Automation Should Simplify Operations, Not Add More Complexity
Companies invest in automated storage and retrieval systems to increase capacity, shorten order cycles, and reduce dependence on manual handling.
Yet installing shuttle robots, lifters, conveyors, and high-density racking does not automatically create an efficient warehouse.The real objective is not to keep every machine moving.
It is to ensure that the right pallet reaches the right location, production line, or outbound station at the right time-with accurate data throughout the process.
This is why an automated warehouse needs both WMS and WCS.
Connecting Business Demand with Physical Execution
WMS and WCS perform different roles, but their value comes from working together.
WMS Connects the Warehouse with ERP and MES
ERP and MES already contain important business information.
ERP may generate purchase orders, sales orders, and inventory requirements. MES may release production material requests, finished-goods receipt instructions, and line-feeding tasks.
DELIECN WMS receives these requirements and converts them into warehouse operations.
It determines:
- Which goods should be received, stored, transferred, or shipped
- Which inventory and batch should be used
- Which storage location is appropriate
- Which task should receive priority
- When the inventory record should be updated
The WMS also returns confirmed execution results to ERP or MES, helping purchasing, production, sales, and warehouse operations work from consistent data.
For customers, this means the automated warehouse is not an isolated system. It becomes part of the complete business and production process.
WCS Coordinates the Automated Equipment
Once the WMS creates a warehouse task, WCS determines how the equipment will complete it.
In a pallet shuttle ASRS, one pallet movement may involve several devices:
- An inbound or outbound conveyor
- A pallet lifter
- A shuttle robot
- A transfer station
- Additional handling equipment outside the storage system
DELIECN WCS coordinates these devices as one material-flow process.
It assigns available equipment, manages task sequencing, coordinates transfer points, and prevents several devices from competing for the same route or lift.
The objective is not simply to increase robot speed. It is to reduce waiting between equipment and improve the throughput of the complete system.
How It Works in a Pallet Shuttle ASRS
Consider a finished pallet entering an automated warehouse from production.
1. MES or ERP Creates the Business Requirement
MES reports that finished goods are ready for storage, or ERP sends an inbound order to the WMS.
2. WMS Makes the Inventory Decision
The WMS verifies product, pallet, batch, and inventory information. It selects a suitable storage location according to warehouse rules and available capacity.
3. WCS Organizes the Material Movement
The WCS receives the transport task and coordinates the conveyor, pallet lift, and shuttle robot.
It ensures that the next piece of equipment is ready before each pallet transfer begins.
4. The Physical Task Is Confirmed
After the shuttle stores the pallet in the assigned location, the result is returned to the WMS.
The WMS updates the inventory record and sends the confirmed status back to ERP or MES.
The same logic supports pallet retrieval, production replenishment, internal transfer, and outbound delivery.
This creates one continuous process:
Business order → Warehouse decision → Equipment coordination → Physical execution → Data confirmation
Why Customers Gain More Than Equipment Automation
Higher Throughput Without Relying Only on Robot Speed
In a multi-robot pallet shuttle system, adding faster robots does not solve every bottleneck.
If several robots wait for the same lift or conveyor, system throughput remains limited.
DELIECN WCS coordinates shared resources and parallel tasks so that shuttle robots, lifts, and conveyors work in the correct sequence. This helps customers gain more output from the installed equipment.
More Reliable Inventory Accuracy
Every pallet movement follows a system-generated task and is confirmed after physical execution.
The WMS maintains pallet locations, inventory status, batches, and warehouse records based on actual task completion rather than manual updates.
This reduces misplaced inventory and provides a clearer basis for production supply and order fulfillment.
Faster Exception Handling
When a task is interrupted, customers need to know:
- Which pallet is affected
- Which equipment has stopped
- Which part of the task has been completed
- Whether inventory has already been updated
DELIECN WCS provides visual monitoring of equipment and task status, helping operators locate the affected process more quickly.
The WMS retains the corresponding inventory and business status, reducing the risk of duplicated tasks or incorrect records during recovery.
Easier Expansion as Business Grows
A pallet shuttle warehouse may begin with a limited number of robots and expand when throughput increases.
Because WMS manages business processes while WCS manages equipment execution, additional shuttle robots, lifts, conveyors, or storage zones can be introduced without requiring ERP or MES to manage equipment-level details.
This layered structure gives customers a clearer path for phased investment and future expansion.
DELIECN WMS and WCS
DELIECN provides WMS and WCS as part of an automated warehouse solution.
DELIECN WMS supports:
- Receiving, storage, inventory, transfer, replenishment, picking, and outbound operations
- Batch, expiry, quality, and traceability management
- Integration with ERP, MES, SAP, TMS, and OMS
- Web- and app-based warehouse operations
- Private deployment and data-access control
DELIECN WCS coordinates:
- Pallet and tote shuttle robots
- Pallet and miniload stacker cranes
- Mini-FlyBox
- Lifters and conveyors
- AMRs, AGVs, and RGVs
- Sorting and transfer equipment
- Multi-task scheduling and equipment interaction
Because DELIECN develops both warehouse software and core automation equipment, system interfaces, control logic, and equipment workflows can be planned as one solution rather than assembled as disconnected components.
What This Delivered in Toyota's Spare Parts Warehouse
Toyota's spare parts warehouse manages nearly 45,000 SKUs across several storage and handling zones.
In the large-parts area, DELIECN implemented a pallet shuttle ASRS with:
- Approximately 3,091 pallet locations
- 14 pallet shuttle robots
- Four pallet lifters
- Conveyor interfaces
- Integrated WMS and WCS
The WMS connected with Toyota's TOPSS sales system and an upstream warehouse platform. It managed inbound, storage, inventory, replenishment, retrieval, and outbound requirements.
The WCS coordinated the shuttle robots, lifters, and conveyors. Multiple robots operated as a shared fleet, allowing tasks to be allocated according to demand and equipment availability.
As part of the wider multi-zone automation project, the integrated warehouse solution helped reduce Toyota's supply cycle from eight days to two days.
The result did not come from one robot or one software platform alone. It came from connecting business systems, warehouse decisions, and automated equipment within one coordinated process.
The Real Value of WMS and WCS
WMS ensures that every warehouse task supports the correct business requirement. WCS ensures that every automated device works toward that task efficiently.
Together, they turn automation equipment into a complete warehouse operation.
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