• Alias and Alternative Part Number Control

  Unlike most ERP technology, Waer’s Alias function allows each supply chain partner to identify the same physical product using several part-numbering systems. This means that any company can be part of a fully integrated supply chain without going through the pain of changing their internal part numbering in order to tie in with the rest of the chain. Alternative/equivalent part numbering allows different physical products to be used in place of the requested product.

  WAERlinx provides functionality that allows the system to allocate and pick an alternative part number to the one set out in the customer demand. It has three mechanisms that support this function:

  •  Supersession – one part is replaced by another, usually a newer version. This is a permanent change, which can be effective-dated.

  •  Substitution – where one part can be used instead of another; this usually occurs when there is insufficient inventory of one part. This is a simple replacement and usually temporary.

  •  Superior Alternatives – where one part can be used instead of another, the replacement is not bi-directional and a multiple number of alternative part numbers can be used and sequenced in order of priority. The use of Alternatives can be set up to manage parts utilised in Kits, automated ‘Point of Use’ replenishment or regular demands.

  Alternatives/equivalents handling within WAERlinx has many benefits, including reducing inventory levels, improving customer order conversion and managing engineering design changes.

• Batch/Lot Traceability (Track and Trace)

  WAERlinx ensures that every piece of relevant information about items that pass through your system is accurately recorded and retained for as long as is needed. You can zero in on any part and immediately find what you need relating to supplier, batch, lot and origin. All movements are recorded, and archived historical transactions are easily retrieved.

  In this way, WAERlinx becomes an integral part of your QMS, integrating with your existing ERP system, ensuring that only approved or secure sources enter your supply chain.

• BOM Management

  The backbone of any Kitting and Light Assembly function is its Bill of Material (BOM) management capability. In WAERlinx, the BOM Management feature includes BOM effective-dating, multi-level BOMs, version-contolled component lists and flexible rules to control the issuing of material to kits.

• Bonded/Customs Management

  Essentially, a bonded warehouse is a facility that is authorised by a government’s customs and excise department for the storage of dutiable goods without paying the duties on those goods until they are released for sale. As a result, any company that has international capabilities or aspirations has a need to manage their inventory in bonded warehousing.

  The WAERlinx Bonded Store Module incorporates several demand types and alerts to effectively manage a bonded environment. It dovetails with requirements for country-specific customs and excise regulations and has specific KPIs, with colour-coded reports on the WAERconsole dashboard. Our solution ensures that documents are produced at the correct times, applies rigid procedures to recording of receipt and despatch details, and provides comprehensive audit tools for compliance and asset tracking, making bonded warehouse management plain sailing.

• Shelf Life and Cure Date Handling

  In WAERlinx, a part number can be set to require either an expiry date or a cure date. If these elements are enforced then a user will not be able to create items of inventory without entering the appropriate date. When an item has an expiry date, the system will not allow it to be allocated or shipped once its expiry date has been reached. WAERlinx can generate an expiry date using the concept of shelf life. If a part number is defined as having a shelf life, its expiry date is calculated by adding the shelf life to the manufacturing date. A cure date is different in that it is the date on which an item is ready for use and it will not be available for allocation until this date has passed.

• Warehouse Management (WMS)

  At the heart of WAERlinx lies a Cloud-based Warehouse Management System (WMS) that can boast years of development and improvement. Its extensive, straightforward functionality has evolved from the exacting demands of quality and integrity of the aerospace and defence industries. Features can be readily enabled or disabled as required, ensuring that the user’s experience is strictly relevant to the task in hand.

  All the functionality, visibility and reporting you would expect to find in a next generation warehousing management solution is integrated into WAERlinx.

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• Document Management

  WAERlinx allows the user to scan and load documents, such as Certificates of Conformance and Test Certificates, when inventory is Goods Received .

  But that’s not all. Unlike other systems, WAERlinx provides a unique opportunity for its customers to customise outbound documentation; it can be enriched with specific information such as Certification Statements, VAT numbers and logos, for example.

  This can be enormously helpful for customers with a forward stock location in different areas of the world, for example, where invoices need to be printed and shipped with the product, or who have to prepare shipping documents that need to meet certain requirements for customs clearance.

  And once created, these documents are stored within the user’s unique WAERlinx module and can be reprinted at will. When a demand is added, picked, packed and shipped the documents are printed to accompany the shipment, saving a great deal of time and resources.

• Kitting

  Kits are simply a combination of products or components that are grouped and packaged together in pre-defined quantities and sizes, and supplied in a single unit. They have a multitude of applications including manufacturing, aerospace and defence, electronics, spares, and repairs.

  Visibility is provided for all components within the kit, with full track & trace control. A new kit will have a unique new part number, but historical information about all components is maintained, so you can always drill down to get as much detail as you need.

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• Flexible Units of Measure (UOM) Handling

   

  WAERlinx has been designed to control a diverse range of inventory, from rolls of carbon fibre to drums of paint. With WAERlinx, users have a high degree of flexibility in how they define the storage units of these items. They define their own units of measure, can have as many as they need, and these can be unique to their business. Each unit of measure is categorised and we support:

  • Units

  • Weight

  • Length

  • Volume

  • Time

  A conversion factor is held against each UOM that allows it to be converted against the base UOM for the given category. In this way items can be received and stored using one UOM, and ordered and shipped using a different one.

• Inventory Ownership Control

  If you’re looking for improved functionality for controlling the actual ownership of material at any point in a supply chain, then our Ownership Control feature provides the solution. Particularly relevant in a VMI scenario, the feature allows a billing signal to be triggered at the point when ownership is transferred from supplier to customer. Further, the feature allows you to selectively control which supplier’s material may be used to ship to particular customer locations, and in what priority.

• Warehouse Modelling

  Warehouses, and the distinct zones and storage areas that exist within them, can be modeled in fine detail with WAERlinx. Operationally, this means that the work that is carried out within the warehouse is supported by functionality that’s fit for its intended purpose, and which supports evolution and growth.

  Inventory movement and storage rules, warehouse operator profiling, and warehouse work task management all help to ensure that the required controls are applied throughout the warehouse.

• Serial Tracking

  Certain components or products are provided with a unique serial number. WAERlinx has a tracking system that provides information concerning the movements of specific serial numbers; particularly important for maintaining certain quality assurance systems or managing warranty claims. WAERlinx manages the control and visibility of serial-tracked parts, and this ensures that serial numbers cannot be duplicated within the supply chain.

• Other Inventory Functionality

  •  Audit trail – Historical Transactions

  •  Perpetual Inventory and Cycle Counting

  •  Consigned Inventory

Supply chain possibilities