ERP–WMS Transformation

Objective

Develop an ERP–WMS system to manage the complete order lifecycle from enquiry to dispatch, supporting warehouse expansion and scalable inventory controls.

• Develop an ERP–WMS system to manage the complete order lifecycle from enquiry to dispatch
• Support warehouse expansion from 30,000 to 100,000 sq. ft. with scalable inventory controls
• Enforce FIFO picking and QR-based traceability for bundles, cuts, and end-pieces
• Enable partial bundle sales and custom dimension cutting workflows
• Integrate daily metal price masters (Hindalco, Nalco) for accurate quoting
• Provide real-time dashboards, alerts, and ABC analysis for decision-making

Business Problem

The client relied on phone-based enquiry handling, ad-hoc purchasing, and Tally-only billing with no operational visibility into warehouse movements or volatile metal pricing.

• Customer enquiries handled via phone without real-time stock visibility
• Ad-hoc monthly purchasing with no safety stock or reorder logic
• Tally used only for billing with no operational visibility
• No tracking of putaway, picking, FIFO, or material movement
• Manual approval processes causing order delays
• High dispatch errors and returns during warehouse expansion
• No integration with volatile daily metal prices

Strategic Framework & Solution

MoSCoW Prioritization & DMAIC (Lean Six Sigma) methodology was adopted to prioritize features, define gaps, and implement structured ERP–WMS improvements.

• Discovery & Design: As-is process study across sales enquiries, purchasing, warehouse operations, production cutting, and dispatch.
• Design & FRD Finalization: Defined to-be ERP–WMS workflows covering enquiry-to-dispatch, purchase approvals, QR-based inward and putaway, FIFO picklists, production cutting, and end-piece handling.
• Build & Integration: Developed ERP modules for Sales, Purchase, Warehouse, Production, and Dispatch; integrated QR scanners, weighbridge, daily metal price masters, and role-based dashboards.
• Pilot & Validation: Pilot run in live warehouse validating GRN, QR bundling, FIFO picklists, cutting workflows, and dispatch accuracy.
• Scale & Optimization: Organization-wide rollout supporting warehouse expansion from 30k to 100k sq. ft.

Solution Overview

The ERP–WMS solution integrates Sales, Purchase, Warehouse, Production, and Dispatch modules. It supports enquiry-to-quotation, sales order creation with approval controls, purchase workflows with ABC analysis, QR-based inward and putaway, FIFO picklists, production cutting workflows, and dispatch with billing and audit logs.

Key Features Implemented

• QR-based material tracking
• FIFO enforcement
• Bundle, loose, and end-piece management
• Customer overdue auto-hold
• Dynamic pricing integration
• ABC inventory analysis
• Approval escalations
• Automated picklists
• Role-based dashboards

Before vs After Comparison

• Order Processing Effort: Manual phone/email → Digital workflow + dashboards — 60% reduction
• Inventory Visibility: No real-time tracking → Real-time rack-level accuracy — 100%
• Picking Accuracy/FIFO: Ad-hoc, error-prone → QR/FIFO picklists — 90%
• Dispatch Errors/Returns: High during expansion → Systematic exception alerts — 50% reduction
• Warehouse Scale Readiness: High return risk → Scalable to 100k sq ft — Scalable

Deployment Impact & Business Value

• 60%+ — Reduction in manual order processing and warehouse coordination effort
• 100% — Real-time visibility of inventory, orders, and material movement
• 90%+ — Improvement in picking accuracy and FIFO compliance
• 50%+ — Reduction in dispatch errors, returns, and rework

Client Portfolio

Leading Metal Trading Enterprise

• Industries: Metals trading with volatile pricing, custom dimensions, FIFO requirements, and compliance-driven traceability

Industry Use Cases

Metals trading involves volatile pricing, custom dimensions (cuts from bundles), FIFO for expiry-prone stock, and traceability for quality/compliance. ERP–WMS suits by auto-pricing (NALCO/Hindalco feeds), handling partials/end-waste, QR for audits, and scaling amid supply chain flux — common for aluminum extrusions/sheets where 10–30% material becomes end-pieces without tracking.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats

• Strength — End-to-end enquiry-to-dispatch digitization
• Strength — QR-based traceability and FIFO enforcement
• Strength — Dynamic pricing integration with daily metal rates
• Strength — Scalable architecture supporting 100k sq. ft. expansion
• Weakness — Complex onboarding for warehouse floor staff
• Weakness — Dependency on QR scanner hardware reliability
• Opportunity — Predictive inventory and demand planning
• Opportunity — Multi-location expansion with unified dashboards
• Opportunity — Automated supplier integration
• Threat — Volatile metal pricing affecting margin calculations
• Threat — Supply chain disruptions impacting inventory planning

Conclusion

The ERP–WMS solution eliminates manual silos, enforces precision in high-volume trading, and positions the firm for sustained growth with zero-visibility risks resolved through automation and insights.