FAQ
There are various warehouse types and topologies, including manually operated block storage, pallet racking,
racking for item picking and much more. Our standard solution is configured for all common warehouse types that are manually operated by
workers and forklift drivers equipped with mobile barcode scanners.
With additional equipment, it also supports automated systems such as conveyors or stacker cranes
A very common warehouse setup is shown in Illustration: Standard warehouse topology.
Such a warehouse
includes:
- a goods receipt area
- various rack and floor storage areas for unit loads with load carriers (such as euro pallets)
- racks for picking items (often in cardboard boxes, mini loads or without any load receptor)
- work stations to pack goods for parcel services such as UPS, DHL, ...
- a shipping area for outgoing goods to forwarders and carriers
All main processes of a warehouse are supported, i.e.
- Goods Receipt
- Storage
- Picking
- Packing
- Goods Issue
- Inventory
- Inventory management
A detailed description of all the processes we support can be found here
There is a separate application for each process (i.e. a pick list for the basic application). In addition to the main processes, other apps also cover supporting processes, such as
- Inventory
- Reports
- Mobile information
Short answer: all features required by small and medium-sized warehouses, third-party logistics providers, online vendors and manufacturing companies. This includes:
- Processing of ASN for incoming goods, support for any load carrier types
- Batch and serial number management for handling units (HU)
- Configurable storage strategies to take account of restrictions, whether physical (height, weight, ...) or logical (item value-based, dangerous goods classification, ABC)
- Store items in a bonded warehouse, cross-dock, or warehouse
- Efficient picking processing (single order, multiple order, batch) according to FIFO or take the whole pallet, Scan HU label, EAN or location barcode
- Picking and packing, packing into shipping units, printing transport labels
- Scan consignment units for completeness, measure weight, print delivery note
- Permanent inventory count and electronic stocktaking
The long answer: We will gladly also provide you with a complete list of functions. Please get in touch with our sales team.
Our Warehouse Star solution is all about optimized warehouse management and paperless processes.
The platform is operated as SAAS (Software as a Service) and consists of interconnected apps for web browsers, mobile apps for Android smartphones and barcode scanners.
This offers significant advantages in comparison to a conventional warehouse management system:
Our ready-to-use apps simultaneously achieve a high degree of standardisation and flexibility.
Simply choose the right app for each use case and it will fit perfectly into your operational workflow.
We take data protection very seriously - we operate our servers exclusively in German data centres.
With the mobile Goods Receipt app for Android, you can manage incoming goods during the goods receipt process. Handling units can either be generated spontaneously or against an advanced despatch notice. Barcodes, label printing and the creation of pallet labels are all supported. A shipping notification can be received from the ERP system via the BSB interface or imported as an Excel/cvs file.
The Storage mobile app for Android offers storage strategies for a wide variety of storage types, including block storage, rack or high-bay storage.
Specific restrictions are also supported, including pallet size, weight, fixed space allocations and/or freely definable classifications (e.g. ABC). With a mobile barcode scanner, storage is accurate to the second.
Shipping orders are received via a standard interface and displayed in the Picking application. Next, the warehouse manager activates an order stack and creates pick lists for it. The picking app supports different strategies for the task, e.g. FIFO, expiry date, full pallet, multiple order, single order, single or two-stage, and offers a high degree of flexibility in controlling the picking process
The Picking app for Android directs the warehouse worker along the shortest route to the storage location, tracking the removal of items in real time by scanning location and/or item barcode labels. Item changes, replenishment and accounting for unexpected empty bins enable extremely precise warehouse management. The picking process ends at a packing or shipping station.
The basic Packaging app supports the packaging of picked items into one or more shipping units. For packing, the app offers Pick & Pack options and supports various workstation configurations including the integration of a printer and scale.
The despatch order is completed using the basic Shipping app. Parcel labels and delivery notes can be printed. There is also the option of integrating shipping providers (e.g. DHL, UPS, Parcel Int. etc.)
Shipping units are finally booked out of the system using the Goods Issue mobile or basic apps.
The basic and mobile Android Inventory apps support electronic stocktaking and counting.
This results in simple, quick and error-free stocktaking processes. Inventory management consistently takes tenants, serial numbers, batches and expiry dates into account, as well as providing inventory reports in real time. You can define all master data through the master data section
of the basic app Info
Additional apps, i.e. Correction basic app, Info mobile app and Label Printing utility app , are capable of efficiently dealing with everyday problems and making life much easier for operators.
We run our software as-a-service (SaaS) in a secure business cloud. This therefore allows us to offer a very competitively priced WMS system. The SaaS fees include all license fees and operating costs for hosting & backup. However, you also need to consider additional costs in order to calculate a total cost of ownership (TCO). At a glance, what you need to take into account to calculate a TCO:
- SaaS fees for the apps you use. These fees are calculated based on a monthly fee for each physical warehouse (to cover a virtual server/container for the given warehouse's data) and a monthly fee for each named user.
- One-time costs for hardware such as barcode scanners, label printers,
- One-time set-up costs (our work and yours!)
- Running costs for mobile device management, label usage, and support
Switch to register and create a free account in three quick and easy steps. This does not require any payment information, such as credit card details. This test account allows you to try out all of our Warehouse Star apps for 30 days. If at the end of the trial period you choose to use our solution, you can simply take the data you have already entered with you to your regular account.
For optimal business performance Warehouse Star should, if applicable, be integrated with your ERP system.
ERP is the leading system for managing item master data, customer orders and orders with suppliers. Warehouse Star is responsible for the management of physical handling units and warehouse master data (e.g. rack locations). The following message types are transmitted between the two systems for synchronisation:
- Article master data from the ERP is imported into Warehouse Star. This is the basis for all operations!
- Advanced Shipping Notifications (ASN) from ERP to indicate expected incoming goods. Warehouse-Star sends a receipt after goods have been received.
- Customer order from ERP, Warehouse-Star creates pick lists from it and confirms the order after picking or shipping
- Inventory levels from Warehouse Star to inform the ERP of the correct available, reserved and blocked quantities of items so that it can synchronise its inventory.
- The lock status of individual HUs can optionally be transmitted in both directions.
We provide a ready-to-use REST API to receive all of these message types. This may be the most cost-effective way to integrate non-SAP systems. It does however require the implementation of our API on the ERP side. Ask your ERP partner for a cost estimate. We are happy to provide API documentation.
Many of our customers operate SAP systems. That's why we have a ready-to-use connector for SAP WMS, eWM and Hana Cloud. The configuration of the SAP is carried out by your SAP department or SAP partner. We also offer an optional SAP consulting and implementation service for this.
WeClapp is a modern SaaS ERP system. We have a ready-to-use connector to connect with the WeClapp REST API.
Warehouse-Star can be seamlessly integrated with many web shops. Our e-commerce connector can link:
- Shopware 5 + 6
- Shopify
- Magento 1 + 2
- Woocommerce
- XTCommerce
When packing, and prior to shipping, you may want to integrate the parcel service provider of your choice to create shipping labels and
notify the service provider of shipping units.
We offer connectors for:
- UPS
- UPS Express
- DHL
- DHL Express
- Schweizer Post
- Messesenden
- Paket International
Please contact our sales team if you wish to implement new interfaces or connectors. The time required can vary from a few hours to a few days, weeks or even months. So it is very important to clarify your specifications!