Developing warehouse management automation streamlining software

Abstract

In the constantly changing landscape of industry, it's crucial to ensure that a company's operations are optimized. There are various methods to enhance performance in warehouse operations, one of which is the focus of this thesis: warehouse management automation. Specifically, this thesis delves into automating the calculation of drive load wheel circumferences for robots used in warehouse management. During their internship, the author developed software aimed at automating this calculation process, currently performed manually by the contractor company.

The primary goal of this thesis is to detail the development of software for automating the calculation of the drive load wheel circumference, streamlining the existing manual and time-consuming calculation process. Another objective is to demonstrate the importance of automation, alongside highlighting recent advancements in warehouse management automation. The additional goal lies in presenting a manual for both outlining the user experience in this thesis as well as for it to later potentially serve as a user manual for the employees at the contracting company.

The theoretical segment of the thesis examines the history and progression of automation within the warehouse management sector. It serves as the background for outlining the importance of automation in the field of warehousing. Qualitative research is conducted to document the author’s process of developing the drive load wheel calculation software, drawing practical insights from a case study.

The key outcome of this thesis is twofold: firstly, the practical development of the drive load wheel circumference calculation application commissioned by TP-Kunnossapito Oy. Secondly, a theoretical contribution is made through an overview of the user experience with the application, including written instructions and visual aids. This overview also serves as a user manual for future users and employees of TP-Kunnossapito Oy, guiding them through the step-by-step calculation process.