EWM Resource Management and Labor Planning
Labor is typically the largest warehouse operating cost. SAP EWM's resource management capabilities help optimize workforce deployment, balance workloads, and improve productivity metrics.
Resource Types in EWM
- Workers: Individual employees with skills and qualifications
- Equipment: Forklifts, reach trucks, and other MHE
- Queues: Logical groupings for task assignment
- Work Centers: Physical locations where work occurs
Task Interleaving
One of EWM's powerful features is intelligent task interleaving—assigning the next best task based on:
- Current worker location
- Task priority
- Equipment type
- Worker qualifications
- Travel distance optimization
Engineered Labor Standards
EWM supports engineered time standards for accurate performance measurement:
Total Task Time =
Fixed Time (pick item) +
Variable Time (travel distance) +
Quantity Time (units handled) +
Frequency Time (intermittent activities)Queue Management
Queues are critical for task distribution:
- Priority queues: Rush orders, VIP customers
- Zone queues: Geographic assignment
- Equipment queues: Forklift vs manual tasks
- Skill queues: Hazmat, cold storage, etc.
Workload Balancing
Real-time workload visibility enables:
- Dynamic resource reallocation
- Overtime prediction and prevention
- Cross-training identification
- Bottleneck resolution
Key Performance Indicators
Track these metrics for labor management:
- Units per hour: Basic productivity measure
- Performance to standard: Actual vs engineered time
- Travel ratio: Travel time vs productive time
- Queue depth: Tasks waiting per queue
- Utilization rate: Active time vs available time
Integration Points
For comprehensive labor management, integrate with:
- HR systems for shift scheduling
- Time and attendance for actual hours
- Workforce management for forecasting
- Payroll for incentive calculations
Effective resource management requires both good configuration and ongoing operational discipline.