When you implement the Warehouse Management System (WMS) in a plant, you define the individual warehouses (high-rack storage, block storage, picking area, and so on) as storage types within a warehouse complex and group them together under a warehouse number. As a rule, it is not necessary to define several storage locations for a plant since you assign the WMS warehouse number to a storage location from Inventory Management (IM).
It is appropriate to define further storage locations for a plant if other warehouses (storage types) exist within a plant that is not managed using WMS but with Lean WM, for example.
You can also manage stock for several plants in the same warehouse at the same time. In this case, the same warehouse number is assigned to the storage locations for these plants.
As a rule, it is a good idea to manage only the stocks of one storage location and the same plant within a warehouse number. However, you can also manage several storage locations of one and the same plant within a warehouse number.
The warehouse structure in Warehouse Management is hierarchical and consists of the following elements:
- The Warehouse Number
You can define an entire physical warehouse complex in WM using a single warehouse number.
- The Storage Type
Each of the warehouse facilities or areas that make up the warehouse complex can be defined as a type of storage area or ”storage type” on the basis of its spatial, technical, and organizational characteristics. Each storage type is divided into storage sections. A storage section generally includes all bins that have certain characteristics in common, such as bins for ”fast-moving items” near a goods issue area.
- The Storage Bin
Each storage type and storage section consists of a row of storage spaces that are referred to in WMS as storage bins. The coordinates of the bins indicate the exact position in the warehouse where goods can be stored.
- The Quant
The quant serves to perform inventory management of a material at the storage bin.
