Using Warehouse Simulation Software to Improve Layout and Workflow

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Validate, verify and visualise change before it happens

You’re always looking for ways to optimise resources, increase agility and avoid unnecessary costs in your warehouse. However, each potential solution comes with risk. Some of these risks are not always obvious on paper, and some aren’t even apparent until after implementation — when it’s too late to make easy adjustments, and resolution becomes much more expensive and time consuming. To move forward with confidence, you need something like a crystal ball — a way to explore the impact of change, virtually. Dematic offers a way to validate and verify change at the concepting phase well before you go-live.

Dematic Software offers a facility emulation and simulation platform that provides an isolated, digital environment where you can safely explore a solution without impacting day-to-day operations. Before going live you can assess the impact of software updates or operational changes without concern to the functionality of your business. By using a virtual model to validate and visualise future changes, you mitigate risk, maximise uptime, and avoid unnecessary costs in the real world.

Reduce risk for new projects and support ongoing operations

Dematic Software creates a virtual model of your warehouse. This model can use a sample set of data or direct connection to your warehouse software to:

  • Confirm software functional capabilities and customisations with a model that closely represents your planned or actual facility
  • Validate software integrations, as well as computer hardware and network compatibility and requirements
  • Develop realistic estimates of throughput rates for maximum-load and other defined scenarios (high-volume days, regular days and low-volume days)
  • Diagnose bottlenecks and anomalies, and evaluate their impacts
  • Test what-if scenarios for exception handling, alternative load handling strategies, or new software implementations without expensive pilot programs or operational disturbances

Gain a true perspective of real-world cause and effects with Dematic Software. If an issue does arise out of the model, you can explore potential solutions within the platform to help you mitigate risk, sidestep costly change-orders and optimise operational strategies.

Immerse yourself in your virtual facility

Simulations are a critical tool in understanding and validating the potential effect of a change in operations. They’re even more powerful when you can immerse yourself in a three-dimensional virtual reality model of your warehouse. This virtual reality environment offers a unique perspective that simply isn’t possible with a static plan on screen or paper.

Using advanced gaming and three-dimensional graphic-rendering technologies as well as proprietary physics algorithms, Dematic Software accurately portrays the flow of work and inventory through your warehouse. Combined with a direct connection to the host system, these powerful tools create a virtual version of your facility that functions very much like the real thing.

Dematic Software can display its 3D simulations on a monitor, or you can explore your digital warehouse first-hand using a virtual reality headset and controls.

Reveal your future

Rely on Dematic Software to help you better prepare for the future by safely simulating change today. Benefits to your bottom line:

  • Experience changes to your facility before they happen
  • Visualise equipment layout and material flow
  • Identify and mitigate operational issues
  • Demonstrate successful strategies and make challenges tangible

Avoid the “go-live scramble”

  • Validate end-to-end functional requirements
  • Test integration with WMS and confirm hardware specifications
  • Simulate peak volumes
  • Evaluate response to unexpected events and disruptions

Assess the impact of change

  • Test software updates, pre-release
  • Evaluate and adapt to profile changes
  • Assess the impact of labour shortages

A key component of the Dematic Operate portfolio

Virtual simulation is a key component of our growing software portfolio. Changes in an operation have significant business impact. We understand and take a consultative, software-first approach that empowers your people and physical systems to meet the changing demands of the industry. Gain the competitive edge of best-in-class intralogistics by collaborating with Dematic to enhance the performance of your facility now and into the future.

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