Why Is a DWS System Required? Discover Its Role in Modern Logistics
Over the years, DWS Systems or Dimensioning, Weighing, Scanning Systems, have become a key solution category for the logistics industry, particularly the warehousing, the 3PL (third-party logistics), and other transportation and logistics companies. The solution, consisting of an array of different solutions, has solved one of the most vital problems in these industries: combining volumetric and weight-based pricing for billing.
In other words, the solutions suite helps users determine a shipment’s height, length, breadth, volume, weight (dead weight), and volumetric weight. Additionally, the system also scans any label/identity marker of the shipment, such as Air Waybill (AWB) or any other unique barcoded ID
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The Primary Purpose of Building DWS Systems: Why Dimensioning and Not Just Weighing?
Imagine a large carton in a delivery facility. It contains light and fragile items, which must be insulated in thermocol to prevent any damage during transit. At the same time, the facility receives a relatively smaller box carrying heavier and sturdier items.
The carton in the first scenario occupies more space while exerting less load on the vehicles. This also means that due to the carton’s volume, fewer items can be shipped at that given time. On the other hand, the heavier items may require more energy to carry, but the carton also takes up less space, thereby allowing the logistics company to carry more items in the same trip.
In both cases, the shipment compromises either on fuel efficiency or on the billed amount, if billing is done purely based on item weight. Hence, optimising profitability in the logistics industry means billing customers based on both volume occupied and weight. This is exactly where DWS Systems, or Dimensioning, Weighing, and Scanning Systems, shine.
DWS systems come in two variants:
- Static DWS System: In this system, the shipment must be manually carried to the DWS station for measurement, scanning, and weighing. Given the manual labour involved, the billing process can be time-consuming.
- Conveyor-based or Dynamic DWS System: By carrying the shipment, conveyors eliminate the quantity of manual labour needed to transport the shipment to the DWS System. In this way, the business can process more shipments in a given time than it would in a setup which depends on employees to carry the shipment.
Discover the Key Benefits of an Efficient DWS System
Here are some key benefits of implementing a Dimensioning, Weighing, and Scanning System in modern logistics setups such as transportation, 3PL, warehousing, and manufacturing ventures, amongst others:
- Accurate Cost and Billing Calculation
Companies, such as 3PL players, where logistics, dimensioning, and weighing are a key part of the workflow, need the weight and dead weight values of the shipments for billing customers accurately and, more importantly, profitably. The only way that these organisations can justify their pricing is by transparently showing their customers that the bills are based on a certain LBH (length, breadth, and height, i.e., volume) and weight they have measured. Hence, by profiling shipments using a DWS System, a technology suite certified for trade, the business can track its revenue against the cost of operations.
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- Effective Slotting and Space Management
Warehouse space is a premium. With the varying shipment sizes coming in, especially in an e-commerce warehouse, warehouse space management has a direct impact on the costs and bottom line. Precise volume and weight measurements enabled by Warehouse Dimensioning Systems help the warehouse ensure accurate slotting of the shipments accurately. This maximises the space utilisation and increases the total storage capacity available.
- Streamlined Material Handling Equipment (MHE) & Transportation Planning
The weight and dimensions of the shipments measured by DWS Systems are critical for aligning the right MHEs, such as forklifts, AMRs or tugging Robots to move the shipments from one location to another within the warehouse. Whether the operation is put away, picking, or stock transfer, this data is very critical for the proper handling of the material within the warehouse.
The DWS System data is also integral for transportation planning. This is because the right dimensions and weight are essential for arranging suitable vehicles in time. With planning, the business can save the overall transit time for e-commerce, manufacturing and other commitments.
- Improved Overall Throughput
Using the conveyor-based DWS system helps increase the throughput of the warehouse, which is the rate at which the shipments are processed by the automatic data capture abilities of the DWS system.
Throughput has a direct impact on the shipment time and hence the customer experience, which is a key performance metric across operations, particularly in the logistics industry.
Why Choose Quinta?
- Expertise in DWS Systems, Sortation Systems, and Warehouse Automation
- Custom solutions tailored to your operational requirements
- Seamless integration with WMS, ERP, and existing warehouse infrastructure
- Focus on improving throughput, accuracy, and space utilization
- End-to-end support from consultation and design to deployment and after-sales service
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Trusted by Leading Logistics, E-commerce & Manufacturing Companies
Final Thoughts
The old traditional way of using scales to capture the dimensions is gone! Whether one chooses a static DWS or conveyor-based dimensioning systems for 3PLs and other logistic-heavy sectors, the difference would be in terms of the number of shipments that can be profiled in a specific time period. But both systems ensure accurate capture of the data and support ERP and other digitised workflow automation and tracking systems.
Curious to know more? Contact Quinta for a detailed understanding of DWS Systems now, and our experts will get in touch with you promptly!
Frequently Asked Questions
A DWS (Dimensioning, Weighing, and Scanning) System is an automation solution that captures a shipment's dimensions, weight, and barcode information in a single process to improve accuracy and operational efficiency.
A DWS System helps logistics companies accurately measure and bill shipments, improve warehouse throughput, optimize space utilization, and reduce manual errors.
A Static DWS System requires manual placement of shipments for measurement, while a Dynamic DWS System automatically measures, weighs, and scans parcels as they move on a conveyor, enabling higher throughput.
DWS Systems are widely used in logistics, 3PL, e-commerce, warehousing, manufacturing, courier, and distribution operations.
By capturing precise dimensions and weight data, a DWS System ensures that shipments are billed based on both actual and volumetric weight, reducing revenue leakage and billing disputes.
Yes, modern DWS Systems can integrate with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), ERP platforms, and other business software for seamless data transfer and process automation.
The right solution depends on shipment volume, throughput requirements, available space, and operational workflow. Businesses with high shipment volumes typically benefit from Dynamic DWS Systems, while lower-volume operations may prefer Static DWS Systems.
