E-WMS

E-WMS Route Optimizing: advice policies explained (until release 407)

Introduction

This document describes the rules for WMS Route Optimizing; how is specific stock advised for fulfillment, until release 407.

For the description of these settings from release 408, please see this document.

Description

Route Optimizing or Picking Advice is available for the following WMS modules:

Sales Order Fulfillment
Replenishment
Production Issues

The following basic polices are applied in Route Optimizing, in this order:

Serial/batch (S/B) policy
SKU policy
Location policy

This means that following calculations are done by Route Optimizing:

for S/B items, available stock is selected based on S/B advice policy
for standard items, 'all' available stock is selected
for SKU stock, the SKU advice policy is applied, including 'Full SKU first from bulk'
for the selected stock, the location advice policy is applied

These policies can be enabled or disabled for each WMS module's settings, section 'Picking advice'; for example in System, General, Settings, WMS Sales Order Fulfillment.

Route Optimizing points of interest

The available stock is calculated before sending the advice lines to the scanner. Without Route Optimizing, the available stock is not checked and the order lines are always send to the scanner. In the last case, the only stock check is done after reading back in the control center.
When sales order fulfillment must be registered per pallet (in case of registration of unique pallet numbers or SSCC) and you are using single pallet locations, than the advice will present the picking list optimal for the order picker: per pallet.
When not using Route Optimizing or single pallet locations, the order picker has to change the picked quantity manually for each 'pallet pick' - or scan the pallet EAN128 barcode which could include the pallet quantity.
If you are frequently fulfilling fresh product - direct from your production line to the shipping dock -, then it is possible that Route Optimizing does not 'see' this fresh stock as available yet, because you sent the sales order to the scanner prior to the registration and processing of the production receipt. The picking advice is 'static' once calculated, and is not updated while order picking. In that case it should be further investigated if Route Optimizing still would suffice for your situation.
Route Optimizing only works optimally if you have real-time stock transaction processing, so if you use WMS ASP in combination with the WMS RF services, allowing for background processing.
Usage of Route Optimizing is mandatory for WMS modules (functionality): SKU Management, Pick&Pack, Cross docking
The calculated picking advice is not automatically sorted by location when sending to be picked. The sort order of the advice lines depends on the setting Picking method in section 'Send to scanner' of the respective WMS module.
When an advice for an order only has partial advice, this is NOT visible on the Route Optimizing report shown after advice calculation. Neither the user of the Control Center nor the orderpicker will now in that case that the order is to be picked partially. This could be solved by changing the advice report and show more details per order and per order line.
When using SKU Management, the SKU setting 'Allow breaking up SKU' restricts the advice when part of a SKU is needed (advice 'loose' sales units). When breaking up is not allowed this may lead to the error message 'insufficient stock'. In this case however, also the reason (breaking up not allowed) will be shown.

No Route Optimizing

When Route Optimizing is not used, then the ordered quantity will always be advised from the item's default location, regardless if there would be enough stock available on that location. Without Route Optimizing, all order lines are sent picking without checking for available stock.

Serial/batch policy

The serial/batch policy is always applied first for batch- or serial number items. It is possible to disable the S/B advice, then all stock is regarded equal for that item. Disabling the S/B advice may be advisable when picking serial number items without specific expiration date.

When a S/B number was explicitly entered in the sales order (or production issue) line, this S/B number will be advised, enough available stock permitting of course. Other S/B numbers will not be advised for that order line.

Blocked and expired batches are always disregarded. When the location policy 'pick locations only' is enabled, then older batches (which should be shipped first) on bulk locations would also be disregarded.

Following options are available for the S/B advice policy, and determine which batches are selected first for issuing:

End date or else start date

The end date of the S/B is used, unless that date is empty; then the start date is used (which is always filled). There is a risk here to compare incomparable dates (end date versus start date).

End date and also start date

The combination of end date + start date is used. This is very useful in cases where the end date can be a group of several start dates (for example: end date is always set to the end of the calculated month). When the end date of a group of batches is the same, then the oldest batch can still be determined by it's start date.

End date

Only the S/B end date is used. If empty, this is regarded as '2199-12-31', so likely the last batch to be advised.

Start date

Only the S/B start date is used.

Location policy

The location policy is the last step in calculating stock to pick. For S/B items this would only apply when one 'end date' or batch was advised, stored on several locations, or when S/B advice was disabled.
This policy actually has two policies: how to 'clean out' the stock per location, and whether you want to use bulk locations for picking.

Following options are available for sales orders and production issues:

Minimize number of locations

Use the locations which would minimize the number of stops. For instance: you need 50, and there's stock on locations A:40, B:10 and C:60, then location C would be advised. Advantage: less 'stops', disadvantage: you may create leftovers on the pick locations.

Make locations empty

First advise the locations with least stock, to make room to replenish pick locations again. With the same example, you now would visit locations A and B to pick 40 + 10 items. Advantage: locations are picked clean, disadvantage: more stops.

Pick locations first

First advice available stock on locations of type 'None' or 'Pick location'. Only use bulk locations when there is insufficient stock on the pick locations.

Pick locations only

Stock on bulk type locations is disregarded, even if there would be insufficient stock available on the pick locations. Even older batches on bulk locations are now disregarded.

This location policy also applies to SKU's, but can be overruled by the SKU setting Full SKU first from bulk location (see below).

Partial delivery

'Partial delivery' rules are applied when Route Optimizing has determined that there is insufficient stock to fulfill the order lines.

If that is the case, and partial delivery was not allowed for the sales order, then this always results in an error report 'insufficient stock'.

When partial delivery is allowed in the sales order, then the Route Optimizing settings for 'partial delivery' are applied.

Allow partial delivery

When disabled, only sales orders which can be fulfilled completely, will be sent picking.
When enabled, the part of the sales order that is available, will be sent to the scanner.
This applies both to partial delivery on order line level (50 of 100 available) and partial delivery on order level (item A and B can be picked, but item C not).

Allow partial delivery of line

When disabled, only sales order lines that can be picked completely (100 of 100 available) will be advised.
When enabled, also sales order lines that can be fulfilled partly (50 of 100 available) will be sent to the scanner.

SKU advice policy

For SKU Management, it is possible to ship the oldest (or newest) SKU's first. This is based on the receipt date of a SKU.
When an serial/batch advice was already applied, a SKU FIFO advice is not calculated anymore.

The SKU advice policy is available in menu System, General, Settings, SKU Management.

No check

No specific SKU policy is applied (so only location policy is still applied)

First In First Out

The oldest SKU's (receipt date) are advised first

Last In First Out

The newest SKU's are advised first

Full SKU first from bulk location

In the same settings screen as mentioned above, the setting Full SKU first from bulk location enables the possibility to overrule the location advice policy.

When enabled, and at least one full SKU could be advised for an order line, this SKU will be advised from 'bulk type' locations. This way you don't have to break into the (sales units) stock on picking locations.