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Making critical decisions
on the warehouse

How Bastian Solutions found an advantage in an automated warehouse

Properly organize and sequence orders

In automated distribution centres, properly organizing and sequencing orders is key to ensuring products come out on time.

With so many interactions and dependencies involved in current warehouses, a simulation study is an effective option to understand and help balance these systems.

For Bastian Solutions, simulation modeling was a critical component of helping your cosmetics distribution customer design and implement a highly automated distribution center. The aim was to create a functional simulation model of the facility for use as a decision-making support tool. Bastian Solutions and their talented team of engineers did just that: they built a 3D simulation model using FlexSim simulation software.

Overcoming challenges

Bastian Solutions overcome a number of challenges they encountered in modeling such a complex facility. The model needed to manage 40,000 rows of SAP data and associate this data with elements in FlexSim. This is a good amount of data to manipulate. To resolve this problem, Bastian used FlexSim's integrated SQL functionality to write a series of queries that made the data meaningful and usable in the model.

They also had to discover a way to replicate the logic of their own warehouse execution software (WES), EXACTA, in FlexSim. The WES is the "brain" of the system, sequencing and regulating the release and flow of orders to installation. FlexSim's Process Flow tool was used to replicate WES logic: Bastian Solutions created an algorithm using Process Flow activity blocks to assess the system's capacity against orders. the balanced system. This algorithm is advanced enough to consider order priority and system restrictions as it releases and route containers throughout the facility. It is also easy to read and follow the algorithm while it works, a feature of the construction of centralized and easy-to-digest logic construction from Process Flow.

Bastian Solutions was also able to successfully manage communication between logic created using Process Flow and 3D space. The 3D component of the model is essential for dimensioning the installation and its conveyors and also to visually validate what is happening. Bastian Solutions made extensive use of FlexSim's "Wait Event" functionality, which they cited as a powerful framework for communication and transfer between model logic and its 3D presentation.
Objectives

Create a functional simulation model as a decision support tool.

Investigate changes in:

  • Slotting products.
  • Order volumes/mixing orders.
  • Workload balance.
  • Logic of warehouse control system.
  • Staff plans and programming.
  • Operator productivity.
Results

Valuable decision-making support tool, now and in the future.

Ability to answer questions about:

  • Current state of the system.
  • Information on daily events.
  • Usage and work rates.
  • Balance of areas and areas.