Performance Improvement of Inventory Management System Processes by an Automated Warehouse Management System

TLDR

The study examines how a warehouse management system improves supply chain performance by reducing resource effort and enhancing inventory reliability. The authors customized a warehouse management system, collected data from a Jordanian telecom warehouse, and introduced a production station with bundling, labeling, and repackaging to manage the receiving, processing, and distribution of SIM and prepaid cards. Testing showed the system improved workflow and space utilization, identified process gaps, and provides a practical guide that highlights the theory‑practice gap and motivates further research.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of a warehouse management system on supply chain performance that provides less resources effort, more efficient, and reliable inventory management system. The supply chain procedures carried out in the warehouse were reviewed before customizing a software that can handle the necessary transactions. The software was tested for enhancing the work flow and providing a timely and efficient handling. Data was collected from the warehouse of a leading telecommunications service provider in Jordan. Furthermore, the facility layout was studied and we introduced a production station within the warehouse, which resulted in better space optimization/utilization of the warehouse. The production station consists of three steps: bundling, labelling, and repackaging. The system handles three phases of product lifecycle: receiving, processing, and distribution of SIM and prepaid scratch cards. Each phase of the product lifecycle was discussed in detail and the process/procedure gaps were identified. This work can serve both as a practical guide and industrial example for some researchers to compare the software inventory management system with the traditional manual system in the telecommunications sector in Jordan. It also highlights the gap between theory and practice; to motivate researchers to develop and customize new systems for mitigating supply chain disruptions.