Warehouse Control Systems

The backbone of automated warehouse processes

Warehouse control systems (WCS), also known as material flow systems (MFS), control automated warehouses on an operational level. They control conveyor systems, sorting systems, shuttles and other automated components in real time to ensure that goods move smoothly and efficiently through the warehouse. A WCS delivers maximum performance when every second matters.

In contrast to a warehouse management system (WMS) or warehouse execution system (WES), which both perform strategic and administrative tasks in addition to connecting systems, a WCS acts on a strictly operational level to fulfill orders efficiently.

Would you like to optimize your material flow with a KNAPP WCS?

Warehouse Management System

Management, control and optimization of warehouse processes

KiSoft WCS

Controls and optimizes automated warehouse processes efficiently and in real time

SAP® EWM MFS by KNAPP

Controls material flows and routing

Why a powerful warehouse control system is worth it

As the level of automation in warehouses increases, the complexity of controlling these warehouses does, too. High-complexity, highly automated warehouses are exactly where warehouse control systems reveal their full potential.

Real-time control
Warehouse control systems need to be able to react to events in the warehouse – such as incoming items that may need rerouting or goods flows that may need diverting – in milliseconds. This split-second reactivity allows systems to control automation in real time and makes high throughputs possible.
Intelligent control system
The goods flow itself can only be optimized by intelligent control algorithms, which also need to avoid bottlenecks and evenly distribute the workload.

Avoids downtimes
The earlier sources of error can be detected, the better material flows can be redirected automatically, therefore raising the system’s availability.
Communicates between systems
Warehouse control systems act as an intermediary between IT systems (such as the WES) and the machine control level to seamlessly integrate automation technology.

KNAPP supports you in implementing your WCS

A warehouse control system is a key component of automated warehouses. However, it’s also a highly sensitive system with a lot of dependencies. When choosing a WCS, it’s important to standardize, plan tests and manage suppliers early to reduce risks and create a solid foundation for stable and scalable intralogistics.

Although businesses can benefit greatly from implementing a WCS, the process may also include the following challenges:

Technical complexity and high number of interfaces

A WCS has to communicate with a number of systems, from conveyors and robotic solutions to different handling equipment and sorter solutions. Integrated systems from a single supplier help mitigate this challenge because most of the interfaces are standardized internal interfaces that have been deployed many times before.

Real-time capability and system stability

Warehouse control systems need to react in milliseconds because delays directly interrupt the goods flow. Therefore, time-consuming calculations in the background or communication with long return times should be avoided.

Supplier dependency

WCS providers always need to be able to adapt to other suppliers’ interfaces. A lack of standardization can increase overheads, not to mention risk.

FAQs – Key questions and answers

Can a WCS be connected to any ERP system or WMS?

In theory, a WCS can be connected with any ERP system or WMS. The cost and complexity of integration generally depend on engineering the interface to connect the systems and on what technologies are available for the connection (REST, API, MQTT, TCP/IP etc.).

What types of warehouse technology can a WCS control?

Since connecting automation technology and control software is one of the main tasks of a WCS, its architecture is designed specifically to allow it to connect to any warehouse technology or control software through interfaces.

How clearly are the functions of the systems delineated?

In theory, the boundaries between a WMS, WES and WCS software are clearly delineated. In practice, however, the functions of the systems overlap. For example, if the WMS is missing a functionality that can no longer be integrated, then the function can be performed by the WCS instead. Changing these functionalities also changes the boundaries of the system responsibilities, so the decision to alter them must not be taken lightly.

How quickly can a WCS be implemented?

The time it takes to implement a WCS depends on the complexity of the warehouse and its level of automation, as well as the interfaces to the existing systems. Generally, implementation can take anywhere from 2–4 months to about a year.

How well can a WCS scale with future requirements?

A high-performance warehouse control system is designed to be able to keep up with growing requirements, whether that’s a rise in throughput or the integration of new automation components. Scalable system architecture is key to providing the optimal support for this flexibility. State-of-the-art database and server solutions process data reliably, even if there’s a lot of it. A powerful network structure also plays a major role because low latency ensures that all components communicate and perform flawlessly.