Development of modern warehouse management
21. November 2024
|By TUP Redaktion
Further generations of warehouse management systems were characterized by technical innovations that allowed an increasing number of tasks to be carried out.
Crucial steps in the development of modern warehouse management were
- Databases: The use of relational databases for storing modifiable data in the WMS dramatically increased the flexibility of possible access (filter criteria, sorting). In addition, the concept of secure transactions ensured the consistency of the data sets.
- Hardware and operating systems: More powerful systems made it possible to solve more complex tasks.
- Networking: The introduction of network standards (hardware and protocols) made it possible to link with higher-level and lower-level systems.
- Barcodes: Barcodes and barcode readers replaced error-prone keyboard entries at many points in the process. The short time required to read a barcode made additional plausibility checks possible (e.g. scanning a barcode at the target compartment during storage).
- Mobile peripherals: infrared and radio communication extended the range of the LVS to the rearmost storage compartment. Up to this step, the LVS was only represented at a few stationary workstations in the company (I-point, K-point).
- High availability: the development of HA systems (High Availability System) finally provided the necessary availability.
For more information on the historical development of modern warehouse management systems, see The WMS today.
Image source: © Sergey Nivens – Fotolia.com