E-WMS

E-WMS - General settings

WMS documentation

Introduction

This document describes the meaning of the WMS General settings in menu System, General, Settings, WMS General. The settings in this document are based on product update 413.

Description

The settings tab 'WMS General' contains general settings; settings which are not particular to one logistical process, but can impact any E-WMS process.

The order of the settings has changed in release 413.

Go directly to a specific section:

Stock check
General
Scanner - ASP
Label printing
S/B number generation: batch number
S/B number generation: serial number
Communication: Scanner - Activesync/File

Section: Stock check

Stock check
E-WMS applies enhanced stock validations, based on the shelf stock, combined with E-WMS stock reservations (non-processed scanner transactions and generated picking advices). This setting determines whether E-WMS will be using these stock validations, and to what level.
For proper workings, this setting should be set to the lowest level applicable for your warehouse situation.

If disabled (so: "no check"), transactions would be validated without error, but 'processing' can result in inconsistent (negative) stock positions or processing still fails because Exact Globe Next would not allow the stock situation that would be created. The setting applies to generating picking advices, and to stock validations after reading back transactions. When this setting is not configured correctly, you can get unrealistic and impractical picking advices.

No check: E-WMS does not perform stock validations. This choice is not recommended and should never be selected for regular use. Only in exceptional cases, for instance when working only with WMS Sales order fulfilment and you need to be able to process orders while knowingly creating negative stock positions
Quantity per warehouse location (Item): select this option only if you want to enable stock validations on item/location level only, and bypass stock checks on S/B level (when you are not working with S/B items)
Quantity per warehouse location (S/B): select this option to enable E-WMS stock validations in general, regardless of working with S/B items or not. This choice is the best setting and should be chosen by default.

Free stock
Determines if E-WMS should regard Exact Globe Next stock allocations to other sales orders, when generating picking advices and when validating stock. When enabled (which should be the default choice), stock allocations to other sales orders are regarded as not available. When disabled, stock allocations are ignored.

Quantity available (serial/batch)
This setting determines whether serial- and batch numbers entered in other order- or invoice lines (Exact Globe Next serial/batch stock allocations), are to be regarded as not available. When enabled, serial- and batch numbers in other order- or invoice lines are regarded as stock allocations, and are not available. When disabled, serial- and batch numbers entered in order- or invoice lines are disregarded. Recommended configuration: enabled. Disable only in specific exceptional scenarios.

Regard picked as issued
This setting is available from product update 408 for E-WMS I and E-WMS II, and determines how E-WMS applies validations of stock on locations, and calculation of available space on receipt locations: to regard 'picked' stock as if processed already.

In scenarios where WMS replenishment or WMS (Directed Put-away) transfers are continuous warehouse processes, this setting needs to be enabled.
In scenarios where replenishment is done only once a day, or multiple replenishment orders for the same locations are not pending at the same time, and when Directed Put-Away is not used, then this setting can be disabled.

When enabled, you are working more with 'real-time' stock. Specifically in WMS processes like Directed Put-Away or Replenishment you are able to put stock to locations before the previous issue scan from that location (by another employee) is processed.
There is some risk of not being able to put stock back on the original location in case of rolling back a transaction before processing, because that location may be occupied already again by new stock.

When disabled (which is the default value for this setting, and how E-WMS behaved by default in earlier releases), available space on location is only regarded as available after the issue scan has been processed as shelf stock.
This means you can only generate valid replenishment orders or get a valid DPA advice when all other WMS transactions for these locations are processed.

This setting affects following E-WMS functionality:

All location and location type validations in receipt scans. These are restrictive settings as to how stock should be stored on locations. For example, 'variable item code': when 'Regard picked as issued' enabled, you can put another item on the location, before the issue scan of that location is processed (as soon as the issue is scanned). When disabled, you can only store another item on this location after the issue scan has been processed.
WMS Replenishment: available space and stock on replenishment target locations
Directed Put-Away: available space on DPA target locations

The functionality is only applied on scanners when working with communication method 'ASP'. When the WMS 'scenario' setting is enabled, this setting cannot be changed and is automatically applied as 'enabled'.

Section: General

WMS allocations
This setting was introduced in release 410 and is available when:

your license contains SE1380 E-WMS I (or older license Pick-IT Basic SE5700)
and when your license contains SE1325 E-Serial/Batch, or SE1381 E-WMS II (and SKU Management is enabled).

The functionality of WMS allocations allows to allocate received stock on SKU number level or on serial/batch level to sales orders. This specific setting is used for the E-WMS sales order advice and to enable allocation settings in other settings tabs. To generate allocations while processing WMS receipts, additional settings have to be enabled in WMS Receipt Registration or WMS Production Receipts settings.

WMS allocations: Projects
This setting was introduced in release 411, and is available when 'WMS allocations' is enabled and when your license contains SE1400 E-Project. This setting offers the possibility to optionally use project codes as means to assign stock to one or more sales orders. Allocating stock to a project code is possible in WMS Inventory and WMS Stock Transactions.

When disabled, WMS allocations will only work through order (back-to-back order) allocation - for example when you produced specific SKU numbers or batch numbers in a production order allocated to a sales order.

When enabled, following applies:

E-WMS picking advice will only advice stock allocated by order allocation; or by project allocation - for all sales order which have a project code linked ('Conditions' button in order entry). When the Exact Globe Next order setting 'Generate project' is enabled, all sales orders already will have a project code (equal to the sales order number) linked automatically. That means, only stock allocated in E-WMS to that project or by order allocation, will be advised. When no stock is allocated then error 'Insufficient stock' will show when generating a picking advice.
the setting 'Generate: WMS allocations' becomes available in WMS Inventory settings and WMS Stock Transactions settings
you can optionally allocate stock to a project through an 'allocate' checkmark in the WMS Inventory control center
stock received while using a project code in WMS Stock Transactions, is also allocated to that project code

Allocation level
This setting is related to WMS setting 'WMS allocations', and is only visible when your license contains SE1381 E-WMS II and SKU Management is enabled. This setting allows you to configure on which level WMS stock allocations are to be created:

Serial/batch: the allocation is linked to the combination of item code and serial/batch number, even when the stock was received on SKU numbers. When
SKU: the allocation is linked to the SKU number. In case of two-layer SKUs, the allocation exists only on outer SKU number, not on the inner SKU numbers. When removing (transferring) an inner SKU and placing it as single inner SKU (box) in the warehouse, this inner SKU will have no stock allocation. When the SKU would be transferred resulting in sales unit stock, the allocation is removed. Repacking a SKU results in loss of the allocation.
Two SKU layers: the allocation is linked to both the outer SKU number and the inner SKU numbers on the outer SKU. When an inner SKU (box) would be transferred from the SKU to a warehouse location, it will still be allocated. When the SKU would be repacked or transferred resulting in sales unit stock, the allocation is removed. Repacking a SKU results in loss of the allocation.
SKU and serial/batch: the allocation is linked to the outer SKU number, and if the SKU number is empty: to the S/B number. In case of S/B items, when transferring the inner SKUs from the outer SKU, and even when breaking up the SKU to sales units, the allocation would still be maintained.
Two SKU layers and serial/batch: the allocation is linked to the outer SKU number, the inner SKU numbers on the outer SKU, and if the SKU numbers are empty: to the serial/batch number. When transferring (removing) inner SKUs from the outer SKU, or when transferring to sales units, the allocation would still be maintained.

For all allocations applies: a serial/batch number or SKU number can only have one allocation, since WMS allocations is not based on quantity but solely on the (S/B or SKU) number.

When your license contains SE1325 E-Serial/batch but not SE1381 E-WMS II (or SKU Management is disabled) then the setting 'Allocation level' is not visible and allocations are always created on 'Serial/batch' level, when the setting 'WMS allocations' is enabled.

Section: Scanner - ASP

Use rejection reason
When enabled, the order picker has to enter a reason when picking less than expected, in all 'guided' transactions: order picking, replenishment and production issues. Entry of this reason is mandatory. Reasons can be maintained in menu System, E-WMS, Rejection reasons. This reason is saved in a historical table which can be reported on in menu WMS, Reports, Rejections. Changing this setting affects the way information is stored when sending transactions to the scanner. Before changing this setting, first make sure that there are no pending guided transactions in E-WMS.

Directed Put-Away
Directed Put-Away or DPA offers the possibility to get an advice for the target location in E-WMS Transfers menu Transfer from to. Changing this setting affects the way information is stored when sending transactions to the scanner. Before changing this setting, first make sure that there are no pending guided transactions in E-WMS. When enabling DPA, the setting 'Enable ASP stock check' (see below) is automatically enabled and cannot be changed anymore. You can read more about DPA in this document.

DPA policy
This setting is available from product update 408 and defines the default policy for Directed Put-Away. A DPA advice for a location is always based on warehouse locations linked to location types enabled as 'DPA target'. Using this policy setting you can determine which sorting order is used to find an available and suitable target location. The first location found in this sorted list, is presented as DPA location in WMS transfers.

None: the list of available DPA target locations is sorted by location preference and alphabetical warehouse location code (default working in 407 and earlier)
Near item default location: the list of available DPA target locations is sorted by distance between the items default location and available DPA target locations, then by default distance (see next setting), then by location preference and alphabetical location code.
Near source location: the list of available DPA target locations is sorted by distance between the transfer source location and available DPA target locations, then by default distance (see next setting), then by location preference and alphabetical location code.

For the two specific policies, distances between location need to be configured in menu WMS, Setup, Location management, Location distances. For any location distance not found in this distances table, the setting 'DPA default distance' is applied. When the setting 'Directed Put-Away' is disabled, this setting cannot be changed.

DPA default distance
Related to the setting 'DPA policy' above, you need to be able to configure a default distance between warehouse locations. This default distance is applied by E-WMS when a distance is not specifically configured in menu WMS, Setup, Location management, Location distances, and when 'DPA policy' is not set to 'None'. The default distance is 9999. Only when you would configure specific location distances higher than this default, this setting would need to be increased. When the setting 'Directed Put-Away' is disabled, this setting cannot be changed.

Enable ASP stock check
This setting was introduced for in release 401 and determines:

whether you require direct stock validations on a ASP hand terminal. When issuing stock, it will be checked immediately if that stock is indeed available for issuing. When this setting is disabled, the issue would be done without any 'available stock' warning, and only after reading back and validating, the same stock error would be shown in the Control Center, resulting in putting the transaction to status 'picking error'. Exact Globe Next stock allocations are currently not part of this stock validation on the scanner - stock allocations are only validated after reading back and validating in control centers or by the WMS services. The only exceptions are serial/batch stock allocations, depending on the setting 'Full S/B validations' (see setting below).
whether scanned transactions still on the scanner (so before reading back) are included in WMS stock calculations in the back office. If this setting is enabled, scanned but not read-back scanner transactions are included. If disabled, scanned but not read-back scanner transactions are not included as stock reservations. For example: when disabled, and issuing all stock of an item in WMS Stock Transactions, a picking advice will still be generated for that item.

This setting determines in fact who will be confronted with stock inconsistency or stock shortage, and at what moment: while scanning the transaction, or only after that, in the back office. When this setting is disabled, and using the WMS RF services to read back and process transactions, stock errors could go unnoticed for some time.

Under normal conditions and when working with WMS ASP, this setting always has to be enabled. This setting should only be disabled in exceptional cases, to temporarily bypass picking problems. When the setting 'Enable SKU Management' or 'Directed Put-away' (see above) is enabled, this setting 'Enable ASP stock check' is always applied as 'enabled' in all E-WMS calculations. From release 408, this setting can not be changed anymore in that case.

From release 407, this setting is also available for E-WMS Lite.

Stock check: warning only
When the setting 'Enable ASP stock check' is enabled, this setting determines if it is allowed to proceed or not, after a stock validation error. When enabled, the order picker will see a warning message but can continue. When disabled, an error will be shown and the transaction cannot be scanned. This setting applies to all stock validations on the scanner, including 'full location' and 'full S/B' validations. When SKU Management or Directed Put-Away is active, this setting is always applied as disabled, and from release 408 this setting cannot be changed anymore in that case. From release 407, this setting is also available for E-WMS Lite.

Full location validations
The setting determines whether location restrictions and validations as always applied in control center and service stock validations, are also applied on the scanner. This includes validations like maximum allowed stock per location, variable- or fixed item location settings, and all E-WMS location type storage rules. Applying these validations on the scanner guarantees a more consistent stock storage structure. When disabled, not all location (type) restrictions are validated on the scanner, but that will still be done after reading back and validating in the control center (or by the WMS service).
This setting is available from release 407 and is only visible when your license contains SE1380 E-WMS I. When SKU Management is enabled, this setting cannot be changed and is always applied as 'enabled'. After updating to release 407 or higher from release 406 or earlier, this setting is by default enabled. In a license with E-WMS Lite or Shipment Builder, this setting is not available and is always disabled.

Full S/B validations
This setting determines whether scanning of receipts and issues of batch- and serial number items includes following validations:

Issue scan: Serial/batch status (blocked)
Issue scan: End date (expired)
Issue scan: Debtor's 'External shelf life' restrictions in order picking (and when diverting from generated picking advice because the advice would already have advised the correct S/B numbers)
Issue scan: 'Allocations' due to entry of a specific serial/batch number in a sales order line or in a production order material line (introduced in 408 and patched to 407)
Receipt scan (batch status): In 412 and earlier: error when entering a blocked serial/batch number (not allowed). From release 413, this is decided by the WMS receipt setting 'Allow blocked batches' in setting section 'Manual validation'.
Receipt scan (end date): warning on invalid end date (from release 413)

When this setting is enabled, these properties will be validated on the scanner. For issue scans, this relates to sales order fulfilments or production material issues). When disabled, these validations are not applied on the scanner, but are still enforced after reading back and validating in the control center (or by E-WMS service). After updating to release 407 or higher from release 406 or earlier, this setting is by default disabled.

This setting is available from release 407 and is only visible when your license contains SE1380 E-WMS I. In a license with E-WMS Lite or Shipment Builder, this setting is not available and is always disabled.

Section: Label printing

This section was added in release 409. In earlier releases the setting 'Bartender scan folder' was part of section 'Scanner - ASP'.

Bartender method
This setting was introduced in release 409 and determines what method is used when printing labels. The default value for this setting is 'Client'. This setting is available for all E-WMS licenses and for SSCC Shipment Builder.

Client
- Labels printed from a control center or by a service, linked to E-WMS process steps, are printed using Bartender 'ActiveX'. This means that Bartender needs to be installed on the machine where the process step is performed.
- Labels printed from a hand terminal (SKU, S/B generation, Generated SSCC) are printed using 'Bartender Commander' on a server, through XML command files created by WMS ASP. This method does not include embedded data (as with method 'server') and assumes the label is based on a SQL view. Usage of BarTender Commander for E-WMS requires the BarTender Enterprise Automation edition.
- When not printing labels from hand terminals (see above), but only from Control Centers or WMS services, then the BarTender Automation edition suffices.
- In both cases, Bartender uses SQL views to retrieve the data to be printed
- This is the default method used by E-WMS, before release 409
Server
- All labels are printed through Bartender Commander, where E-WMS creates XML command files with the data to be printed embedded in the XML file.
- BarTender only needs to be installed on the 'BarTender Commander' server.
- This method requires the BarTender Enterprise Automation edition

When changing from method 'Client' to 'Server', any existing labels based on SQL views need to be migrated to use the XML embedded data as data source. You can find more details and points of attention when migrating from the 'client' to the 'server' method, in document BarTender integration: two methods and in document How to create BarTender layouts based on a text file data source.

Bartender scan folder
This setting determines the folder where E-WMS will create temporary XML files when you are printing BarTender labels from the hand terminal, or when using the BarTender method 'Server' (see previous setting).

Hand terminal labels can be printed for following purposes:

SKU Management: SKU labels
Serial/Batch generation: Serial/batch labels
Generated SSCC: SSCC labels

In these processes, or when using the 'Server method', BarTender Commander is used in the label printing process. When a 'print label' command is started, E-WMS will create a temporary XML file in this folder. This same folder has to be configured in BarTender Commander, and the folder has to exist and be reachable for the WMS ASP IIS account or the user starting the Control Center or WMS service.

When maintaining this setting, it is intentionally not possible to browse to a folder. Providing a 'browse' option would also make it mandatory to always use a valid folder (an existing folder on every PC where these general settings could be saved), even when this functionality is not used.

From release 409 this setting is available for all E-WMS licenses and SSCC Shipment Builder. Before release 409, this setting was not available for SSCC Shipment Builder.

Section: Generate: Batch number and Generate: Serial number
These settings are used when generating serial/batch numbers and printing labels in E-WMS scanner receipt processes.

Template batch number / Template serial number
In this text box, you can type the template codes, or type a literal text to include in your template, or a combination of both. These are the supported template codes:

Code Explanation Length Sample

%DD Day of the month 2 "02", "31"

%D3 Day of the year 3 "001", "360"

%D4 Day of the year 4 "0001", "0360"

%MM Current month 2 "01", "12"

%J1 Current year (last digit) 1 "2"

%J2 Current year (last 2 digits) 2 "12"

%J3 Current year (last 3 digits) 3 "012"

%J4 Current year 4 "2012"

%UU Current time: hours 2 "02", "14"

%MN Current time: minutes 2 "02", "59"

%PP Purchase order number max 8 "5025", "50121001"

or production order number max 12 "PR0400043666"

%IT Item code variable "AB1010", "0101.53334"

%V1 Sequence or serialized number 1 "1"

%V2 Sequence or serialized number 2 "01"

%V3 Sequence or serialized number 3 "001"

%V4 Sequence or serialized number 4 "0001"

%V5 Sequence or serialized number 5 "00001"

Help
This option shows a list of the above mentioned available template codes. It does not fill the selected template code, it is only intended as reference list.

Example
When changing and leaving the 'format batch number' or 'format serial number' field, a sample of the generated serial/batch number will be shown in the this field.

End date
Determines how you want to automatically fill the serial/batch end date (expiration date) when the new serial/batch number is generated. Following choices are available:

start date + item shelf life: fill end date with start date, increased with the 'shelf life' day factor configured for the item (item maintenance, tab 'Inventory')
start date + item shelf life, rounded to first day of the month: same as (1), but round the end date down to first day of that month (calculated end date 15-04-2014 would change to 01-04-2014)
start date + item shelf life, rounded to last day of the month: same as (1), but round the end date up to the last day of that month (calculated end date 15-04-2014 would change to 30-04-2014)

This setting is only applied when the 'shelf life' factor of the item actually is filled with another value than zero. If the shelf life factor is zero, the end date will not be filled at all. In E-WMS picking advice calculations, an empty end date is regarded as '31-12-2199'.

Section: Communication: Scanner - Activesync/File

The settings in this section are only used when working with communication methods Activesync or File. Doing so, master data needs to be exported to the hand terminals, if you require master data validation in the scanning process. This document provides more information.

The layout of these settings has changed in release 413, from this release also the communication- and archive folder are no longer mandatory.

These settings are only applied when you are using E-WMS with batch- (Activesync) or file communication, in combination with the old 'CAB' scanner software.

Communication directory
This folder is only applied when you are using E-WMS with batch- (Activesync) or file communication, in combination with the older 'CAB' terminal software. In this folder, the files exchanged with a hand terminal are (temporarily) saved. When using batch- or file communication, the configured folder needs to be the same folder as configured for the WMS communication tool (default C:\E-WMS). In release 412 and earlier, this setting is mandatory and has to refer to an existing folder. From release 413, this setting is no longer mandatory and when entering a folder name, the validity of that folder is not checked. When using file communication with an empty folder configuration, the files would default be saved to the Exact BIN folder. When using network folders, use the UNC network names (\\server\share) and not drive mappings like F: - since these mappings may not be available to every domain account.

Archive directory
In this folder, backups of the files exchanged with a hand terminal are saved, in automatically created subfolders, per date. When you are using Activesync or File communication, you are able to re-import transactions from this archive folder. To do so, you will have to use the 'File' communication method and browse to the archive folder. In release 412 and earlier, this setting is mandatory and has to refer to an existing folder. From release 413, this setting is no longer mandatory and when entering a folder name, the validity of that folder is not checked. When using file communication with an empty folder configuration, the files would default be saved to the Exact BIN folder. When using network folders, use the UNC network names (\\server\share) and not drive mappings like F: - since these mappings may not be available to every domain account.

Communication
This setting determines the communication setting for sending master data and settings to the devices. 'Scanner - Activesync' assumes a hand terminal is connected to your PC when you export data, 'File' will just create files in the WMS communication folder, to be exported to a hand terminal later. You can read more about using 'File' communication in this document.

Export item data: File name
This file name is used in the function 'Send item data' (menu: WMS, Send, Send item data), but only when 'Communication' is set to 'File'. When communication is set to 'Scanner - Activesync', the filename 'artikel.dat' is always used, since that filename is expected during the export/import of items on a hand terminal.

Scan code
This setting determines if the 'scan code' configured in 'item maintenance' will be available on the scanner, when sending item data in menu WMS, Send, Send item data.
'Item code': only Exact Globe Next item codes are recognized when scanning an 'item code' on the hand terminal
'Scan code': both Exact Globe Next item code and the E-WMS scan code are recognized when scanning an 'item code' on the hand terminal

Export debtor data: File name
This
This file name is used in menu WMS, Send, Send debtor data, to export debtor data to a hand terminal. The default value is 'DEBITR.DAT', please do not change this.

Export supplier data: File name
This file name is used in menu WMS, Send, Send creditor data, to export supplier data to a hand terminal. The default value is 'SUPPLIER.DAT', please do not change this.