Patent Publication Number: US-2003233293-A1

Title: Warehouse management system and method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to warehouse management systems and methods, and particularly to a system and method for controlling receipt and distribution of articles in a warehouse.  
       [0003] 2. Background of the Invention  
       [0004] For a manufacturing enterprise, inventory costs are generally a significant component of total operating costs. Controlling and lowering inventory costs is key to lowering total costs and increasing profits of a manufacturing enterprise.  
       [0005] One way to lower inventory costs is to efficiently manage inventory in a warehouse, especially upon receipt and distribution of articles in the warehouse. A warehouse managing system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,378. In the warehouse managing system, upon receipt of an article, an article code for the article and a location code for a shelf storing the article are stored as management data. When the management data are stored, a manufacturing date and a number of a pallet for moving the article are also stored. A host computer can use such data to provide first-in and first-out warehouse management.  
       [0006] However, the warehouse managing system merely reduces use of paper such as article information slips and article order forms. Receiving and storing an article in the right place in a warehouse is still problematic. Similarly, distributing the article from the warehouse quickly and efficiently is also still problematic.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention is to provide a warehouse management system for putting in-warehouse articles in a correct location in a warehouse, and for quickly retrieving out-warehouse articles from the warehouse.  
       [0008] Another general object of the present invention is to provide a warehouse management method for putting in-warehouse articles in a correct location in a warehouse, and for quickly retrieving out-warehouse articles from the warehouse.  
       [0009] In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a central warehouse management system and method for putting in-warehouse articles in a correct location in a warehouse, and for quickly retrieving out-warehouse articles from the warehouse. A preferred embodiment of the system comprises: a central management server that comprises a database for storing in-warehouse article data, inventory data, out-warehouse article data and storage location information; a plurality of computing devices located in different warehouses and linking to the central management server via an intranet; and a plurality of barcode printers respectively linking to the plurality of computing devices for printing inventory data barcodes that are attached to pallets. Each computing device comprises: an in-warehouse module for querying location information in the database, selecting locations for storing pallets loaded with articles, and storing in-warehouse article data in the database; and an out-warehouse module for selecting pallets loaded with first-in articles and generating a selection list.  
       [0010] A preferred embodiment of the method comprises the steps of: (i) querying a database for information on a location for storing a pallet loaded with an in-warehouse article, according to a flag of the in-warehouse article; (ii) selecting a location for storing the in-warehouse article and assigning a pallet number, according to the location information obtained; (iii) generating inventory data according to the location information obtained and pallet number, and transmitting the inventory data to a central management server, the central management server storing the inventory data in the database; (iv) printing a barcode that comprises inventory data on the pallet, and pasting the barcode on the pallet; (v) querying inventory data in the database according to a flag of an out-warehouse article, and obtaining an inventory data list of all pallets loaded with the out-warehouse article; (vi) generating a selection list according to the inventory data list; and (vii) generating out-warehouse article data according to the selection list.  
       [0011] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention with the attached drawings, in which: 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of infrastructure of a warehouse management system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a pallet in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0014]FIG. 3 schematically illustrates functional infrastructure of a computing device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of data flow between the computing device and a database in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0016]FIG. 5 schematically illustrates functional infrastructure of a website server, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 6 is a flowchart of tasks related to receiving articles, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
     [0018]FIG. 7 is a flowchart of tasks related to distributing articles, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
     [0019]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of infrastructure of a warehouse management system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The warehouse management system comprises a central management server  1 , a website server  6 , and plurality of computing devices  3 . The central management server  1  comprises a database  10  that stores data such as in-warehouse article data, inventory data, out-warehouse article data, information on articles, information on customers and information on locations. The in-warehouse article data comprise article names, article codes, warehouse codes, location numbers, pallet numbers, article quantities, receiving dates, and operator codes. The inventory data comprise warehouse codes, location numbers, pallet numbers, article names, article quantities, manufacturing dates, receipt dates and vendors. The information on locations comprises warehouse codes, location numbers, available quantities of pallets to be stored, quantities of pallets already stored, and names of stored articles.  
     [0020] Each computing device  3  is placed in a respective one of a plurality of warehouses  9 , and is linked to the central management server  1  via an intranet  2 . The computing device  3  can assist querying of in-warehouse article information, inventory data and out-warehouse article information. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each computing device  3  is linked with a respective barcode printer  4 . Referring also to FIG. 2, the barcode printer  4  generates barcodes  14 . Each barcode  14  comprises inventory data on a pallet  12 , and is pasted on the pallet  12 . Each computing device  3  is also linked with a respective conventional printer  5 .  
     [0021] The website server  6  is linked to the central management server  1 . Users can respectively use a plurality of browsers  8  to access the website server  6  via the Internet  7 . In the present invention, a preferred browser  8  is Internet Explorer (IE) 5.0 by Microsoft, or Navigator 5.0 by Netscape. Users include not only operators in a warehouse, but also customers and vendors. Each user has a unique authority to access the website  6 . When accessing the website  6 , the users can obtain information comprising in-warehouse article data, inventory data, out-warehouse article data, information on articles, and information on customers.  
     [0022]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one pallet  12 . In the preferred embodiment, each warehouse comprises a plurality of locations. Each location stores a plurality of pallets  12 . In-warehouse articles are loaded on the pallets  12 . The barcode  14  pasted on each pallet  12  comprises information on warehouse code, location number, pallet number, article name, article quantity, manufacturing date, receipt date and vendor.  
     [0023]FIG. 3 schematically illustrates functional infrastructure of each computing device  3 . The computing device  3  comprises an in-warehouse module  30 , an inventory querying module  32 , an out-warehouse module  34 , an out-warehouse data querying module  36 , and a data maintaining module  38 . The in-warehouse module  30  can assist an operator to receive in-warehouse articles in a warehouse, and to generate barcodes  14  to be pasted on pallets  12  loaded with in-warehouse articles. The inventory querying module  32  provides querying of inventory data stored in the database  10  according to location, receipt date, vendor or article name. The out-warehouse module  34  is used for assisting distribution of articles from warehouses. This includes tasks such as selecting articles, selecting a mode of shipment, selecting a forwarder, and generating out-warehouse article data. The out-warehouse data querying module  36  provides querying of out-warehouse article data according to article name, location, date of out-warehousing, vendor or customer. The data maintaining module  38  is used for defining, setting, adding, modifying, and deleting data in the database  10 . Such data comprise information on vendors, customers, locations and articles.  
     [0024]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of data flow between one computing device  3  and the database  10 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. An operator  16  receives a receipt  13 . The operator  16  logs on the in-warehouse module  30  in the computing device  3 , and inputs in-warehouse article data according to the receipt  13 . The in-warehouse module  30  stores the in-warehouse article data in the database  10  as inventory data, and generates barcodes  14  comprising information on the in-warehouse article data. When articles in a warehouse need to be distributed, the operator  16  logs on the out-warehouse module  34 . The operator  16  inputs information on a shipping notice, such as name and quantity of the articles to be distributed. The out-warehouse module  34  queries the database  10  according to the name of the articles to be distributed, to obtain inventory information on the articles to be distributed. The operator  16  selects pallets  12  loaded with the articles to be distributed, a forwarder, and a mode of shipment. The operator  16  then generates a selection list  15  and a delivery note  17  according to the inventory information. After the articles have been distributed, the out-warehouse module  34  stores out-warehouse article data in the database  10 . Relevant operators  16  can: access out-warehouse article data in the database  10  by using the out-warehouse data querying module  36 ; access the database  10  for inventory data by using the inventory querying module  32 ; and/or maintain data on vendors, customers, locations and articles in the database  10  by using the data maintaining module  38 .  
     [0025]FIG. 5 schematically illustrates functional infrastructure of the website server  6 , in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The website server  6  comprises an authority control module  60 , an inventory querying module  62 , and an out-warehouse data querying module  64 . The authority control module  60  is used for managing authorities of different users such as operators, customers and vendors. The inventory querying module  62  provides querying of inventory data according to location, receiving date, vendor or article name. The out-warehouse data querying module  64  provides querying of out-warehouse article data according to article name, location, out-warehouse date, vendor, or customer.  
     [0026]FIG. 6 is a flowchart of tasks related to receiving articles, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. When articles are received at a warehouse, an operator  16  in that warehouse logs on the in-warehouse module  30  of the computing device  3  in that warehouse. The operator  16  inputs a name of the in-warehouse articles via a graphic user interface (GUI) of the computing device  3  (step S 610 ). The name of the in-warehouse articles may, for example, be ‘CPU’ (central processing unit). The in-warehouse module  30  queries information on locations in the database  10  according to a flag of the in-warehouse articles (step S 620 ). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flag is the name of the in-warehouse articles. For example, the flag is ‘CPU.’ If information on a location indicates that the location is used for storing CPUs, and the location can store at least one pallet  12  loaded with in-warehouse articles named CPU, the in-warehouse module  30  treats the location as an available location for storing the in-warehouse articles named CPU. If there are two or more locations available for storing CPUs, the in-warehouse module  30  arranges the locations in descending order according to capacity available for storing pallets  12  loaded with CPUs. The operator  16  selects locations for storing the pallets  12  loaded with CPUs, and sets serial numbers for numbering the pallets  12  (step S 630 ). The serial numbers are assigned in chronological order. For example, if a most recent serial number assigned for a pallet  12  is 00072, then the operator  16  sets a current serial number as 00073. The operator  16  then inputs other information on the in-warehouse articles, such as quantity, manufacturing date and vendor (step S 640 ). The computing device  3  transmits all the above-mentioned input invention to the central management server  1 . The central management server  1  stores all the input information in the database  10  as inventory data (step S 650 ). The barcode printer  4  generates and prints barcodes  14  according to the input information (step S 660 ). Each barcode  14  contains information comprising warehouse code, location number, pallet number, article name, article quantity, manufacturing date and vendor.  
     [0027]FIG. 7 is a flowchart of tasks related to distributing articles, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. An operator  16  receives a shipping notice, and the operator  16  logs on the out-warehouse module  34  of the computing device  3  in a warehouse. The operator  16  queries inventory data in the database  10  according to a flag of out-warehouse articles listed in the shipping notice (step S 710 ). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flag of the out-warehouse articles is a name of the out-warehouse articles. After obtaining the inventory data on the out-warehouse articles, the computing device  3  generates an inventory data list of each pallet  12  loaded with the out-warehouse articles. The inventory data list is arranged in chronological order of manufacturing dates of the out-warehouse articles (step S 720 ).  
     [0028] The computing device  3  selects pallets  12  loaded with the articles that are manufactured earliest, according to the inventory data list (step S 730 ). The computing device  3  then generates the selection list  15 , which comprises warehouse code, location number, number of pallets  12  loaded with the articles, name of the articles, inventory quantity of the articles, manufacturing date, receipt date and vendor of the articles (step S 740 ). The operator  16  can efficiently retrieve the out-warehouse articles from the warehouse according to the selection list  15 . The operator  16  then inputs information on a forwarder and a mode of shipment to the computing device  3 . The computing device  3  generates the delivery note  17  according to the selection list  15  and the information on the forwarder and the mode of shipment (step S 750 ). The delivery note  17  comprises warehouse code, location number, numbers of pallets  12  loaded with the out-warehouse articles, name of the articles, quantity of the articles, manufacturing date, receipt date, vendor, distribution date, customer, forwarder, and mode of shipment. After the articles are distributed, the operator  16  prints the above-mentioned data, such as the selection list  15  and the delivery note  17 , by using the printer  5  (step S 760 ).  
     [0029] Although only preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications to the preferred embodiments are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are deemed to be covered by the following claims and allowable equivalents of the claims.