Digital Warehouse Management | L-mobile Reporting

More transparency at the warehouse with a warehouse dashboard

Customized dashboards offer new options for warehouse analysis

Business processes in companies today are more complex than ever and generate a large amount of data and information every day. Managing directors and management positions are faced with the ever-increasing challenge of maintaining an overview of all these processes and the most important KPIs (key performance indicators) at all times and continuously developing them further. This also applies to warehouse management. Various business areas are impacted as a company grows and finds itself faced with changing customer requirements. Warehouse management is also often affected by continuous market development.

Warehouse managers are supported above all by the operational reporting system, which provides them with crucial data and warehouse analyses in order to optimize logistics processes on a long-term basis. Warehouse dashboards can alleviate this situation by mapping storage areas and providing relevant key figures for analysis and planning. A warehouse dashboard makes it possible to carry out warehouse analyses and provides smart corporate management. In short: companies rely on successful business intelligence reporting!

What is reporting and what is it needed for at a warehouse?

In order to use complex warehouse processes and the resulting data for future decisions and actions, companies use reporting in the form of a warehouse dashboard. Real-time analyses can be used to continuously monitor all the data obtained and output it in the form of digital reports or customized dashboards.

As a sub-area of controlling, reporting enables the responsible persons in the company to make important decisions for future company processes based on the collected knowledge in all business units.

Digital warehouse management real-time reporting

The advantages of business intelligence reporting

Transparency in all areas of the company

Data-based recommendations for action

All important information centrally accessible

Fast response times in all processes

Real-time current data at any time

Discover and exploit optimization potential

What are the requirements for successful reporting in warehouse management?

Control of processes and business figures
Facilitating the achievement of set objectives
Support for important decisions
Control and coordination of processes

Definition of the suitable KPIs

Before a company can evaluate the process data obtained, it must be determined internally which information is actually relevant for the further development and success of the company. To optimize warehouse processes, the necessary warehouse KPIs (key performance indicators) are defined by management in cooperation with warehouse managers and logistics executives. The prioritization of warehouse key figures, such as warehouse utilization, stock turnover rate or minimum stock level, can vary depending on the individual requirements of a company. These key figures subsequently form the basis for future corporate decisions in warehouse management.

The same approach is followed in all areas of the company, such as production or the service area, in order to obtain a comprehensive and transparent overview of all business processes in the end.

Obtaining high quality data sources

To evaluate data, you first have to collect it. Particularly in the field of warehousing and logistics, information is recorded in various places, such as in your ERP system, an external WMS (warehouse management system) or a mobile warehouse management solution such as L-mobile warehouse. To draw meaningful conclusions from all this data, it is important to ensure that the information is of high quality. Incorrect data or duplicate data collection should be eliminated.

Using a powerful reporting tool

The data and process information generated can be analyzed and monitored on a central platform by means of reporting software. Digital dashboards make it easier for the responsible employees to gain an overview and provide all important key figures in real time. This ensures that you always stay up to date and maintain an overview of the development of your business processes.

L-mobile warehouse reporting

Mobile warehouse reporting: How to optimize your logistics processes in the long term with the right KPIs

An analysis of the areas and processes in the warehouse has to be done before a warehouse dashboard can be created. This is necessary to identify potential and enable reporting. Using KPIs defined on the basis of warehouse processes, warehouse analyses and evaluations can reveal the level of efficiency within the warehouse and thus identify areas in need of optimization.

Depending on your warehouse processes, this results in custom KPIs. The following are examples of possible KPIs:

Warehouse utilization and warehouse stock

Average consumption and minimum stock levels

Stock turnover

Status of orders, shipments, returns, machines, and run times

Information about downtimes and malfunctions

Resource planning

L-mobile warehouse easily integrated into your ERP

Our digital service software solution provides standard interfaces for all popular ERP systems.

Collecting warehouse data in a business intelligence solution
Of course, data must be made available for analysis and visualization. We take a look at your existing systems, such as your ERP system, which holds warehouse data. The data can be retrieved from the ERP database (on premise) by the business intelligence solution or is available via a cloud data source. In addition to an ERP system, it is also possible to display data from a warehouse management system in a warehouse dashboard.
Analysis of warehouse KPIs
Data which is generated in the storage areas and as part of the warehouse processes, such as putaway, picking or packing, can be collected using a BI tool (business intelligence tool). These are then available in real time and provide warehouse managers with the necessary transparency in warehouse management. You can design the interface of the warehouse dashboard yourself. We will support you in the implementation and visualization of your relevant warehouse processes.

The 8 most important KPIs for optimizing your warehouse management

There are various KPIs that can give you insightful reports on your warehouse management. The appropriate KPIs for successful warehouse optimization vary depending on the company and its objectives. However, there are some warehouse KPIs that are generally always useful to analyze using a BI tool.

Warehouse stock accuracy

It is particularly important for companies to always maintain an overview of current warehouse stock levels so that sufficient resources are available at all times. However, there can always be discrepancies between the digitally recorded and the actual warehouse stock.

Items that have been entered in the ERP system but are not in stock in the warehouse are referred to as fake stock. Such fake stock is one of the most common inventory inaccuracies.

The warehouse stock should be continuously checked and analyzed in order to minimize these and other inaccuracies as much as possible or, in the best case, to avoid them entirely. Optimization based on this key performance indicator therefore results in high service quality and avoidance of financial losses.

Productivity

Warehouse productivity is also an excellent KPI for optimizing your warehouse management. It describes the ratio of the amount of effort expended to the impact generated. An example of this would be the ratio of hours worked to items picked.

Productivity can be further subdivided in order to be able to analyze it in more detail. For example, orders per employee can be used to determine productivity.

Warehouse utilization

With warehouse utilization you can keep track of the actual use of the available storage bin. The storage bin used is in proportion to the total space available.

The goal of a company is to balance the value of this key figure as best as possible. This is because a warehouse utilization rate that is too high means that too much capital is tied up, while a utilization rate that is too low means that too much warehouse space is going unused.

Stock turnover

The product turnover rate shows the warehouse personnel how often a warehouse stock has been turned over or sold within a freely defined period of time. By optimizing stock turnover, you aim for higher product turnover to achieve more effective use of capital to finance resources.

Minimum stock level

The minimum stock level is another important key figure in the area of warehousing and logistics. It specifies the level below which stock must not be allowed to fall, and therefore the quantity that should always be available in the warehouse. This ensures a company’s ability to deliver and minimizes supply bottlenecks.

Reorder point

A defined reorder point is part and parcel of a minimum stock level. As soon as the warehouse stock of a resource falls below the required level, thereby reaching the reorder point, new goods must be reordered. This makes the reorder point an important key figure when optimizing the stock order quantity.

One result of the analysis of this key figure could be, for example, the optimization of the material flow in the C-parts area. The solution: The digitalization of the material flow chain within your logistics and production processes facilitates smooth subsequent delivery of C-parts. Companies can use modern RFID Kanban mailboxes for this purpose. As with reporting, the networking and digitalization of the necessary processes in the background is created by an intelligent software solution from L-mobile.

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Average warehouse stock

Analyzing this key figure will give you an overview of the average quantities of your stored resources. If your average warehouse stock level changes, it usually has consequences for your capital commitment costs, as well as for general inventory costs.

Warehousing costs

The term warehousing costs is used to describe all costs incurred in the storage of consumables, finished goods, intermediate products, or even starting materials. By evaluating the warehouse costs, this reporting function provides the management team with an overview of the current utilization in the warehouse, as well as the distribution of costs.

Inventory and warehouse utilization at a glance with a reporting tool

Custom dashboards for general managers, warehouse managers, and warehouse personnel provide the necessary transparency in day-to-day work.

Digital analyses make it possible to simplify and optimize processes and workflows throughout the company including in the area of warehouse management. The performance and efficiency of existing logistics processes in the warehouse can be transparently and continuously analyzed and improved with relevant warehouse KPIs. However, in order to identify weaknesses and potential, companies need a comprehensive view of all the processes involved. This makes selecting the right KPIs an enormously important decision.

Warehouse management with business intelligence

Once the appropriate warehouse KPIs have been determined, the data from your storage areas can be made available in a customized warehouse dashboard to identify possible optimization needs. All data from the various systems, such as ERP systems or warehouse management system (WMS) are first automatically compiled and stored in a central data warehouse for this purpose. The business intelligence tool used (BI tool for short) then accesses this data warehouse and ensures that the desired key figures are output on the custom dashboards.

Forecast and analysis of your warehouse activities

Use of KPIs in the warehouse provide information about warehouse performance

As a CEO or warehouse manager, you can use a business intelligence tool to keep track of the warehouse activities in your company with easy-to-read visualizations. Reporting shows optimization potential with regard to storage location management, items or special warehouse processes.

What is the average storage time of different items?
Are there any hidden high costs in the warehouse?
Which orders or contracts are processed on time or late?
How long does the goods putaway process take?
Which warehouse processes need to be optimized?

L-mobile reporting for your warehouse management continuously provides you with real-time data so that you always receive up-to-date and relevant information. This not only gives you an overview, but also allows you to implement future-relevant optimizations and process changes. You can create the basis for analyzing your warehouse processes with a warehouse management system such as L-mobile WMS or a software solution integrated into your ERP system such as L-mobile warehouse. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information on this topic.

Why our mobile warehouse reporting can optimize your logistics processes

The use of reporting software such as L-mobile reporting is an enormous advantage for digital warehouse management. In combination with our mobile warehouse management solution L-mobile warehouse, processes in warehouse management can be analyzed easily and quickly. Both L-mobile warehouse and our reporting tool can be easily integrated into your existing ERP system.

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With L-mobile reporting for your warehouse management you are able to:

collect warehouse data in a business intelligence solution, such as Microsoft Power BI
Centrally retrieve information from your ERP system and other programs
Implement detailed analyses of the individual storage areas, such as putaway, picking, or packaging

Make your warehouse processes more transparent and manage data in real time
Freely design the interface of your warehouse dashboard
Create customized dashboards for managing directors, warehouse managers, and warehouse personnel

More functions of our reporting solution

Personalized dashboards for warehouse managers

Forecast your warehouse management

Low costs & optimal use of resources

Formatted information to support decision-making in real time

Identifying opportunities and risks, weaknesses and strengths

Identifying and exploiting optimization potential

Defining crucial KPIs

Optimizing processes and improving process reliability

Retrievable in real time on mobile devices—platform-independent

warehouse references

L-mobile reference Nani s.a.r.l.

L-mobile reference ERNI Production GmbH & Co. KG

L-mobile digital warehouse management Infor COM case study PASS GmbH & Co. KG

L-mobile digital warehouse management MS Dynamics case study Molkereigenossenschaft Hohenlohe-Franken eG

L-mobile warehouse and Stadler Rail

Learn how Stadler, as one of the leading manufacturers of rail vehicles, uses our mobile warehouse management solution L-mobile warehouse to simplify and accelerate the storage processes for a total of 300,000 individual parts per vehicle.

Watch our reference video now and experience the benefits of L-mobile warehouse for yourself.