NetSphere WCS

WCS (Warehouse Control System) is a software system responsible for automating warehouses or distribution centers. It acts as an intermediary manager, interacting with WMS (Warehouse Management System) above and ECS (Equipment Control System) below, effectively connecting them. In other words, WCS receives information from WMS regarding inventory flow and interfaces with equipment and machinery within the distribution center (ECS) to provide real-time integrated control of various automation devices and equipment. It ensures seamless coordination and optimization of operations by enabling efficient communication and synchronization between the different systems involved in warehouse automation.

*NetSphere is the proprietary brand name used by Altiall to refer to all of its developed automation software programs.

Key Features of NetSphere WCS

NetSphere WCS (Warehouse Control System) is a system designed to manage and optimize the flow of materials within a warehouse or distribution center. Its main purpose is to achieve efficient and streamlined operations by monitoring the flow of all materials and the status of equipment in real-time. NetSphere WCS is responsible for issuing instructions to automated devices and equipment to ensure they align with the optimization goals and maintain smooth operations.

Through NetSphere WCS, the following activities are carried out in real-time:

Integration and control of equipment and machinery
Integration of fixed scanners
Integration of mobile scanners
Integration of auto-labelers
Integration of weighing systems
Operation and management of automated sorters
Automation management for picking processes
Manual picking management
Inbound and outbound management
Inventory replenishment management
Inventory management
Integration with automated warehouses
Material flow control
Integration with host systems

NetSphere WCS enables real-time monitoring and control of these activities to ensure efficient and optimized warehouse operations.

Features of NetSphere WCS

NetSphere WCS provides a consistent standard interface for automation facilities and monitors the real-time activities and status of the equipment to ensure smooth operation of the Material Equipment Sub-System (ECS) and control the flow of materials. It ultimately offers standardized integrated processes to fulfill customer requirements.

NetSphere WCS encompasses various functionalities such as material flow control, control of automation facilities, and integration with business intelligence and host systems (ERP, WMS) to schedule and operate tasks/jobs. The advantage and competitiveness of NetSphere WCS lie in its comprehensive coverage of these extensive functionalities.

As a result, NetSphere WCS leverages low-level visibility into the logistics center to quickly address the operational requirements and challenges faced by the industry. Particularly in automated logistics centers, NetSphere WCS provides an optimal solution by seamlessly integrating with storage, picking, and sorting systems to fulfill customer orders in real-time.

NetSphere WCS System Architecture

NetSphere WCS software composition and features

NetSphere WCS Server

Controls the material flow of all automation facilities within the distribution center.
Integrates with upper-level systems (WMS) through real-time interfaces.

NetSphere WCS Management Server

Provides operators with a user interface to monitor and control the equipment control system in real-time.
Offers HTML5-based web application for monitoring and control anytime, anywhere.

NetSphere SCADA Server

Monitors I/O at the PLC level of the facilities
Acts as a monitoring system at the data level of the facilities.

NetSphere WCS Layout Designer

Configures the actual layout of facilities in the distribution center
Manages facilities based on device type and sub-type
Defines the connection relationships between facilities (Device Port - Device Port)

NetSphere WCS Material Flow Designer

Models all material flows within the logistics center and registers them as operations.
One operation consist of one or more material flows.
Each individual material flow is implemented as an interface for controlling the facilities.

Project capability

NetSphere WCS has been successfully implemented in numerous distribution centers both domestically and internationally, validating the performance and stability of the system. Through the execution of various projects, we have accumulated diverse expertise in system design, construction, and stabilization at each stage. Additionally, it seamlessly integrates with our NetSphere ECS (Equipment Control System), allowing for reduced implementation time and providing flexibility and stability in system construction..

Pantos Sihwa MTV Distribution Center