Keymas K-Pick and SAP Picking conveyor systems integration

Read the case study of our K-Pick automated paperless picking system integrated with SAP for a customer. Or download the case study on our case studies page.

Summary

A leading distributor of assembly and fasters, who were an exsisting Keymas conveyor customer, needed to integrate into the new worldwide deployment of the SAP system. Keymas worked with the company to implement the integration to allow pick to box operations carried out in the warehouse to fulfil orders from the SAP business system.

Backstory

As a long standing Keymas customer. There was a current conveyor picking system that has been working to give great results for over 15 years. The company is part of a larger worldwide group was in the processes of updating it’s business system including order management over to SAP.

The company wanted to keep the picking performance that the current conveyor picking system including wireless scanners, box routing and automatic shipping label applicator offered. But the information to fulfil the orders and the feedback needed to be integrated into SAP.

Potential Challenges

Working with a core team from the UK and Germany could have presented challanges in collabaration. Also, integrating with a customised system also can present challenages in how the systems work together. IT integration can present it’s own challanges if not handled correctly.

Also, swapping systems to go live would have to be co-ordinated so that there would be minimal business disruption.

Solution

The solution by Keymas was to develop an SAP integration between the conveyor order picking system and the SAP business system. Project managing and defining specifications was going to be an important part of managing a complex project, so a working system specification was designed between the various teams and regular teleconference meetings co-ordinated to keep everyone updated.

Outcome

Working with the teams from the UK and Germany, Keymas successfully integrated the K-Pick box conveyor and wifi arm scanner picking system with SAP.

This included:

• Integration beteen Keymas’s K-Store and SAP
• Order picking using the conveyor routing and arm scanners to fulfil orders
• Box routing on conveyor
• Feedback on picks on the conveyor to the business system
• Quality control systems to catch any problems with picks in boxes
• Document generation for despatch notes
• Integration with automatic shipping label applicator
• Reports on the information passed between the systems
• Real time box and order tracking search to allow users to find boxes on the conveyor system

Reflection

The success of the project has been down to the various teams working together to implement the integrated systems on time and within the required time window to go live. Keymas works hard to meet the complex needs of businesses. Because the systems are designed and implemented by our teams means that any situations that arise a solution can be found and implemented fast to keep the project on track.

The automated conveyor picking system with wifi arm scanners means that the picking efficiency has been kept but is now complemented by SAP worldwide business system on the operation of the company.