The need for efficiency in the warehousing industry has never been greater, with personnel, fuel and transportation continuing to rise each year. Simulation provides a way to put a warehouse to the test in a risk-free environmentwithout disturbing the existing warehouse system. It also enables users to determine minimum actual costs without sacrificing the required output.

Simulation can test and improve the WMS (warehouse management system) control rules. Many suppliers say that their rules ‘optimize’ the dispatching of orders but no one can (or will) prove that the rules function good in the dynamic reality. Simulation ca provide an inexpensive platform to test and improve these controls.

Operational use:
Apart from analyzing on a strategic and tactical level, simulation can also show its use in the day-to-day operation. As models can be fed with real orders it is possible to determine where and (more important) when operators and equipment are needed. If you interactively manipulate the release of orders, the simulation model turns into a planning tool.
Benefits: reduce operational costs, predict and plan operators, convince people of new work strategy, determine the ROI of mechanized systems.