E-WMS

E-WMS - Configuration of BarTender Commander for E-WMS labels

Introduction

This document describes how to configure BarTender Commander (up to BarTender 10) for label printing for E-WMS.

Starting from BarTender 2016, Commander was replaced by Seagull Scientific with BarTender 'Integration Builder'.
For the configuration of 'Integration Builder', please refer to this document.

Description

BarTender label printing can be integrated using two methods in E-WMS:

print labels directly from an Exact Globe Next workstation, where BarTender must be installed on that workstation
print labels through a server, using BarTender Commander as event server

This server method is applied as label printing method, when:

The E-WMS setting 'BarTender method' is set to 'Server' - then all labels are printed through Commander.
- one of the advantages of using this method for all labels, is that BarTender only needs to be installed on a server and not on workstations anymore
or, the label is initiated from WMSclient on a scanner during a scanning process, in one of following processes:
- SKU Management: printing SKU (pallet, box) labels in receipts processes
- Generated SSCC: printing SSCC shipment labels during the order picking process
- Serial/Batch Generation (product update 404): printing labels with generated serial- or batch numbers during receipt processes

Because the WMS scanner client has no printing capacity, the printing is initiated by the WMS ASP IIS server, creating 'trigger files' for BarTender Commander.

This is how label printing from the hand terminal works:

The 'label print' button is pressed on the hand terminal

A label print screen is shown, the operator has to generate numbers, confirm quantity and/or number of labels (depending on the process)

WMS creates records in specific tables, on which label printing (the SQL view) is based:

SKU Management: new SKU numbers are created in table csPickitSKUMaster

Generated SSCC: temporary records are created in table csPickitLabelPrinting, SSCC sequence numbers are increased

S/B Generation: New S/B numbers are created in table ItemNumbers, temporary records are created in csPickitLabelPrinting

WMS reads the label configuration entered in menu System, E-WMS, Labels to determine what label(s) are to be used.
It is possible to configure more than one label for the same process. All labels will be started in sequence.

The IIS server creates a .DD file in the 'BarTender scan folder', which is in fact a BarTender command XML file, containing amongst other information:
- the label layout to use
- the unique transaction ID to print the label for (available in the new records created in step 3)

BarTender Commander (continuously running) is triggered by this new DD file to use the contents of that file to start BarTender, with the specified BarTender label, and sends the transaction ID as selection into the label.

BarTender is started and prints the label

When the E-WMS setting 'Bartender method' is configured to 'server', then SQL data is not accessed by BarTender, instead E-WMS provides text data embedded in the XML script files created for Commander.

This plan of approach of configuring BarTender Commander describes following steps:

Requirements
Installation of BarTender Suite
Configure E-WMS settings
SQL view
BarTender label
Configuring BarTender Commander
Configuring WMS label
Test the label

Requirements for using E-WMS with BarTender Integrations

License requirements
- E-WMS I - SE1380 (or older license SE5700 Pick-IT)
- BarTender Enterprise (when using versions older than 9.4) or BarTender Enterprise Automation (9.4 and higher), see E-WMS system requirements
Usage of E-WMS communication type 'ASP'
Installation and configuration of BarTender and BarTender Commander on a PC or server in the network (using a BarTender demo license is not supported)
In practice, the WMS webserver is the best choice for installation of the BarTender suite because of the usage of the 'BarTender scan folder', which is preferably a local folder on the IIS server.
The label printer has to be supported by BarTender (see printer list of Seagull Scientific)
Of course you need labels, check if these labels meet your environmental requirements (cold storage requires specific labels)
BarTender label layouts (consultancy may be required), sample labels are available
Preferably a dedicated SQL login to use within the label layouts, with sufficient rights to read the necessary data
When using SQL-server as data source in the layout, the BarTender label layouts are database specific. When using the labels in two or more companies, you need to create copies of the BarTender layouts and manage these separately.
When using embedded text as data source, then the labels are not database specific.
The views used in the BarTender labels need to be created in each Exact Globe Next company (SQL database) used for label printing

Installation of BarTender Enterprise Suite

BarTender can be obtained from Seagull Scientific. BarTender can be downloaded from their site, but you will need a valid license. Using the demo version is not supported in E-WMS. For the installation procedure, refer to Seagull Scientific documentation.

For E-WMS, the Bartender Enterprise Automation edition is required.

This edition allows the use of specific required BarTender Commander XML command options. This external link provides more information on BarTender editions.

Install the BarTender suite including BarTender Commander on the IIS server. The 'BarTender scan folder' needs to be a local folder on the IIS server, because the account used by the IIS process will not have rights to access network shares. You also need to install the Seagull License Server on the same or another server in the network, this service will manage your BarTender licensing based on number of used printers.

The BarTender suite installs some Windows services, E-WMS only requires BarTender and BarTender Commander ('Commander Service'). The BarTender System Service (used for BarTender reprinting and logging) and Printer Maestro are not required for E-WMS, but do offer enhanced BarTender functionality like reprinting labels and for instance a 'History explorer' which can offer valuable information in case of BarTender error situations.

WMS settings

Depending on the process you are printing labels for, you need to configure following WMS settings:

WMS General Settings section 'Label printing'
for SKU Management: configure SKU Management settings: GS1 numbers and prefix/sequence numbers (WMS SKU Management: general SKU settings)
for Generated SSCC: configure WMS SSCC settings: GS1 numbers and prefix/sequence numbers
for S/B Generation: configure WMS General settings: S/B templates

SQL view

A SQL view is always used in the label process, but its usage depends on the 'Bartender method':

'Server': the SQL view is used by E-WMS to check if records are to be printed, then to retrieve the data to be printed and embed this data in the XML script file created for BarTender Commander. The field names of the view output are offered as the field headers to BarTender.
'Client': the SQL view is used by E-WMS to check if records are to be printed, E-WMS starts BarTender, next the SQL view is used by BarTender during printing of the label

You can retrieve sample views for hand terminal label printing from E-WMS - Bartender integration: sample views and layouts for all processes. The views require some mandatory fields (like unique transaction ID), besides that you are free to add any fields to the view (and to the label).

BarTender label

BarTender server method

For creating labels when using the BarTender 'server' method, please see document How to create BarTender layouts based on a text file data source.

BarTender client method

Please refer to this document on how to link a SQL table or SQL view, with a Query Prompt, in BarTender Designer.

Configuring BarTender Commander

After installation of the BarTender Enterprise Suite, BarTender Commander can be started in Start, Programs, BarTender, Commander. Commander is a job scheduler for BarTender reports, reacting to several triggers. This step describes how to create a new Commander task, to trigger label printing based on the creation of specific files by E-WMS.

Choose Task, Add, the Task Options screen is shown:

Fill the task options on tab 'Trigger':

Name	WMS labels
Trigger	File
Detection method	You can choose Immediate (no interval) or Polling (with interval)
Polling interval	Only available when 'detection method' was set to 'Polling'
Folder to scan	Please enter the local folder configured as WMS BarTender Scan Folder
Files to scan for	*.DD (WMS ASP will create DD files in the scan folder)
Detection response	Delete file (or Rename file, but then you need a periodic clean up)
New extension	XML (only applies when 'renaming')
Locked-file timeout	You can leave this at the default value
File encoding	You can leave this at the default value

Now choose tab Command(s)

Change Command Type from "Bartender" to "Bartender XML script".
If the option 'Bartender XML script' is missing, then you do not have the correct BarTender version installed.

Press the button 'BarTender Commander Handler Setup', the following screen will show.
If the button is disabled, first STOP the Commander label task if it was running.

Choose tab Logon

Enable option Run BarTender Using Account and fill in the account details for a local administrator account on the current PC or server.
Enter the local PC or server name at Domain. This account is used to run and print from BarTender.

In BarTender 9.4 this screen looks slightly different, you can enter a local username just as 'user name', or a domain user as 'domain\user name'.

Press OK twice.

You have now created a new task which:

reacts on creation of *.DD files in the BarTender scan folder ;
reads command information from the DD-file: BarTender label to use, and the TransactionGUID to pass to BarTender
renames the DD file to XML
starts BarTender and starts printing

Now you still have to start this task by selecting Detection, Start Detection.

You can save this task (and other tasks in the current task list) by using menu File, Save. But this is not a back-up, when deleting a task it will also be deleted in the saved task list. For back-up, you will have to copy the TL files to another folder.

Cleaning up files

This step is optional and is a matter of IT Management. When you have chosen to rename the trigger (*.DD) files to *.XML you will have a lot of XML files after a while in the BarTender scan folder. To clean those up, you can create and schedule a batch file to delete XML files:

Start/Run, "notepad c:\cleanxml.bat" (or create this file in another path)
"Create new file" = Yes
Type in Notepad:
DEL "C:\E-WMS\BT\*.XML"
replace C:\E-WMS\BT with your own Bartender scan folder.
Save the file
Go to Start/Settings/Control Panel/Scheduled tasks or to Start/Settings/Control panel/Administrative Tools/Task scheduler (Windows 7)
Create a new task which executes c:\cleanxml.bat (or from another path) one time each day, at a time when there are no labels printed

Configure WMS label

This applies to using the BarTender 'server' or 'client' method.

The created SQL view and BarTender layout have to be linked to a WMS process step. Go to menu System, E-WMS, Labels and create a new label as described in document WMS system menu: Labels.

Choose the BarTender layout and SQL view created earlier, and select the appropriate applications:

Generated SSCC' printing from hand terminal during order picking

"SSCC - Handheld: Shipment": to print shipment labels
"SSCC - Handheld: Pallet": to print pallet labels
"SSCC - Handheld: Box": to print box labels

SKU Management - hand terminal printing in stock receipt processes
"SKU - Handheld: Inner": to print 'box' labels
"SKU - Handheld: Outer": to print 'pallet' labels

Serial/Batch generation - hand terminal printing in stock receipt processes
"S/B hand terminal: batch item": to print labels for batch items
"S/B hand terminal: serial number item": to print labels for serial number items

You can retrieve sample labels from WMS Bartender integration: sample views and layouts for all processes.

Testing scanner labels

You can set up for example NovaPDF printer on the IIS server to save the prints to files automatically, without dialogue screens. Go to Start/Settings/Printers and right-click on 'NovaPDFProv4' (or other PDF printer).
Choose printing preferences and tab Save. Enable option 'Use predefined settings' and press 'Configure Save Options'.

Folder: set to a folder where the generated PDF files can be saved
File name: press 'Macro' to choose a predefined file name format
When file exists: choose 'Auto number new files'

When using this PDF printer as default printer in the BarTender label, prints will be automatically saved as PDF files.

The next step is to determine if the labels would be printed from the hand terminal, when using the SKU button in receipts processes.

Trouble shooting

For general troubleshooting of this label print process, please see Troubleshooting label printing when using BarTender Commander.