Once the PVX warehouse management system (WMS) is operating, most of the day-to-day activities of the warehouse operators are carried out using a mobile device equipped with the PVX mobile app. This offers several advantages:
Operators can perform all the necessary barcode scans at different locations in the warehouse.
The workflow for each operation can be easily configured to suit the company's processes.
Work can continue even when the mobile app is offline due to signal blackspots in the warehouse; the mobile app will synchronise with the web app as soon as the signal is regained.
The app is simple to use, making training of new operators very rapid.
This article gives a very brief overview of the mobile app and how an operator can use it to perform various tasks.
Working with the app
The mobile app allows operators in the warehouse to perform many different actions as needed to fulfil orders and manage the inventory in the warehouse. Picking actions created using the PVX web app for specific sales orders are performed using the mobile app, as are actions to receive, put away, move, remove and count inventory items. Even despatching is possible from the app providing that this option is enabled on your account.
Once selected, each action is broken down into a series of barcode scans, usually of the item labels and the relevant location(s) in the warehouse. The exact sequence of steps depends on the type of action, but all are very similar.
The mobile app can accommodate a range of ways of working depending on the scale of your warehouse operation and the mobile device being used.
Offline working and synchronisation
Under ideal conditions, the mobile app frequently synchronises its records over the Internet to update the web app so that inventory can be precisely tracked through the warehouse in real time. Operators can also manually run the synchronisation routine as needed. However, if there is an area of the warehouse where the wi-fi doesn't reach, the mobile app allows operators to continue working offline. All actions completed are stored in memory and then the mobile and web apps automatically synchronise once the wi-fi signal is regained.
More information on setting up the mobile devices on your WMS and working with the mobile app can be found in separate articles.