A Novel Interoperability Evaluation Framework for the Warehouse Management System

Warehouse management is a critical element in the supply chain. The rise of e-commerce demands ‘any-mix any-volume’ customized and personalized orders. Due to the variety of products in ‘any-mix any-volume’ scenario the warehouse operations have become complex. The advent of multi-channel commerce has reduced the minimum order quantity (MOQ), claiming frequent changes. The ‘any-mix any-volume’ operations require flexible automation for product storage, retrieval, packing and shipping. Seamless operations of multiple devices are essential for automating flexible warehouses. For effective flexible operations, the Warehouse Management System (WMS) requires controlling the automation devices and associated auxiliary systems. Heterogenous automation devices with distinct communication protocols, data formats and connectivity are challenges for WMS centered control. An interoperable WMS can enable seamless communication and data exchange among devices. In this work, the interoperability of the WMS and various aspects of interoperability of engineering systems are presented. Different WMS system designs are considered and evaluated for the interoperability requirements. A framework for evaluating the interoperability of a WMS is proposed which is validated through experimental trials at an industry grade warehouse.