A Compilation of Essential Test Cases for a Warehouse Management System (WMS)

Hey there,

I have been working on a playbook for a Warehouse Management System (WMS) implementation.

The Logistics Specialist I worked with also helped me create a document with the necessary test cases.

These test cases can be used to test the essential warehouse processes on a WMS. These are functional test cases, not technical test cases, which means they cover the relevant logistics processes end-to-end.

Processes covered by the test cases

The test cases cover the following processes:

• Goods receipt
• Putaway
• Replenishment
• Cycle Counting
• Order Processing
• Shipment Load Planning
• Picking and Packing
• Checking and Loading of Goods
• Product Delivery
• Returns

Goods receipt

This is the beginning process in warehouse operations where the products are unloaded and examined by quality and quantity based on the delivery document.

The receiving process should scrutinize incoming products for differences in physical appearance, the accuracy of product based on the document, and expiration date or manufacturing date, product condition.

The receiving area is generally where the transfer of accountability takes place from the supplier or manufacturer to the warehouse once the products are accepted and received in the system.

Putaway

This process is typically coming after the receiving process when products are received. From the receiving area, products that are transported either by manual jack lift or forklift into specific warehouse storage locations. Put away process ends when all the products received are located in the warehouse bin storage area or other designated location and confirmed by the operator that moved the product.

Bin-to-bin transactions

This process covers the transfer of products from one location to another location inside the warehouse.

Replenishment

This process covers the replenishment of stock. Ideally, the warehouse management system triggers replenishment by prompting or alerting the user that a certain product has a low level of inventory in the picking location. Prior to processing orders, warehouse operations should replenish products in order to fulfill customer orders.

Cycle Counting

Cycle Counting is a system-supported process within inventory management to count items within a specified zone inside the warehouse without stopping operations to conduct a complete physical inventory.

Order Processing

This process is also outlined in the WMS test cases and it covers the processing of customer orders.

Shipment Load Planning

This process starts with the execution of a sales order report for a given delivery date. The WMS then processes the outbound deliveries and segregates orders by route, area and city.

Picking and Packing

Picking is the process of selecting product in the warehouse to fulfill a customer’s order. A good warehouse operation usually generates a document or product order list called a “picking list” that will be the reference in choosing products to serve to customers. Packing is the process of assembling the customer’s order into a shipping box or collating all the orders based on order volume.

Checking and Loading of Goods

This process involves, among other steps, generating a summary of the outbound deliveries for a specific due date, generating the loading manifest, loading of products to the trucks and printing the delivery receipt/invoice.

Product delivery

Products arrive at the customer’s address where they are unloaded and handed to the customer. The customer checks the accuracy of the delivery (SKUs/quantity) and acknowledges the receipt of the products.

Product returns

This process involves the receipt of products returned by the customer. The product has to be checked and the return reason has to be tracked in the WMS (maybe the product was damaged or a wrong item was shipped). The warehouse team has to initiate the process of resolving the issue with the client.