Supply Chain Management
Innovations Drive ASC
Q
How do you go from EXECUTION to ORCHESTRATION in your supply chain?
A
Innovation.
Innovations from ASC were awarded the ‘Microsoft® Pinnacle Award for Innovation’ and those innovations are the key to our daily business operations. By using ASC’s advanced workflow solutions, we save time, ensure accuracy, and keep our customers happy. Additionally, we are able to ship customer orders almost as fast they are entered.”
Ken W. – ASCTrac® user
Award winning innovations
Consistently winning top awards every year, we are pioneers and innovators in our processes to solve complex supply chain challenges.
Adaptable and affordable innovations
In today’s ever-changing business environment, your clients' needs have become more complex. They require more features, more automation, better adaptability, and affordable costs when solving complex challenges in the supply chain. As a leader in innovation, ASC can proudly say that “we have been there, done that” and adaptability is built into our solutions.
Orchestration by innovation:
As an example; ASC has engineered complex algorithms for conveyor and automated picking systems using pick waves from multiple zones. We believe in automating a proactive approach (orchestration), versus a reactive approach (execution or expediting mode.) This type of innovation allows our clients to easily move from conception, to execution. and finally to full orchestration excellence in their operations.
ASC experience:
You and your company can benefit from both our experience and continuing innovations, as we are constantly adding new features and innovations, allowing for real orchestration in your supply chain.
Some examples of our innovations are:
01
Built-in Visual Customer Order Scheduler Based Upon Supply
ASC has announced new supply chain planning tools with built-in advanced visual customer order schedulers for predicting "supply" in highly variable supply chains (hourly variance.) This runs in conjunction with demand, but can run in conjunction with ASC's Demand Forecasting, ASC’s MRP, and ASC’s Shop Floor where every portion of supply and demand are seamlessly connected. ASC focuses on “Connecting the Dots in Your Supply Chain®”. The customer is the most important ingredient, and you can now dynamically match supply and demand to deliver your promised goods on schedule. True orchestration! (deployed 2016.)
02
Built-in Embedded Mobile Device Management for ASCtrac® WMS
ASC announces another innovation – an embedded tool set inside best-of-breed Warehouse Management System (WMS), ASCTrac® WMS. Designed for large-scale global deployments, every ASCTrac® Mobile device can be checked and updated seamlessly in a global enterprise. Every mobile device, printer, and wireless access point can be tracked and supported from a single console by the IT team all inside ASCTrac® WMS. Administrators can track all supported devices across the enterprise and devices can be segregated by country, region, site, language and more. Usage metrics can be tracked per group, by site, or other search criteria.
03
Built-in Mobile Device - Worker Proof of Process
ASC announced in 2016 multiple new built-in apps for the mobile worker that gives the ability to snap a camera shot of a quality issue, or a truck inspection, or any other in-line-process proof using the same device as used daily in operations. This gives the user more freedom to be mobile and move to the next task without ever leaving the fork truck or changing work queues and gives the managers the ability to dynamically see what is happening in their operations or provide legal proof of an event. (Runs in conjunction with ASC's patented RF engine for sub-second response and guaranteed no-lost transactions.)
04
Built-in User Definable Business Intelligence Portal-bi Portal
ASC announced in 2016 a new built-in user-defined data portal for the ASCTrac® Distribution and Manufacturing business intelligence (BI) views. This gives the managers the ability to dynamically create their own views of WMS business intelligence information customized to suit their needs. (Metrics were already there as part of the core product.)
05
Built-in User-defined Data Views
In our WMS software, we were the first to create built-in user-defined data views for the WMS warehouse worker. This gave the warehouse users the ability to dynamically create their own views of WMS information on their screens unlike the older locked designs. It allows processes to work better for the WMS worker and set the standards for a WMS user interface. (deployed 1989, then again in 1996)
06
Easy-to-use Engineered Screen Designs
We were the first to create built-in easy-to-use engineered screen designs for the WMS mobile worker to optimize fewer keystrokes and to allow users to configure their own WMS views to what they needed to see at the point of activity. (deployed 1989)
07
WMS Processes to Auto-size Customer Order
We were the first to create built-in WMS processes to auto-size customer orders (based upon size and weight dimensions) and create optimum picking paths for zone picking. Our software won an award for innovation from Microsoft for this feature. (deployed 1989, and 2005)
08
Wireless WMS 3-tier Intelligent Client Server Processing
We were the first to create a built-in wireless WMS 3-tier intelligent client-server processing that guaranteed sub-second response with guaranteed no 'lost transactions." We won a technology award from Symbol - Motorola (now Zebra) for this fast and secure TCP/IP packet layer protocol. (deployed 1992)
09
WMS Physical Counting Methods
We were the first to create built-in WMS physical counting methods that were designed for no-shut-down processing where we first coined the phrase "floating physical" using wireless devices. This allowed for all warehouse functions to continue (based upon a configuration) while a complete or controlled physical was being conducted. (deployed 1990)
10
WMS Wireless Label Printing, Electronic Document Controls, and Paper Clip Picture and Document Functions
We were the first to create built-in WMS wireless label printing, electronic document controls, and paper clip picture and document functions. This was announced during a key presentation at a national Lexmark printer conference. (deployed 2001)
11
Intelligent and Compact CSMA Wireless Protocol
We were the first to create a built-in intelligent and compact CSMA wireless protocol for wireless technologies (narrowband) to ensure fast-respond for outside coverage over a 5-mile range (ship-to-shore, or banana plantations, utility companies, farm tracts, timber, etc.) for WMS inventory tracking. We won a technology award for this from Psion PLC. (deployed 1992)
12
Convert Psion PLC Hand Held Units
Continuing our WMS wireless innovations from the last entry, we were the first ones to convert Psion PLC hand-held units from batch to wireless mobile devices to use with our WMS solutions. Long distance narrow band radios were used first, and then we migrated to the newer spread spectrum radios. This challenged the current school of thought at that time regarding batch versus wireless. (deployed 1992)
13
True Chain-of-custody for Route Drivers
We were the first to create true chain-of-custody for route drivers (combining our ASCRoute® with our ASCTrac® WMS and including our ArmoredTrac® product) using technology to verify the loads, the deliveries, and any pickups on the route. (deployed 1997)
14
Standard Built-in WMS RFID Scanning and Printing Functions
We were the first to create standard built-in WMS RFID scanning and printing functions to the WMS software without using any middleware and without adding any price increase to the product. This was demonstrated at the Dayton RFID facility and discussed at the DOD RFID conference in Washington DC where ASC Founder, Pete Gilstrap, was the Chairperson for the DOD event. (deployed 2005)
15
WMS Print Server to Handle Enterprise-attached Bar Code Printers
We were the first to create our own built-in WMS print server to handle enterprise-attached bar code printers using the printer's native language to insure incredibly fast response. This can be used globally - for example, to print serialized bar code labels at the overseas manufacturing facilities. (deployed 1990)
16
Containerized Freight Tracking in Our WMS System
We were the first to create a built-in containerized freight tracking in our WMS system to verify inventory being loaded onto ocean-going freight containers, and then allowing a financial system to see that data for on the water payments. It handles all statuses of where the container is at. And for port pickups, mobile devices are supported for selection of the optimum container to pick up at port. (deployed 2003)
17
Report Writer in WMS at No Additional Cost
We were the first to include a built-in report writer in a WMS at no additional cost that is fully integrated inside the product, not an external product. It allows user defined reports with PDF and Excel extraction based upon Sarbanes Oxley compliant security standards to allow user access. (deployed 1996)
18
Tier 1 WMS Solution Designed for Food and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
We were the first to create a specific Tier 1 WMS solution especially designed for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers (first used at one of the world's largest food manufacturing companies) that could be fully supported and implemented completely by our Tier 1 clients for unlimited users and for unlimited sites in a global environment. (deployed 1996)
19
Built-in WMS Voice Picking Option
We were the first to create a built-in WMS VOICE picking option that is in the core product. No external interfaces are required, and it supports scanning, voice, and RFID on the same devices and on the same servers without sacrificing any wireless bandwidth. (deployed 2008)
20
Innovation Drives ASC
We were the first to create a specific Tier 1 WMS solution especially designed for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers (first used at one of the world's largest food manufacturing companies) that could be fully supported and implemented completely by our Tier 1 clients for unlimited users and for unlimited sites in a global environment. They could deploy as many locations, users, or copies as they desired at no extra charge. (deployed 1996)
Bottom Line:
ASC has the best record of innovations and the best ROI and TCO in the industry.
Want to know more? Contact us and we will help you become successful too!