ASCTrac™ WMS to Macola ERP Option Module

ASCTrac to Macola Option Module

The ASCTrac ^tm WMS system can complement your Macola ERP financial system investment with a very powerful and very extensive warehouse management and manufacturing solution. ASC has developed a certified interface for the Macola SQL Progression series product that provides a seamless path between the two systems. Therefore, the accounting people can utilize their familiar screens and the warehouse people can work with the same data at the point of activity in the warehouse using their handheld wireless devices. With this ASC interface, all data is entered only once (at the point of order entry) and never needs to be re-keyed. In addition, it is "real time" data available to the entire enterprise with accuracy that can only be achieved with auto ID technology.

"Real-time Information at the point of activity."

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Warehouse Component: 

Since ASCTrac ™ WMS utilizes automatic identification bar code technology, in addition to wireless bar code hand-held units, all warehouse data is accurate and real time. At the point of activity in the warehouse, instant verification occurs for all inventory transactions (such as receipts, picks, moves, physical counts, cycle counts, repacks, scraps, quality control holds and releases, parcel shipping, trailer shipping, etc.) That means instant reconciliation if a picking error occurs.

Moreover, with all of the management side of the warehouse at stake, (i.e., labor resources, location utilization, rapid picks, zone control, ABC logic, throughput capacities, burden costs, planning, ASN/EDI, etc.), the deployment of ASCTrac™ WMS simply makes good management sense.

Manufacturing Component:

In addition to our warehouse functions, ASCTrac ™ WMS has a very extensive manufacturing systems environment. It provides modules for Work Orders, Manufacturing Execution (MX), Work-in-Process Labor tracking, Work-in-Process Inventory tracking (customizable), and various interfaces to PLC’s, automatic labeling systems, conveyor systems, pick-to-light systems, carousel systems, etc.

Technology:

This interface was constructed with the assistance of Macola developers and Macola premium resellers when the Progressive series was being developed by Macola in 1997. It has been field proven and has undergone several version releases as Macola provides updates to the Progression series.

ASC’s Macola interface connects the ASCTrac™ WMS to the Macola ERP directly through the attachment to Macola’s SQL tables. It is an extensive connection to Macola as the data in Macola exists in many areas. All data is then available to the ASCTrac ™ WMS system in real time for:

     - Purchase Order receiving (validated expected receipts)

     - Warehouse Inventory functions

     - Customer Order picking

     - and optional Work Orders for manufacturing

The ASCTrac Macola interface eliminates the Macola keyboard entries required for all of the line items to Confirm Ship an order. When you have a fast-moving warehouse, manual entries can become a real bottleneck - and manual keystroke entries can be mistyped. With ASCTrac automation, the tasks become seamless, faster, and much more accurate.

Additionally, if you do not ship full quantities of a line item, the system will allow you to confirm ship partial shipments, allows creation of an invoice for what was shipped, and allows later shipments on the same order until completed (*automated multi-shipments are a new feature.) This works well for companies that rely on nightly invoice runs , and/or invoice for each shipment of multi-shipments, and do not even touch Macola’s Select for Billing function. It also works well for companies who manufacture items made to order, and the full order could span multiple trailers (or shipments), and you wish to invoice at each shipment (or combine shipment invoices automatically.) It even automatically queues data for multiple invoices if multiple shipments are made before a Macola Invoice run has occurred - this insures Macola’s checks and balances are followed, and no invoices are missed for any shipments. Additionally, it will automatically combine shipments before an invoice is created (if so desired, to reduce the number of actual Macola invoices if preset invoice runs are used.) That’s a lot of power that is fully automated.

The Select for Billing automation is a selectable feature of the ASC Interface. It can be switched on or off via a configuration flag.

For Purchase Order Receipts, Inventory, and optional Work Orders modules, ASC sweeps data directly from the files of Macola based upon certain conditions, and synchronizes the two systems. For example, one synchronization occurs automatically if the host system (Macola) shows 100 blue widgets in inventory, and the WMS indicates 90, the interface flags the blue widgets for a cycle count to correct the deviation. It is a very controlled procedure that gets the inventory accuracy to 100% in the warehouse.

Financially speaking, 100% accuracy of inventory is especially important so that an accurate inventory accounting value is presented.

The ASCTrac Macola Interface is the most extensive and interactive WMS interface to Macola’s Progression Series ERP that exists today. No one else has the skill set nor have they invested the time and effort it takes to develop this type of automated interface to Macola. ASC has years of experience in interfaces to ERP systems, and we take pride in partnering with Macola to provide this quality automated WMS interface.

Benefits of Using ASCTrac-to-Macola Interface:

• Compliments your Macola ERP investment with a true warehouse management system
• Seamless integration with "data entered only once" concept (OE drives the fulfillment)
• Increases ability to automate and speed up the invoicing process
• Increases accuracy (which improves inventory and customer satisfaction)
• Adheres to Macola’s checks-and-balances for invoicing shipments
• Allows seamless warehouse multi-shipments per same order (may be called "backorders")
• Allows automated multi-invoices for multi-shipments on the same Macola order number
• Instantly locks OE orders when selected by warehouse RF user for picking to allow orders to be changed right up until pick time. (To change orders after picking starts, simply unlock, and add changes.) This allows a Macola OE user to be instantly notified if they initiate a change.
• Utilize wireless real-time devices at the point of activity in the warehouse (to insure immediate inventory movements and validate data on the spot; eliminates batch-mode reconciliations)
• Employ auto-ID technology for accuracy and faster performance with reduced labor costs
• If the Macola system goes down for some reason, i.e., backup procedures, the ASCTrac system is still running the warehouse. ASCTrac is designed for full 24/7/365 without any shutdowns. It will pick back up where it left off with Macola synchronization once Macola is back up.
• Optionally, implement various manufacturing tracking solutions with special interfaces
• Tested, proven, and uses a rapid deployment methodology
• ROI - Return On Investment in months, not years

See our other module pages for additional functionality and details.  Information on other available modules (and the tremendous features list) can also be obtained by contacting ASC or one of our Solution Partners.  

(Note: Specifications are subject to change without notice. All product and company names are trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Macola and Progression are trademarks of Exact Software.)