Picking may be the best-known example, but it is generally worth optimizing all logistical work dialogs in the warehouse environment. The ideal: the software displays as much data as necessary and as little as possible. The system should provide employees with sufficient guidance without overloading them with stimuli. To master this balancing act, only information that is essential for the respective process should be displayed.

A simple visualization can contribute significantly to a better understanding of the workflow. Visual displays of the required item provide detailed information about the product and can ensure that the picker selects the right goods. For example, it would be helpful in the picking dialog to use an item image to illustrate to the employee, which items are to be picked. This helps to avoid potential mistakes.

However, if the goods are not recognizable due to uniform packaging, the visualization option of the article reaches its limits. In this case, the dialog should support the employee by considering additional scan variants such as individual part verification.

For example, the software would then prompt the employee to verify the correct selection of the required item by scanning it. At the packing station, the dialog also provides a visual indication of which box needs to be packed into which type of shipping carton, for example.

With the warehouse management system PSIwms, users have the freedom to decide for which items scanning offers additional security in the processes.

For example, the scanning of high-value items in shipping enables greater delivery accuracy and security for employees. For cheaper items such as pens, the returns rate is marginal in relation to the price and any incorrect deliveries can be accepted in favor of greater efficiency.

In this respect, the warehouse management system enables both process-oriented and item-oriented work.

When it comes to work dialogs, the trend is moving away from tailor-made solutions towards standards that can be flexibly adapted. PSI gives its customers the freedom to configure the interface themselves in order to cover as many individual fields as possible.

A standard serves as the basis, which reduces complexity and saves time. Only basic knowledge of the system and a clear idea of the relevant processes are required for configuration.

With PSI Click Design, user interfaces and profiles as well as individual task areas can be easily customized. In this way, users can customize the system so that it guides the employee through the process like an assistant.

In all intralogistics workflows, a functioning interaction between employees and the warehouse management system is indispensable. It therefore makes sense to optimize the work dialogs continuously. The motto here is: as simple as possible, as complex as necessary.

By optimizing dialogs and thus focusing on the essentials, PSIwms supports intuitive operation by employees and helps to flatten the learning curve, which supports faster training of new employees. In this way, process efficiency and quality can be harmonized