Virtual Warehouse, a new feature included as standard in Hardis Group’s Reflex WMS warehouse management software, can be used to create a graphic representation of logistics warehouses and plant storage zones. The high-precision mapping functionality supports easier system configuration, real-time management, and continuous improvement across sites and operational processes.
Grenoble, March 31, 2021 – Hardis Group, a consulting firm, digital services company and independent software vendor, has added a new graphic representation feature to its Reflex WMS warehouse management software. Known as Virtual Warehouse, it enables logistics managers to generate detailed maps of warehouses and plant storage zones, supporting quicker system configuration, accelerated take-up, and real-time visual management of site activity.
High-precision logistics site mapping, right down to individual locations
Virtual Warehouse is designed to make configuring Reflex WMS quicker and easier while reducing the risk of configuration errors. With the straightforward graphical interface, users can create a faithful representation of a logistics site—from aisles, levels and locations, to intervention, movement and buffer zones, and more. Meanwhile, the option to import then enrich an existing site map is an added time-saver that boosts precision even further. “The more detailed the map, the more powerful the real-time optimization engines become. For instance, once routes within the warehouse are configured, the system can intelligently group together pick batches according to distance and direction of travel,” said Pauline Poissonnier, Head of Reflex Supply Chain Solutions at Hardis Group.
As well as ensuring that system data matches reality on the ground, Virtual Warehouse also gives logistics managers greater flexibility, independence, and agility to deal with organizational changes (such as new zones and processes) and frequent modifications—such as in plants, where locations and layouts are subject to regular change to keep pace with production schedules.
Visualization and operational decision-making support
At the same time, Virtual Warehouse is designed to help site managers make the right operational decisions, with views that support more granular management of sites, as well as ongoing optimization. The real-time maps—known as “heatmaps”—provide instant insights into activity density across the site, allowing operators to pinpoint issues such as bottlenecks and workload imbalances within the warehouse, and to get ahead of potential risks to the smooth running of operations. 
The current version of Virtual Warehouse comes with a “pending movements” heatmap built in. Two other maps—“location fill rate” and “pick frequency”—are currently under development.
New features will be added to the module over time, including options that allow users to analyze historical and simulated data and take corrective action—such as identifying ways to rearrange locations to shorten distances, rebalance resources, or reorganize a particular zone.