ACTIVANT PROPHET 21. Wireless Warehouse Guide. Version 11.5

Transcription

1 ACTIVANT PROPHET 21 Wireless Warehouse Guide Version 11.5

2 Document Updates 10/20/06 Expanded the definition of putaway ranks and the role of inventory ranking classification. 50 1/3/07 Added Primary Bin/Algorithm putaway method. 53 1/3/07 Added change primary bin on the fly functionality. 57, 58, 60, 61 1/4/07 Added Enter as Save and Next Keystroke in Receipts system setting. 17 1/8/07 Added P21 window and tab descriptions for Pull List Maintenance /8/07 Added P21 window and tab descriptions for Group Pick Ticket Maintenance /11/07 Added barcode learning functionality. 73, 77, 89, 132, 144 1/17/07 Added Bin Content by Item functionality /17/07 Added Bin Content by Transaction 182 1/18/07 Added note about Enter Lot Attributes Via Wireless Device requirement change. 23 2/9/07 Added Group Transfer Picking functionality /4/07 Added EDI 856 Receipts functionality 149 8/3/07 Added new rules for Group Putaway lists and deposits 63 8/15/07 Added new Wireless Warehouse System Settings 15 8/22/07 Added Change to Primary Bin in Putaway 55 8/22/07 Added Cross Docking /31/07 Updated scanner requirements 9 10/31/08 Removed Citrix as a connection option. 9

3 This manual contains reference information about software products from Activant Solutions Inc. The software described in this manual and the manual itself are furnished under the terms and conditions of a license agreement. The software consists of software options that are separately licensed. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium, or to enable any software options, except as specifically permitted under the license agreement. In addition, no part of this manual may be copied or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Activant Solutions Inc. From time to time, Activant makes changes to its software products. Therefore, information in this manual is subject to change, and the illustrations and screens that appear in the manual may differ somewhat from the version of the software provided to you. Created by: Yardley Technical Communication 2007, Activant Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. Activant and the Activant logo are registered trademarks and Activant Prophet 21 is a trademark of Activant Solutions Inc. All other company or product names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Activant Solutions Inc Southfront Road Livermore, CA Prophet 21 Version 11.5 Publication Date:

4 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 9 Important Note 9 Requirements 9 Implementation and Training 10 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP 11 System Settings 11 Lot Use 11 Bin Use 11 Lot/Bin Integration 13 Pick Tickets 13 Approvals 14 Wireless Warehouse 15 Customer Defaults Maintenance 19 Customer Maintenance 20 Location Maintenance 21 Location Tab 21 Wireless Warehouse Receipt Defaults 22 Lot Attribute Group Maintenance 24 Wireless Warehouse Module 25 Data Identifiers Maintenance 25 Data Identifier Group Maintenance 25 Company Maintenance 27 Wireless Terminal Maintenance 28 Tips for Scanner Use 29 Open Window Menu Options 29 Function Key Commands 29 Login Defaults 30 Item Notes in Wireless Warehouse 31 Wireless Warehouse Display Areas 31 Wireless Warehouse Notes 32 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS 33 Inventory Movement 33 Split and Move Tag 33 4

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Content Move 39 Putaway 45 Maximum Items per Bin 45 Warehouse Zones 46 View Putaway Trace 48 Putaway Inventory Ranking 50 Putaway Attributes 51 System Selection Process 53 System Directed Item Putaway 55 System Directed Tag Putaway 58 Self Directed Item Putaway 59 Self Directed Tag Putaway 60 Group Putaway 63 Acceptable Pickups/Deposits 63 Function Key Commands 64 Scanner Screens 67 Inventory Adjustments 73 Function Key Commands 73 Scanner Screens 74 Counting 76 Physical Count Window 76 Function Key Commands 77 Scanner Screens 79 Found Items Report 83 Print Item Labels 84 4 PICKING 85 Soft Allocation 85 Sales Order and Transfer Picking 85 Function Key Commands 86 Picking Without Tags 91 Making an On-the-Fly Adjustment 96 Picking With Tags 98 Making an On-the-Fly Adjustment 105 Group Order Picking 108 Group Pick Ticket Creation 108 Prophet Wireless Warehouse 115 Group Order Picking 116 5

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE On the Fly Inventory Adjustments 125 Default Dispositions 125 Making an On-the-Fly Adjustment 125 Prophet 21 Picking Integration 129 Confirmable Pick Tickets Only Checkbox 129 Order Bins Tab in Shipping 129 Warehouse Activity Tab in Order Entry 129 Print Shipping Labels RECEIVING 132 Purchase Order Receipts 132 Function Key Commands 132 Transfer Receipts 144 Function Key Commands 144 RMA Receipts 147 Function Key Commands 147 EDI 856 Receipts 149 Function Key Commands 149 Identification Screen 150 Receipt Selection 150 Receipt Drill Down 151 Item Drill Down 151 Cross Dock 152 How it Works 152 Function Key Commands 152 Cross Docking Screen Descriptions PULL TO PICK 158 Hard Allocation 159 Setup 160 System Settings 160 Bin Type Maintenance 161 Pull List Maintenance 162 Prophet Wireless Warehouse 164 Function Key Commands 164 Pick Ticket Report 167 6

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Pull Orders 169 Function Key Commands 169 Pick Orders 174 Function Key COmmands 174 Group Putaway INQUIRY 178 Bin Content by Item 178 Bin Content by Transaction 182 Item Inquiry BIN REPLENISHMENT 190 Overview 190 Setup Requirements 191 System Settings 191 Bin Setup 192 Alert Maintenance 194 Pick Zone Maintenance 195 Putaway Zone Maintenance 195 Replenishment Notification 196 Replenishment Report 197 Bin Replenishment 198 Function Key Commands SYSTEM INFO 201 Login Information 201 About 202 Printer Admin 203 Receipt Session Defaults PRINTING 210 System Setup 210 User Maintenance 210 7

8 TABLE OF CONTENTS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Label Definitions by Location 211 Printing Functionality 213 When to Print 213 What to Print 213 Inventory Label 218 Shipping Label 218 8

9 1 INTRODUCTION The wireless warehouse is a method of complete warehouse management that uses bar codes and hand held scanners. These codes and scanners replace many functions that previously had to be performed by hand. When you receive material, you scan it into the system, rather than enter it manually. When material moves throughout your warehouse, you scan this information using a combination of bar codes. When you pick material, you scan it. You can perform all of the basic warehousing functions of receiving, picking, put-away, cycle counting, and inventory adjustments using scanners, and each of these tasks can be performed using lots, bins, integrated lot/bins, serial numbers, or tags. This makes managing inventory faster and more accurate, reducing operational costs and improving customer service. The scanners themselves serve as miniature computer terminals, allowing you to process transactions with them both on site and in real time. For example, when receiving a shipment, you can scan all the received packages, enter their contents, and save it to your business system, all without leaving the receiving area or stepping away to access a computer terminal. IMPORTANT NOTE The wireless warehouse is a complementary feature for use with Activant Solutions Prophet 21 system. This book, however, is concerned only with the wireless warehouse. You will not find any instructions on performing transactions within Prophet 21 itself, nor will you find windows and fields defined here unless they deal specifically with the wireless warehouse. For Prophet 21 help, please see the online help files. REQUIREMENTS Activant only supports the SYMBOL MC9090 handheld device for use with WWMS. All handheld devices must use the Windows CE or higher operating system over a wireless LAN utilizing the wireless standard of g or b (also known as Wi-Fi) running a terminal services or session. Your implementation consultant will assist you through the site survey with a third party vendor to determine the number and installation points of the wireless access points in your warehouse(s). For all wireless printing, Activant suggests the Zebra QL420 Mobile Printer (Part# - Q3A-LUNBV000-00) with the following details: 203dpi, 2.9in print width, 4in. ips print speed, 1MB SRAM, 1MB Flash, LCD, b and Linered/Linerless Platen). Please note that this printer comes in a 1mb and 2mb version. You must use the 2mb version to load the proper software. 9

10 1 INTRODUCTION WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE IMPLEMENTATION AND TRAINING Your implementation consultant will assist you through the steps of implementing the solution. This will include, but not limited to: Creating a project plan Reviewing the business analysis on the warehouse solution Consulting you through setting up the warehouse solution Advising and scheduling the training needed for the warehouse solution Assisting you through the technical site survey Procuring the hardware Processing the go-live 10

11 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP Before you can begin using the wireless warehouse, you must enable certain functions in Prophet 21 and provide the system with some information it will use for the process. SYSTEM SETTINGS In order to use wireless warehouse functionality, you must first enable the following system settings. LOT USE Navigation path: System Setup/System menu/system Settings If you use lots, in addition to activating the Use Lots system setting, you must also activate the system setting that automatically allocates lots. This option must be activated if you intend to use lots with the wireless warehouse. BIN USE Navigation path: System Setup/System menu/system Settings/Inventory Management folder/serials,lots,bins node Important! Because of the way the wireless warehouse works, you must use bins. If you do not enable bin functionality in Prophet 21, you cannot use the wireless warehouse scanner integration. Once you ve installed Prophet 21 and the wireless warehouse package, the system begins capturing each inventory movement. For example, if a skid is moved from a trailer/dock door to a warehouse bin, the system captures both the source (the trailer/dock door) and the destination (the warehouse bin). The system also tracks 11

12 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE the movement of inventory that is in-progress, meaning that it tracks inventory that has been picked up, but not yet delivered. In order to track inventory in-progress, the system treats the remote scanner as a warehouse bin, no different from a storage bin, a dock door bin, or a staging bin. For example, when moving a skid from a trailer to a warehouse bin, Prophet 21 captures two inventory movements. The first is the movement of the skid from the trailer to the forklift that picks it up. The second is the deposit of the skid from the forklift to the designated warehouse storage bin. While in transit, Prophet 21 considers the skid in bin RF######. In the event that the device crashes, you could scan the tag and the system would know it is on the forklift. Prophet 21 does not differentiate between different kinds of vehicles; all bins associated with scanners are the same as far as the system is concerned. However, these scanner bins will not appear in any inventory inquiry because they are not available for any manual processes. Important! Though you must use bins to use the wireless warehouse, you must not enable any of the system settings that assign bins for certain transactions, as shown below: Do not activate any of these system settings if you intend to use the wireless warehouse. These settings cause inventory quantities to be hard allocated to the assigned bin when the transaction completes, and this prevents you from moving inventory quantities later. In addition, you must activate the Advanced Bin Tracking system setting. 12

13 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Advanced Bin Tracking is described in the Prophet New Features Guide and online help files. LOT/BIN INTEGRATION Navigation path: System Setup/System menu/system Settings/Inventory Management folder/serials,lots,bins node If you use both lots and bins, you must use lot/bin integration if you intend to use the Wireless Warehouse. You must use lot/bin integration if you track both lots and bins. PICK TICKETS Navigation Path: System Setup/System menu/system Settings Pick Tickets must not be set to print when an order is saved, because this locks the inventory quantity and prevents it from moving, which interferes with wireless warehouse functions. This system setting must remain disabled for use with the wireless warehouse. 13

14 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE APPROVALS Navigation Path: System Setup/System menu/system Settings The way the system processes inventory receipts using the wireless warehouse creates unapproved records. Because of this, you must use approvals when using the functionality described in this manual. Specifically you must use approvals for transfer receipts, purchase order receipts, and inventory adjustments. These approvals can default to yes or no, it is only important that they be used. All of these fields must use approvals, thought they may default to yes or no. Important! While these options can be set to yes or no, if you receive material using the Wireless Warehouse, the system always sets the approvals to no for purchase order receipts, transfer receipts and RMA receipts regardless of the setting for these options in System Settings. For example: you have the PO Receipts approvals set to ON Default to Yes. When you receive purchase orders without using the Wireless Warehouse system, the system automatically approves the receipt. However, when you receive a purchase order using the Wireless Warehouse, the system marks the receipt as unapproved. You must approve it using the main Prophet 21 system. 14

15 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE WIRELESS WAREHOUSE Navigation Path: System Setup/System menu/system Settings After enabling bins and approvals in your system, you must enable Prophet 21 to use scanners. The main switch for this is a checkbox found in System Settings. In System Settings, open the Wireless Warehouse folder and click the General focus. Field Wireless Warehouse Enabled Key Use System Generated Tags for Wireless Warehouse Description The Wireless Warehouse Enabled checkbox is the on/off switch for scanner functionality in Prophet 21. No other scanner settings will be available unless you activate this checkbox. The product key to activate wireless functionality once you ve purchased the package. Activating this setting causes the system to automatically populate any tag field with a system-generated tag number. You can override the system-generated tag by entering or scanning a different tag, or you can accept it by pressing Enter. This happens each time you encounter a tag field, so if you are receiving a series of 10 items, each of which has a tag, the system will automatically generate a tag for each one of them, and you can override or accept each tag on an individual basis. 15

16 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Use Wireless Bin Replenishment When activated, the system sends an automated notification to a warehouse employee in an appropriate section of the warehouse that notes the bin and its stock requirements. This notification is sent to another warehouse employee if the stock requirements aren t met within a certain period of time. A full description of the bin replenishment functions available in the Wireless Warehouse begins on page 190. Use Pull to Pick Allows access to the Pull to Pick function described on page 158. Without activating this setting, the Pull to Pick menu option is not available. If you activate this setting, you cannot activate the Allocate Bins setting in the Bins node. Second Scan for Single Item Bins When active, the system requires you to scan an item after you've scanned a bin, even if the bin is only supposed to contain one item. The system will not allow you to continue with the picking process until you ve scanned or entered an item. When this setting is deactivated, the system automatically defaults the item ID of the item if you scan a bin that only contains a single item; additional confirmation is not required. Note: This setting does not affect items that are tagged. Scanning an item tag confirms the item ID automatically. Approve PO Receipts Approve Transfer Receipts Use Wireless Label Printing Wireless Warehouse Transfer Undership Default Disposition Enabling this setting allows you to approve a purchase order receipt straight from the wireless device, without the need to use a terminal to access the system. The system does not automatically approve the receipt; you must still manually approve the receipt, but you do not have to use a terminal to do so. Enabling this setting allows you to approve a transfer receipt straight from the wireless device, without the need to use a terminal to access the system. The system does not automatically approve the receipt; you must still manually approve the receipt, but you do not have to use a terminal to do so. This setting allows you to print tags and labels to a label printer designed for use with the Wireless Warehouse scanner. A full description of the printing functions available in the Wireless Warehouse begins on page 210. This setting determines the default disposition for transfer receipts that come in with less than the requested quantity. Setting: Cancel Description: Once you accept the transfer, the system considers the transfer complete and cancels the outstanding requested quantity. Backorder Once you accept the transfer, the system puts the remaining quantity on a transfer backorder. 16

17 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Display Update was Successful Message Enter as Save and Next Keystroke in Receipts Putaway Strategy When this setting is activated, the system displays a popup whenever you successfully save a transaction. Without activating this setting, the system does not display this message. When this setting is activated, you can use the Enter key to receive a line on a PO receipt instead of the F5 key. This setting determines what method the system uses to suggest bins when putting inventory away. Setting: Primary Bin/ Algorithm Description: When suggesting a putaway bin, the system always suggests the item's primary bin unless that bin is not available (because it is full, put locked, frozen, or some similar reason). If the primary bin is not available, the system runs the putaway algorithm described in the WWMS manual. Putaway Algorithm When suggesting a putaway bin, the system only suggests the item's primary bin if that bin resides in the same zone as the one in the putaway list. If the bin sits in a different zone from the list zone, the system does not suggest the primary bin, even if it is available. For more information on these putaway strategies, see page 53. Empty Bins Strategy Determines when the system recommends empty bins during system directed putaway. During a normal putaway process, the system reviews a list of putaway zones and tries to match a zone to the item in your putaway list. Within each zone, the system looks for the item s primary bin. If it can t find that, it looks for a bin holding just that item. Failing that, it looks for a bin holding the item plus other items. If it can t find any of these, the system comes to empty bins. This system setting determines how empty bins factor into the recommended bin equation. Setting Empty Bins in Zone Empty Bins Last No Empty Bins Description After exhausting all the options in the highest ranked zone, the system scans that zone for empty bins before analyzing any other putaway zone. After exhausting all the options in the highest ranked zone, the system repeats the analysis in all other putaway zones, searching for bins with content to recommend. Only after it exhausts all possibilities in all putaway zones does it return to the top of the putaway zone list and begin searching for empty bins. The system does not consider empty bins when recommending putaway bins. 17

18 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Group Pick Sequence Determines the order in which the system displays line items when performing a group pick. Setting Bin Pick Sequence Warehouse Sequence Ascending Warehouse Sequence Descending Description The system orders the pick by bin sequence number. It does not use warehouse zones in this determination. The system orders the pick by bin sequence within zone, ordering the warehouse pick zones in ascending order. The system orders the pick by bin sequence within zone, ordering the warehouse pick zones in descending order. Single Pick Sequence Determines the order in which the system displays line items when performing a pick for a single transaction. Setting Bin Sequence Line Item Number Sequence Paper Primary Bin Warehouse Sequence Ascending Warehouse Sequence Descending Description The system orders the pick by bin sequence number. It does not use warehouse zones in this determination. The system orders the pick by item line number as it appears on the transaction. The system orders the pick in the same order the line items printed on the pick ticket. The system orders the pick by the pick sequence of each item s primary bin. The system orders the pick by bin sequence within zone, ordering the warehouse pick zones in ascending order. The system orders the pick by bin sequence within zone, ordering the warehouse pick zones in descending order. Prompt for Serials During PO Receipts when Tracking Outbound Serials Only When enabled, the system asks for serial numbers when you receive serialized inventory via the wireless warehouse system even if you only track outgoing serial numbers. If disabled, the system does not require you to assign serial numbers to inventory handled through the wireless warehouse until you pick it for shipping. 18

19 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE CUSTOMER DEFAULTS MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Accounts Receivable/ System menu/ Customer Defaults Maintenance The system uses the Default Disposition setting on the Default Disposition tab in the Customer Defaults Maintenance window when deciding how to treat undershipped lines that are processed through the wireless warehouse system. Default Disposition the disposition setting (e.g., Backorder, Direct Ship, etc.) automatically assigned to items ordered by a specific customer when the order cannot be filled. Disposition: Description: For example: Backorder Direct Ship A requirement is generated to purchase the item. Upon receipt of the material against the purchase, the stock can be allocated to open backorders or allocated to free stock. The item is shipped directly to the customer from your supplier. A purchase order is generated to purchase the item. Tip! Direct ships directly link a customer with a purchase order. Ten fixtures are ordered, but only six are in stock. The six fixtures are allocated to the order and the other four are given the Backorder disposition. A purchase order is generated for those fixtures. When they are received, they are allocated to the existing order. Two out of stock fixtures are ordered. Since the customer is in a hurry, the fixtures are given the Direct Ship disposition. A direct ship purchase order is generated for the fixtures. The fixtures are never received, but are delivered to the customer by the supplier. Special Order The item is purchased and delivered ASAP, or it may be an item that you do not normally stock. The requirement generated to purchase the item is considered a "rush." Tip! Special orders directly link a customer order with a purchase order. Five out of stock fixtures are ordered and the customer needs them as soon as possible. The fixtures are given the Special Order disposition. A special order purchase order is generated to rush-order and receive the fixtures. They are then rushed to the customer. 19

20 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Cancel Hold The item is deleted from the order. Tip! Once an item is cancelled on an order, you cannot undo the cancellation. The item is placed on hold. A decision regarding the item s disposition can be made at a later time. Eight fixtures are ordered, but only seven are in stock. The customer takes the seven fixtures, but can t wait for the eighth. That fixture is given the Cancel disposition. Four fixtures are ordered, but only one is in stock. You allocate the fixture on hand to the order and the other three are given the Hold disposition. This order will show up on a Hold Order Report where upon review, the disposition can be changed to Backorder, Cancel, Direct Ship, Special Order, or Transfer. The Default Disposition is set in each customer record, but can be edited for individual orders. When Default Disposition is set to None, there is no default disposition for the customer and you are prompted for a disposition if there is not enough of an item in stock to fill an order. CUSTOMER MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Accounts Receivable/ Maintenance menu/ Customer Maintenance While the system setting noted above applies to all customers in your system, you can make changes to this default on a customer-by-customer basis in Customer Maintenance. This setting is identical to the one found in Customer Defaults Maintenance, but only applies to a single customer. It defaults to whatever setting you ve established in Customer Defaults Maintenance. If you change it, the system uses your new setting for this customer only, and the setting in Customer Defaults Maintenance for all other customers. 20

21 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE LOCATION MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: System Setup/System menu/location Maintenance After establishing the settings for your company as a whole, you must address several settings for each location within your company that you want to use the Wireless Warehouse. LOCATION TAB The Location tab in Location Maintenance allows you to specify what locations use the wireless warehouse, and if the system warns you of possible terminal/scanner overlaps. You must address these two settings at each location you wish to use the Wireless Warehouse. Enable Wireless Warehouse at this Location Toggles the options for hand held scanner use at this location. Note: Setting: On Off You cannot activate this setting without first turning on the Wireless Warehouse for your company in Wireless Warehouse System Settings General. Description: Activates all the options necessary to integrate Wireless Warehouse functions into normal Prophet 21 activities. Wireless Warehouse functionality remains unavailable at this location. Even if it is available to 21

22 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE the company, it will not function at this specific location. Enable Wireless Warehouse Warning Message in Transfer and Order Shipping This checkbox toggles a warning message that warns people of possible overlaps between console entered transactions and those handled with hand held scanners. Setting: On Description: Whenever you use a console to enter a shipping or transfer ship that involves items in bin locations designated for use with the wireless warehouse, the system displays a warning message that states the warehouse zone is marked for use by the wireless warehouse, and asks if you'd like to continue. Transfer and order shipping transactions are two step processes in the Wireless Warehouse. This message serves as a warning when in between steps in case someone tries to double pick an order (once using the hand held scanner and once at a Prophet 21 console). Off The warning message does not appear. Note: This checkbox automatically enables itself the first time you activate the Enable Wireless Warehouse at this Location setting. However, this only happens the first time. Should you later deactivate and reactivate the Enable Wireless Warehouse at this Location setting, this checkbox will remain unchecked until you manually activate it. WIRELESS WAREHOUSE RECEIPT DEFAULTS If you activate the wireless warehouse for a location, the Wireless Warehouse Receipt Defaults tab becomes available. This tab allows you to set the default behavior for the location when accepting purchase order and transfer receipts. This tab only establishes the defaults; you may change the system s action on a case-by-case basis as needed. Field: Transaction Type Description: Determines what kind of transaction the settings apply to. You can choose between purchase order receipts and transfer receipts. 22

23 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Approved If you enable this checkbox, receipts performed with a scanning device are considered approved, meaning your general ledger and inventory records update upon a successful save. If not enabled, you must first use the PO Receipts window in the Prophet 21 system to approve receipts performed with a scanner before any of your records reflect the receipt. Allocate Automatically/ Receive Only When set to Allocate Automatically, the system allocates material of an approved receipt to the oldest existing backorder first, and continues to allocate to open backorders until all backorders are filled or all received material is allocated. When set to Receive Only, the system makes no allocations for the received material; you must manually allocate the material yourself. Complete* Exclude From Lead Time* Enter Lot Attributes Via Wireless Device* When enabled, the system considers all lines on the receipt complete and closes all lines. You cannot receive further inventory against a closed line. When enabled, the time from purchase order to purchase order receipt is not factored into the system s calculations when determining average lead time for this supplier and item. If enabled, the wireless device provides a series of new screens (see page 205) that allow you to define lot attributes used as traceable factors. In order to enable this setting, you must have a default value for every required lot attribute in all company locations (as defined in Lot Attribute Maintenance). If you do not have defaults assigned to all required attributes, the system will not allow you to enable this setting. In addition, you must activate the Always Prompt for Lot Attributes system setting, found in System Setup > System Settings > Inventory Management > Serials, Lots, & Bins Defaults, to use this option. Item Label Defaults Setting: Description: 1 Label Per Unit of Measure Upon completing a receipt, the system prints one label for each sale unit of measure. 1 Label Per SKU Upon completing a receipt, the system prints one label for each purchase unit of measure. Number of Labels Upon completing a receipt, the system prints the number of labels defined in this field. *Only available for Purchase Order Receipts. Important! You can also set these defaults up per scanning device, giving each one a different set of defaults. You can access these options with the Receipt Session Defaults screen in the System Info menu. 23

24 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE LOT ATTRIBUTE GROUP MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Inventory/ Maintenance menu/ Lot Attribute Group Maintenance If you choose to approve receipts through wireless devices, but not to enter lot attributes through them (meaning you enable the Approved setting, but not the Enter Lot Attributes Via Wireless Device setting in Location Maintenance, see page 22), you must enter lot attributes using the main system. However, you cannot approve a receipt without entering values for all required lot attributes. For this purpose, the system includes the Lot/Attribute Defaults tab in Lot Attribute Group Maintenance. This tab allows you to define default values for your lot attributes. When you accept a receipt, the system automatically inserts the default value for the lot attribute, allowing you to approve the receipt straight from the wireless device without defining the attributes with the device. If you need to adjust the attributes from their default values, you can do this from the main system at a later time. This tab includes all the lot attributes associated with a given lot. The lot attribute and description appear in information only fields. The last field, Default Value, is the value the system automatically assigns to the given lot attribute when you accept an inventory receipt. You can change these values from their default later if you choose to. 24

25 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MODULE Once you ve enabled the wireless functionality in Prophet 21, you have access to the Wireless Warehouse module. This module is where you enter information the system needs to communicate with the handheld scanners. DATA IDENTIFIERS MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Wireless Warehouse/System menu/data Identifiers/Data Identifiers Maintenance The Data Identifiers Maintenance window is used to create, edit, and delete sets of data IDs. A data ID translates a barcode prefix to a field name, allowing the scanner to identify the information it is scanning. For example, if you scan a barcode with the item ID data ID, the scanner moves its focus to the Item ID field and enters the remainder of the scanned barcode into the Item ID field. The Data Identifiers Maintenance window is an option on the System menu of the Wireless Inventory Management module (under the Data Identifiers section). It has three tabs: Query, Data Identifiers, and List View. The Query and List View tabs function exactly as they do elsewhere in the system. The Data Identifiers tab is where you can create, edit, and delete Data IDs. Select a field type from the Data Reference field, enter a short code that will represent it on a barcode in the Data ID field, and add a brief text description in the Description field if necessary. You can delete any existing data ID by changing the Row Status from Active to Delete. DATA IDENTIFIER GROUP MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Wireless Warehouse/System menu/data Identifiers/Data Identifiers Group Maintenance The Data Identifier Group Maintenance allows you to pull existing data IDs together into one group. This group becomes a profile you can assign to a company, and determines what set of data IDs that company will use to interpret barcode information. You cannot create new data IDs in this window; you can only group existing IDs together under a heading. 25

26 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE The Data Identifier Group Maintenance window is an option on the System menu of the Wireless Inventory Management module (under the Data Identifiers section). It has one tab in the header: Data Identifier Group, and one tab in the footer: Data Identifiers. The Data Identifier Group tab is where you establish the header of a data ID group. Enter the data group ID in the Data Identifier Group ID field, and provide a description of this group in the Description field if necessary. You can delete any existing data ID group by setting the Row Status field to Delete. Once you ve created the header for the data ID group, you need to specify what individual data IDs are in this group. That is what the Data Identifiers tab is for. Enter the data ID you want to include in this group in the Data ID field. The Data Reference Type and Description fields populate automatically once you do. Though you only start with one line, each time you press Enter, the system provides another line, allowing you to enter any number of data IDs to a group. You can remove a data ID from a group by setting its row status to Delete in this tab. 26

27 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE COMPANY MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: System Setup/System menu/company Maintenance After you ve created a data ID group, you need to assign it to your company. Enter the appropriate data identifier group ID in the Inventory Tab in Company Maintenance. For more information on setting up the data identifier group ID, see page

28 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE WIRELESS TERMINAL MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Wireless Warehouse/Maintenance menu/wireless Terminal Maintenance This window identifies each of the scanners and gives a brief summary of their recent activity. The first time someone logs into a scanner, it creates a record that is displayed here. This lets you know who is logged into each scanner, and when they began. The Wireless Terminal Maintenance window is an option on the Maintenance menu of the Wireless Inventory Management module. It has a single tab: Wireless Terminal Form View. The Wireless Terminal Form View tab displays a list of scanner logins. Each login appears on its own line and lists the following information: Company ID Wireless IP Address Location ID Location Description Current User ID Last Login Date Last Task Bin ID Login Status By default the tab only displays active connections, but you can view all recent connections by right clicking in the tab and selecting the Show Inactive option. You can reverse this by right clicking again and selecting Hide Inactive. You can also terminate an active connection by right clicking the line and selecting Set Inactive. This automatically logs the person out and terminates their session with the scanner. This function is useful in cases where a scanner crashes and its bin is still registered as in use by the system. Since a bin is released when someone logs out of the scanner, this feature frees the bin. 28

29 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE TIPS FOR SCANNER USE The following tips are not essential to using the scanners with the Wireless Warehouse. However, these shortcuts can save you time when performing functions and make use easier. OPEN WINDOW MENU OPTIONS The scanner s main menu tracks all windows that you have open. Each open window appears at the bottom of the main menu, and selecting that option from the menu immediately returns you to that window. The checkmark shows you what window is currently displayed. All other windows are underneath the checked window. Selecting one of these window options will immediately bring you to that window. If you need to skip between multiple windows to perform a task, you might find it faster to open all the needed windows and to keep them open. You can then use their entries at the bottom of the main menu to move between them without moving into sub-menus. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS Throughout the various screen of the scanner, the function keys perform a wide range of tasks. The same key likely performs different functions depending on what screen you are viewing, however, several function keys always perform the same tasks no matter where you are in the scanner system. Key Command Description F1 Exit/Back Up Pressing this key brings you back one screen, or exits the program if you are on the first screen. Shift + F1 Clear Clears all fields in the screen. F2 Lookup Pressing this key gives you a popup search window similar to the ones found throughout Prophet 21. Shift + F2 F Key Help This brings up a screen that gives you a brief definition of what all the function keys do in the window you currently occupy. 29

30 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F7 Print If you are in a screen that supports printing (see page 210), this function key will prompt the system to print an item or tag label. These keys perform the same functions throughout the system. Other F keys perform tasks as well, but their functions vary by window. Chapters that describe specific areas of the system also detail the commands of the function keys there. LOGIN DEFAULTS The login screen has several fields that default their entries based on the last time someone logged into the scanner. Company and Location ID The Wireless Warehouse system logs the last company and location used by a particular user ID. When you log in again, the system defaults the company and location fields in all screens to these saved values. You can change these manually, and the system will update the default IDs based on the values in these fields when you log out. Because these values are associated with individual user IDs, each user ID can have a different company and location ID default. Bin ID The system also logs the last bin ID for a particular gun, and defaults to this ID when you log in again. Unlike User ID and Company ID, the Bin ID field is optional; you do not need to enter a value here. You re also free to change the defaulted value to something else if you prefer. This field appears on the login screen to prevent errors during scanner use. By default, Prophet 21 ties the bin to the scanner through the IP address. However, if it cannot obtain an IP address for a scanner for any reason, Prophet 21 automatically assigns an IP address of It does this with every device, meaning that two scanners could have the same IP address, and thus the same bin ID. These two would then use the same data in their transactions, resulting in bad data and errors. By manually assigning a bin ID at login, you guarantee each device has a unique bin ID regardless of IP address. Though the Bin ID field is optional most times, it becomes a required field if the IP address of the scanner is If this is so, the system will not log you on until you enter an acceptable bin ID. The system saves the bin entered in the login and defaults to it during the next login. 30

31 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE ITEM NOTES IN WIRELESS WAREHOUSE The scanners used in the Wireless Warehouse application don t normally display notes. However, there are times when you might attach information in a note that is important for your workers that use scanners to see. To accommodate this, the Wireless Warehouse system can display notes on scanner screens. WIRELESS WAREHOUSE DISPLAY AREAS To create a note that appears on scanner screens, you must set the note display location in one of the notepad maintenance windows. Wireless warehouse locations have been added to the list of display areas for notes: WWMS Picking, WWMS Pull to Pick, and WWMS Receiving. Notes: These three display areas only appear if the Wireless Warehouse is active in that location, and not all windows contain all areas. Also note that any note you place in the WWMS Pull to Pick area displays both when you pull the tag from the shelves, and then again when you pick from the pulled inventory. Therefore, if you insert a note in the WWMS Pull to Pick area, you do not need to set that note to also display in the WWMS Picking area; it does so automatically. Important! While you can give any note a WWMS display area, the scanners only display mandatory notes. The following list shows the wireless warehouse display areas each window contains: Item Notepad Maintenance WWMS Picking WWMS Pull to Pick WWMS Receiving Customer Part Number Notepad Maintenance WWMS Picking WWMS Pull to Pick Order Line Notepad Entry 31

32 2 PROPHET 21 SETUP WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE WWMS Picking WWMS Pull to Pick WIRELESS WAREHOUSE NOTES Whenever you enter the item, customer part number, or order line in the appropriate area, the system displays all mandatory notes. Note: If you trigger more than one note (for example, both the item and the order line have notes) the system displays the next note once you dismiss the current one. F-Key Functionality Pressing Shift + F4 in any screen that displayed a note calls that note back, allowing you to view it again after you dismiss it. 32

33 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS Inventory Operations deals with the transactions that move or adjust your inventory quantities. This covers inventory moves, item adjustments, cycle counts, and item putaways. INVENTORY MOVEMENT There are times when you may need to repackage a certain inventory quantity, split it into two or more separate quantities, or move it to another bin in your warehouse. You can now accomplish these tasks with scanners. For example, you need to pull a small quantity of item from a bin for QA testing. This feature allows you to remove this quantity from the bin and track it as it moves to the QA area. The entire inventory amount remains in your system, and you know where all quantities are as they move. And because the information is entered with scanners, entry is both faster and more accurate than entering it manually. Note: The windows described in this section refer specifically to moving inventory in a tagging environment. Because of the additional level of detail involved with tracking inventory with tags, moving tagged quantities in your warehouse requires processes that non-tagged inventory does not. Discussion of non-tagged inventory procedures continues of page 45, Putaway. SPLIT AND MOVE TAG Inventory records store the location and quantity of items. However, because a tag can only have a single bin or location associated with it, anytime you move less than the full inventory amount listed on a tag, you need to create a new tag for the moved quantity. This is called splitting the tag. You update the old tag with the new, reduced inventory quantity, and create a new tag for the moved quantity, noting its quantity and location. If you don t use tags to track your inventory, you still need a method of tracking inventory when you move a partial quantity form one location to another. In both cases, the scanner has a series of screens that guide you through this process. Function Keys The function keys perform the following tasks in this window: Key Command Description F3 Deposit Saves the split you have entered. If you want to split a quantity to several tags or bins, you must enter a series of tag or bin numbers. Press 33

34 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE this key after each one to accept the entry and move to the next one. F9 Save Saves the move and closes the window. Source Screen The Source screen is where you define what tag, bin, item, and lot you are splitting, and the quantity of item you are moving. Field Name Tag Number Bin ID Item ID Item Description Lot Description The Tag being scanned. If you scan a tag that is frozen, allocated, or unavailable for any reason, the scanner will display an error message. Otherwise, the scanner will automatically populate all the other fields in this screen with information from the scanned tag. The bin the holds the inventory you want to move. If you do not use tagging, you must enter or scan the bin you are taking inventory from to start the process. You can press F2 to look for the bin number. The item ID of the item you plan to move. A short description of the item you plan to move. The lot of the item you plan to move. Even if you use tagging, you may need to enter this field; if the tag holds multiple lots the scanner cannot auto-populate this field. This field displays non-lot if the item does not track lots. Traceable Factor The traceable factor associated with the lot or item. 34

35 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Serial Pack Type Quantity Per Package UOM Quantity Available Quantity to Move The serial number of item you plan to move. You can only move a single serial number at a time. The package type of the tag. This field is only visible if you use tagging. The quantity per package of the tag. This field is only visible if you use tagging. Unit of measure for the item you are moving. The item quantity that is still open and can be moved. This is the on-hand quantity less any amount that has been allocated to orders, processing, etc. This is the quantity of item you wish to move to a new location. Split Definition The Split Definition screen is only available if you use tagging to track inventory. This screen defines the package type that you are putting the split inventory amount into. Field Name SKU Quantity To Move Package Type Quantity Per Number of Tags Total Unit Quantity Description This is the amount you are moving from the original tag. It defaults to the value you entered in the Move Qty field in the prior screen. The package type of the new tag. You can view a list of packaged types by pressing F2. The quantity per package of the new tag. The number of new tags created by splitting the inventory quantity. The scanner automatically populates this field based on the inventory quantity removed and the quantity per package you entered above. For example, if you move a quantity of 100 and enter a quantity per package of 50, the scanner fills this field with 2. You can adjust this number if you need to. The quantity of item being moved to this new tag. It defaults to the same value as shown in the Total Quantity to Move, but you can enter a value less than this if you are splitting the inventory into more than one 35

36 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE additional tag. Tag x of x This is the destination tag that you are moving a quantity of item to, as well as how many tags you must create and how many you ve already created. Each time you enter a tag number here, the field accepts the value, then clears and advances the counter (2 of 4, 3 of 4, etc.) Deposit Screen The Deposit Screen is where you enter the material s destination information. If you are depositing the material to an existing container, the fields in this screen default once you scan or enter the destination location. If you are creating a new container for this material, you must enter the details yourself. Note: If this screen defaults information based on the bin or tag you scan, these fields are not editable; you cannot change the information displayed in any field that defaults its entry. If you are moving a split quantity to multiple bins or locations, you ll see one instance of this screen for each new location. Field Name Container Tag Description The tag of the container you are placing the inventory in. You can create a new container and tag to place the inventory, in which case you must enter the tag number here. If you are placing the inventory in an existing container, you can scan the tag instead. You can also look up existing tags with the F2 key. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Container Package The package type of the container entered in the Put In Container Tag field above. You can view a list of package types by pressing the F2 key. This field is not required if you do not enter a value for the Put In Container Tag field. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Platform Tag The tag of the platform that holds the container you entered above. You can view a list of platform tags by pressing the F2 key. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Platform Package The type of platform of the platform you entered in the field above. You 36

37 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE can view a list of platform types by pressing the F2 key. This field is not required if you don t enter a value in the Put on Platform Tag field. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Bin This is the destination bin. It will not default and you must enter a value. You can view a list of bins by pressing the F2 key. Moving a Partial Quantity Use these instructions to move a partial quantity from one location to another in your warehouse. Steps marked with a are mandatory. Important! Note: In all cases where you are called to scan a value, you can either scan a barcode if one is available (such as on a deposit bin) or enter the value manually. The scanner makes no distinction between data entry methods, and you can manually enter data even if there is a barcode available to scan. These instructions assume you do not use tagging to track your inventory. For information on how to use this function with tagging, see the next instruction set below. 1. From the Transaction menu, select Inventory Operations. 2. From the sub-menu, select Split & Move. 3. At the Source screen, scan the bin that contains the item you want to move. 4. Enter the item ID of the item you want to move. 5. If the item tracks lots, enter the lot of the item you want to move. The traceable factor associated with the lot automatically displays. 6. If this item tracks serial numbers, enter the serial number of the item you want to move. 7. Enter the quantity of item you want to move. Note: You can only move one serialized item at a time. 8. Move the inventory to its new location. 9. At the deposit screen, scan the bin you are depositing the inventory in. 10. Enter the quantity of item you are depositing in this location. If this is the total quantity moved, you are done. If you have quantity remaining, repeat steps 9 and 10 until you have deposited the entire split quantity. Splitting a Tag Use these instructions to split a partial quantity from a tag and move it to another in your warehouse with its own tag. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 37

38 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Important! In all cases where you are called to enter a value, you can either scan a barcode if one is available (such as on a deposit bin) or enter the value manually. The scanner makes no distinction between data entry methods, and you can manually enter data even if there is a barcode available to scan. 1. From the Transaction menu, select Inventory Operations. 2. From the sub-menu, select Split & Move. 3. At the Source screen, scan the tag of the item you want to move. The rest of the screen s fields default with information from the tag. 4. If the tag contains more than one item, scan the item you want to move. 5. If the tag contains more than one lot, scan the lot of the item you want to move. 6. Enter the quantity of the item you want to move. 7. In the Split Definition screen, the quantity of item you wish to add to your new tag is displayed in the Total Unit Quantity field. This field defaults to the total quantity of inventory you are moving, but you may edit it as needed. 8. Enter the type of package you are placing the items in. 9. Enter the quantity per package of the package type you selected in step Enter the number of tags to create. Note: The system automatically populates this field based on the total inventory quantity you are splitting and the quantity per package you entered, but you may edit this field as needed. 11. Apply the new tags to the packages you are using for the split inventory. 12. Move the inventory to its new location. 13. Press F3 to deposit the inventory in its new location. 14. If you are placing the packages in an existing container, scan the container s tag. If you are not placing the packages in a container, skip to step If you are placing the packages in a container, enter the container s package type if it doesn t default. 16. If you are placing the packages or container on a platform, scan the platform s tag. If you are not placing the packages or container on a platform, skip to step If you are placing the packages or container on a platform, enter the platform s type if it doesn t default. 18. Scan or enter the bin number of the bin you are placing the inventory into. 19. Enter the quantity of item you are depositing in this location. If this is the total quantity moved, you are done. If you have quantity remaining, repeat steps 9 and 10 until you have deposited the entire split quantity. 38

39 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE CONTENT MOVE This function is similar to the Split and Move Tag function described above, but instead of splitting a tag, you take the entire tag and move it somewhere else. This process does not create any new tags. It just moves tag information from one tag to another. While tag splitting takes smaller quantities and puts them on separate tags, content moves are usually quantity consolidations that gather multiple smaller quantities and placing them together on a single tag. For example, a distributor tags his pallets and every individual box stored on those pallets. He wants to move one box each off pallet A, B, C, and D and place them on pallet E. Because the individual boxes are tagged, he doesn t need to split inventory quantities; he just needs to move the box tags to a pallet E s tag. Even if you don t use tags, you can use the content move function to move a quantity from one location to another and to gather quantities together in a single location. Source Screen This is the first screen of the content move process. In this screen, you enter the tag or item information for the item you want to move. 39

40 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field Name Tag Number Description This is the tag you want to move. It must be an existing tag that is not allocated to any transaction. If you do not use tags, this field will not appear. Bin ID Item ID Item Description Lot Traceable Factor Serial The bin containing the item you want to move. If you don t use tags, this field is required. Otherwise, the bin information should default when you scan the item tag. You can search for the bin by pressing F2. The item ID of the item you want to move. If you scan a tag that contains multiple items, this field displays Mixed. You can move an entire tag that contains multiple items. A brief text description of the chosen item. This field populates automatically when you enter an item ID. The lot of the item being moved. If the item does not track lots, this field displays non-lot. The traceable factor associated with this item or tag. If the tag has several items with different traceable factors, this field reads several. The serial number of the item to be moved. There can only be one serial number per tag number. If serial numbers are recorded at receipt, you must select one here. Otherwise this is an optional field. If you do not use tags to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Pack Type The package type for the tag you are moving. If you do not use tags to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Quantity Per Package The quantity per package for the tag you are moving. If there is more than one quantity per on the tag, you must enter one. In this case, this should be the Qty per Package that you need for the package that will receive the inventory quantity. You can also use the package quantity of the original package if you are moving an entire package. If you do not use tags to track your inventory, you will not see this field. UOM Quantity Available Quantity to Move Unit of measure for the item being moved. Quantity of item that can be moved. This is the quantity on hand minus any quantities allocated to transactions and quantities frozen. The amount of material you want to move. This cannot be more than the free quantity or the quantity on the tag. 40

41 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Destination Tag Screen The Destination Tag screen is where you enter the details of the package and container you are moving the tag to. This screen is not used unless you use tagging to track your inventory. Field Name SKU Qty To Move Package Type Quantity Per Number of Packs Total Unit Quantity Destination Tag Destination Package Description The total quantity of this item you want to move The package type the new tag will have. You can view a list of package types by pressing F2. The quantity per package of the package type entered in the field above The number of packs the moved quantity will have. The scanner defaults this value based on the quantity to move divided by the quantity per package. The quantity of item being moved to this new tag. The destination tag. You can scan an existing tag, or create a new tag and enter its number here. If the destination tag can t accept the item for any reason (the bin is full, is item specific, is frozen, etc.) the scanner gives you a warning. You may ignore this warning and proceed with the deposit to this tag if you wish, however. The tag of the package you are placing the item in. This is not necessarily the same as the destination tag, since the destination tag can be the parent tag of the package tag. 41

42 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Deposit Screen The deposit screen is where you enter the details about the item s final destination. Field Container Tag Description The tag of the container you are placing the inventory in. You can create a new container and tag to place the inventory, in which case you must enter the tag number here. If you are placing the inventory in an existing container, you can scan the tag instead. You can also look up existing tags with the F2 key. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Container Package The package type of the container entered in the Put In Container Tag field above. You can view a list of package types by pressing the F2 key. This field is not required if you do not enter a value for the Put In Container Tag field. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Platform Tag The tag of the platform that holds the container you entered above. You can view a list of platform tags by pressing the F2 key. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Platform Package The type of platform of the platform you entered in the field above. You can view a list of platform types by pressing the F2 key. This field is not required if you don t enter a value in the Put on Platform Tag field. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you will not see this field. Bin ID The destination bin. You can view a list of bins by pressing the F2 key. 42

43 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Performing a Content Move Use the following instructions to perform a content move. Steps marked with a are mandatory. Important! Note: In all cases where you are called to enter a value, you can either scan a barcode if one is available (such as on a deposit bin) or enter the value manually. The scanner makes no distinction between data entry methods, and you can manually enter data even if there is a barcode available to scan. This procedure assumes you do not use tagging to track your inventory. For information on how to perform this process with tags, see the next instruction set below. 1. From the scanner s Transaction menu, select Inventory Operations. 2. From the sub menu, select Content Move. 3. Scan the bin that contains the item you want to move. 4. Scan the item you want to move. 5. If the item tracks lots, scan the lot of the item you want to move. 6. If the item tracks serial numbers, and you assign serial numbers upon receiving inventory, scan the serial number of the item you want to move. Note: If the item you are moving tracks serial numbers, but you don t assign serial numbers until shipping an order, you do not have to scan the serial number at this time. 7. Enter the quantity of item you want to move. This quantity cannot be greater than the quantity available shown on the scanner screen. The Deposit screen appears. 8. Move the inventory to its new location. 9. Scan or enter the bin number where you are depositing the item. 10. Press F9 to save the move. Performing a Content Move with Tags Use the following instructions to perform a content move with tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. From the scanner s Transaction menu, select Inventory Operations. 2. From the sub menu, select Content Move. 3. Scan the tag you want to move. The rest of the screen populates with information drawn from tag records. 4. If the tag contains more than one item, scan the item you want to move. 5. If the tag contains more than one lot, scan the lot you want to move. 43

44 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 6. Enter the quantity of item you want to move. This quantity cannot be greater than the quantity available shown on the scanner screen. The Destination Tag screen appears. 7. Move the inventory to its new location. 8. Enter the package type and quantity per package of the container you are moving the tag to. The scanner automatically determines the number of packages based on the moved quantity and quantity per package. 9. Scan the tag you are depositing this material to. 10. If you are placing the quantity in a package with a tag of it s own, scan the package tag. 11. Press F3 to deposit the inventory in its new location. The Deposit screen appears. 12. Scan or enter the bin tag you are depositing this material to. 13. If you are placing the packages in an existing container, scan the container s tag. If you are not placing the packages in a container, skip to step If you are placing the packages in a container, enter the container s package type if it doesn t default. 15. If you are placing the packages or container on a platform, scan the platform s tag. If you are not placing the packages or container on a platform, skip to step If you are placing the packages or container on a platform, enter the platform s type if it doesn t default. 17. Press F9 to save the move. 44

45 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PUTAWAY Once product has been received into the warehouse, you need to put it into a bin. Using the wireless warehouse makes the putaway process much easier because it directs you to bins with available space, while also allowing you to put product into a bin of your own choice. It also makes the putaway process more accurate by warning you if you are about to put an item in a full or unusable bin, or in a zone not defined for the item. This function is available for inventory receipts (see page 132), inventory moves (see page 33), and picking (see page 85). MAXIMUM ITEMS PER BIN You can set a maximum number of item IDs that can be placed in each bin in your warehouse. Do this by entering a value in the Max Unique Items Allows field in Bin Form View Tab of Location/Bin Maintenance. Max Unique Items Allowed the number you enter in this field is the maximum number of item IDs the bin can hold. When a bin hits this limit, the system automatically skips it when making putaway recommendations; it will not appear in putaway lists for additional item IDs, nor will the system suggest it as a destination bin. Note that this field has nothing to do with the number of units per item ID, and the system will still suggest and include this bin in putaway lists for item IDs already present in the bin. If you attempt to place a new item ID in a bin that already meets this limit, the system will display a warning, but still allow you to make the deposit. Placing a value of 0 in this field means the bin has no limit on the number of unique item IDs it can hold. 45

46 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE WAREHOUSE ZONES The wireless warehouse maps your warehouse into specific zones and uses these to determine what bins the system should recommend when putting away inventory. You can use these zones yourself for determining where best to place inventory as well. See Prophet 21 s online help file for information on Putaway Zone Maintenance. This window is where you create and define warehouse zones. Once you ve created zones in your system, you can assign them, in descending order of preference, to particular items or classifications. For example, a distributor has items with sales class rankings A E, and has warehouse zones A E, and Bulk A E. He wants to set up the putaway zones for the each ranking so that product ideally goes in a matching zone, but at worst remains close by. He creates the following list for items ranked A: Zone A Zone B Zone C Zone Bulk A Zone Bulk B When looking for putaway bins for items in sales class A, it looks through all the bins in Zone A, then B, then C. If it still hasn t found a suitable deposit bin, the system then goes to the bulk location for the A ranked items, and then finally the B ranked items. Create, edit, and delete putaway lists in the Putaway Zone List Maintenance window. 46

47 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Putaway Zone List Maintenance is an option on the Inventory Maintenance menu. It has one tab: Putaway Zone List Maintenance Form View. The Putaway Zone List Maintenance Form View tab is used to assign various putaway zones to an item class in order of preference. Define the company, location, and putaway ID this list will pertain to, and assign a putaway rank and enter the package type most commonly used for items of this putaway ID. Once you ve entered a putaway ID, the Available Putaway Zones area fills with all putaway zones that you can assign to this ID. Select as many as you like, and click Select to move them to the Assigned Putaway Zones. You can change the order of zones listed in the Assigned Putaway Zones by clicking and dragging them to the desired position in the list. Remember, order is important, since the system will start at the top of this zone list and work down when scanning the warehouse for bin recommendations. 47

48 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE VIEW PUTAWAY TRACE You can check the process that Prophet 21 uses to recommend putaway bins using the View Putaway Trace window. This window lets you specify an item or tag, and then displays the process used to determine the suggested bin. By allowing you to see the process the system uses in determining what bin to offer, you can troubleshoot for any errors. The View Putaway Trace window is an option on the Wireless Warehouse Inquire menu. It has the Criteria tab in the header, and the Trace Messages tab in the footer. Note: Because you can prompt the system to recommend a bin during self-directed putaway, the View Putaway Trace window is used in both system and self-directed putaway. The Criteria tab is where you enter all the information about the process you want to review. Since the View Putaway Trace window emulates what happens during the wireless warehouse putaway process, you need to provide the system with the information normally entered via scanner. The company and location ID fields identify what warehouse location you are testing. The Putaway Type identifies if you are testing a single item putaway or a tag. Depending on the setting this radio button, certain areas of this tab become unavailable. You can only enter information in the Item Information section if the Putaway Type is set to Item. This area defines the item ID and the Putaway Quantity. If you set Putaway Type to tag, then the Tag Information section becomes available. This area defines the Tag Number and the tag s original bin. Note: This section does not include a putaway quantity because the system assumes you are depositing the entire tag quantity. The Trace Statistics area contains information about this putaway simulation. 48

49 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Because this process emulates a function performed partially with scanners, the system creates a scanner session when running a putaway trace. This session ID appears in the Trace Session ID field. Trace Level determines the level at which the trace should run. You have the following options: Setting: Statistics Only Putaway Rules Logic and Results Error Messages Other Logic Messages Begin/End Messages Variables and Parameters Description: The system only displays the results of its computations. The system displays all the steps of its algorithm as well as the results of its computations. The system displays any error messages that appear during the process. The system displays messages associated with computing the algorithm. For example, Zone A searched. The system displays the start and stop messages for each step of the computation. The system displays all the variables and parameters it used while computing the algorithm. Note: Each of these options is cumulative with the one above it. For example, if you select Error Messages, the system will also display all results for Putaway Rules Logic and Results and Statistics Only. The Putaway Rank shows what priority this item or tag normally receives during the putaway process. The Putaway Started and Putaway Finished fields display when this process began and when it ended. Related to these fields, the Total Time field displays how long, in seconds, it took the system to run the putaway calculation. The Bin Suggestion area both controls the process and displays the results. Once you ve entered all the parameters in the rest of the tab, press the Select button to run the process. The system will display its result in the Suggested Bin field. If you run the process again, it will move its prior result to the Last Suggested Bin field, and display the new result in the Suggested Bin field. The Trace Messages tab shows the details of this process. What specific details display here depend on what you selected in the Trace Level field. Each piece of data appears on its own line and displays the following information: Date/Time the date/time the system performed this portion of the algorithm Trace Level the kind of data displayed on this line. This field displays a numerical code that corresponds with one of the options available in the Trace Level drop down menu. Stored Procedure the procedure that the system ran in this line Trace Message a text explanation of what this step in the process was 49

50 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PUTAWAY INVENTORY RANKING While Prophet 21 already allowed you to rank your inventory by class, this criteria for these ranks were sales dollars and units sold. Because putaway ranks have nothing to do with profit, and instead deal more with how often the items are picked, they require a different set of criteria. Thus putaway ranks are determined by the number of times an item is put in demand. This means all sales orders, transfer orders, secondary processes, and production orders that has this item as a line item. Quantities for these transactions are not important; what matters is the number of times the item has been picked. Cancelled orders count toward this calculation as well. The Inventory Ranking Classification window has been modified to allow you to enter both sales and putaway ranking criteria. It features several new fields that accommodate this expanded functionality. Note: Because you can prompt the system to recommend a bin during self-directed putaway, the Putaway Inventory Ranking window is used in both system and self-directed putaway. Field: Description: Rank Method Determines if the ranking is for inventory or putaway. If you set this field to putaway, the Rank Values field sets itself to Hits and cannot be edited. Also, the Periods field becomes available and the Sales Basis field becomes unavailable. 50

51 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Rank Values Periods This field now had an additional setting: hits. Hits refers to the number of times the item is picked for any transaction, regardless of quantity or cancellation. It is only available when the Rank Method field is set to Putaway, when it becomes the only option. The number of periods to consider when generating hits and ranks. This prevents seasonal highs and lows from distorting where the items are placed in the warehouse. Notes: You can use the same labels for putaway ranks that you do for ABC ranks (A, B, C, D, etc.). Rank names need only be unique within their own category. For example, you could have a putaway rank of A and an ABC class of A, but you could not have two putaway ranks both called A. However, Activant strongly recommends you use a different naming pattern for your ABC and putaway ranks, because if you don't you cannot assign them different percentage thresholds, and since the two are used in completely different ways this can make updating your inventory ranks more difficult. As an alternative, you might consider using the A, B, C, D schema for one set of ranks, and AA, BB, CC, DD for the other. Important! Update putaway ranks the same way you do ABC ranks. See the topic Inventory Ranking Reclassification in the Prophet 21 help files for step-by-step instructions on how to do this. PUTAWAY ATTRIBUTES In addition to creating putaway classes based on an item s pick frequency, you can also assign putaway attributes to items at individual locations. These attributes allow you to include factors outside of pick frequency that should be taken into account when placing items in your warehouse. Example attributes include customer, product size (quarter inch nuts), finish (zinc plated parts), or hazardousness. By creating a putaway attribute, you can organize items by these characteristics and the system can take them into account when generating putaway lists and suggesting putaway bins. For example, if you keep a certain quantity of item on reserve for an important customer and store that quantity away from other like items, you could enter that customer s ID as a putaway attribute so that the system would take this into account. Item Putaway Attribute Maintenance Navigation Path: Inventory/ Maintenance menu/ Item Attribute Putaway Maintenance If you wish to use putaway attributes, you must first create them in the system. Do this in Item Attribute Putaway Maintenance. Using this window you can create and edit putaway attributes. 51

52 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Item Maintenance Navigation Path: Inventory/ Maintenance menu/ Item Maintenance You can assign a putaway attribute to an item in the Replenishment tab of Item Maintenance. Each item can only have a single putaway attribute. Important! If an item has both a putaway rank and a putaway attribute, the system always makes recommendations based on the putaway rank first. Thus, if you want the system to make putaway recommendations based on an item s putaway attribute, you should not assign that item a putaway rank. Putaway Zone List Maintenance Putaway Zone List Maintenance is an option on the Inventory Maintenance menu. It has one tab: Putaway Zone List Maintenance Form View. The Putaway Zone List Maintenance Form View tab is used to assign various putaway zones to an item class in order of preference. Define the company, location, and putaway ID this list will pertain to, and assign a putaway rank or putaway attribute and enter the package type most commonly used for items of this putaway ID. If you enter a putaway attribute, this list will only apply to items with that attribute. Important! If an item has both a putaway rank and a putaway attribute, the system always makes recommendations based on the putaway rank first. Thus, if you want the system to make putaway recommendations based on an item s putaway attribute, you should not assign that item a putaway rank. Activant suggests that you create only one putaway list for each attribute in each location. This forces the system to choose the putaway list based on putaway attribute instead of putaway rank and ensures putaway recommendations are based on the attributes you enter. Once you ve entered a putaway ID, the Available Putaway Zones area fills with all putaway zones that you can assign to this ID. Select as many as you like, and click Select to move them to the Assigned Putaway Zones. You can change the order of zones listed in the Assigned Putaway Zones by clicking and dragging them to the desired position in the list. Remember, order is important, since the system will start at the top of this zone list and work down when scanning the warehouse for bin recommendations. 52

53 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE SYSTEM SELECTION PROCESS System directed putaway is when Prophet 21 recommends a bin for you to place inventory quantities. You can choose your own bin and override the system recommendation, but there is a reasoning the system follows every time it offers a bin. What reasoning the system uses depends on the Putaway Strategy system setting described on page 17. PRIMARY BIN/ALGORITHM When suggesting a putaway bin, the system always suggests the item's primary bin unless that bin is not available (because it is full, put locked, frozen, or some similar reason). If the primary bin is not available, the system runs the putaway algorithm described in the Putaway Algorithm section. When using this method, the system generates putaway lists based on the primary bins for the listed items using the following hierarchy to order the bins: putaway sequence, then warehouse sequence, then bin ID in alphanumeric order. PUTAWAY ALGORITHM When you scan an item or tag, the system accesses several pieces of information about it: Sales Rank ABC Class Package Weight Package Volume 53

54 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Number of Packages Item Weight Item Quantity Item Putaway Attribute Using this information, the system automatically performs the following process to determine what bin it should recommend: 1. The system checks the rank of the items. If this is a tag that contains multiple items with different ranks, the system uses the highest rank for this process. 2. It then determines the volume and weight of the packages. If there are multiple packages on this tag (such as multiple boxes on a palate), the system multiplies the weight of a single package by the number of packages on the tag. If the package weights are not available, the system approximates package weight by taking the weight and volume for the item in the package and multiplying them by the quantity per package. If there are multiple packages, the system then multiplies this number by the total number of packages to estimate package weight and volume. Important! Because of the way Prophet 21 makes its bin recommendations, maintaining accurate and complete weight and volume records for items and packages is very important. 3. Prophet 21 looks through all existing putaway zone lists to see if there is an existing list that matches the items you are putting away. If you are putting away tags, and an individual tag has more than one item on it, the system uses the highest ranked item to determine where it should go. If you are putting away a tag with multiple items on it and some of those items use putaway attributes, the system tries to match a putaway list to the tag s attributes in the following hierarchy: 1. Putaway Rank & Putaway Attribute & Pack Type 2. Putaway Rank & Putaway Attribute 3. Putaway Rank & Pack Type 4. Putaway Attribute & Pack Type 5. Putaway Rank 6. Putaway Attribute 7. Pack Type 4. Prophet 21 now scans the warehouse, looking for bins in the warehouse zone that matches the item rank. It looks for bins that contain the same item and bins designated as primary bins for the scanned item. Once it has this list, it begins to check several factors: a. Prophet 21 checks the maximum number of item IDs allowed in the bin. If the bin doesn t already contain a quantity of the item ID you re putting away and doesn t have room for more, the system skips this bin. Otherwise it moves on to the next step. Note: If you are putting away tagged inventory, the system considers each item ID on a tag unique, and thus may skip a bin because it cannot accommodate all the item IDs on a single tag. b. The system searches for the bin with the smallest available open space that the item or package would fit in. 54

55 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE c. It then checks the available weight and space limit of the bin against the weight and volume of the item or package to be deposited to ensure it can fit. 5. If the system does locate a viable deposit bin, it displays the bin on the scanner. 6. If none of the partially filled bins can accommodate the deposit, the system cannot find any appropriate bins in the designated zones. At this point, the system returns a recommended result of anywhere, and you must find a bin for the putaway quantity yourself. You can prompt for another bin, which will send the system through the process again, but this time it will ignore all prior recommendations. The system will mix items in a bin only as a last resort. Additionally, if the item or tag tracks lots, the system first checks to see if all the lot attributes have been entered. If the lot is missing information for assigned lot attributes, the system will display an error message and not allow the item to be put away until the lot attributes are entered. SYSTEM DIRECTED ITEM PUTAWAY System Directed Item Putaway causes the system to suggest a putaway bin for an item when you do not use tags to track inventory. It is found in the Inventory Operations menu. F Key Commands The scanner function keys perform the following actions in this window: Key Command Description F4 Shift + F4 F5 Suggest Empty Bin Change to Primary Suggest Different Bin Prompts the system to run through its selection process again, this time only considering empty bins. However, the system first asks you to enter a reason why you don t want to use the suggested bin. Pressing this function key when your cursor is in the Deposit Bin field marks the deposit bin as the new primary bin for the item you are depositing. This allows you to change an item s primary bin on the fly. Prompts the system to run through its selection process again, this time ignoring any bin it s already suggested. However, the system first asks you to enter a reason why you don t want to use the suggested bin. F6 Put Error Places a put lock on the suggested bin, meaning that the system will not suggest this bin for any other putaway process, and will not allow inventory to be deposited here until the lock is removed. For example, while performing a putaway, the system suggests a bin you find has been damaged by water, and thus shouldn t be used by anyone until the area is repaired. Pressing F6 locks the bin, preventing the system from suggesting it and anyone else from depositing material there until someone manually clears the Put Lock checkbox in Location/Bin Maintenance. 55

56 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Shift + F6 Additional Item Information Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. F9 Save Saves the record and closes the window. Using System Directed Item Putaway Use the following procedure to put away inventory using system directed item putaway. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. Select Inventory Operations from the main menu. 2. Select System Directed Item Putaway from the sub-menu. 3. Scan or enter the bin that currently holds the item you want to put away. 4. Scan or enter the item that you want to put away. 5. Enter the serial number of the item you are putting away, if applicable. 6. Enter the lot of the item you are putting away, if applicable. 7. Enter the traceable factor of the item you are putting away, if applicable. 8. Enter the unit of measure of the item you are putting away if this information does not automatically populate. 56

57 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 9. Enter the quantity of item you want to put away. Your screen will look like this: Note: The Quantity Available to Move field shows you the maximum quantity of item available in the bin. It is not the total quantity in the bin, but the total unallocated quantity. You cannot enter a quantity to move larger than the value listed in this field. 10. Once you enter a quantity to move and press Enter, the system will display a suggested bin. From here you have several options: a. Deposit the item in the suggested bin by scanning or entering the bin. b. Press F4 to prompt the system for an empty bin to deposit the item. If you do this, the system will ask why you did not use the suggested bin, and it will update its records with the information you provide. c. Press F5 to prompt the system for an alternate, but not necessarily empty, bin. If you do this, the system will ask why you did not use the suggested bin, and it will update its records with the information you provide. d. Press F6 to lock the suggested bin. Locking the bin marks it as unusable; the system will not suggest a locked bin to anyone and will not allow any deposits to it until the lock is removed. e. Manually scan a bin of your choosing. 11. When you have a suitable bin for the deposit, scan the bin and deposit the item. 12. If you deposit material to a bin other than the item s primary bin, you may set the deposit bin as the item s new primary bin by activating the Change to Primary checkbox. If this checkbox is active when you save the deposit, the bin in which you deposit the material becomes the primary bin for that item. 13. Press F9 to save the deposit. 57

58 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE SYSTEM DIRECTED TAG PUTAWAY System Directed Tag Putaway causes the system to suggest a putaway bin for a tag. It is found in the Inventory Operations menu. F Key Commands The F key commands for this window match those described above in System Directed Item Putaway. Using System Directed Tag Putaway Use the following procedure to put away inventory using system directed tag putaway. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. Select Inventory Operations from the main menu. 2. Select System Directed Tag Putaway from the sub-menu. 3. Scan or enter the tag you want to put away. The system automatically populates the bin where this tag currently resides. 4. The Deposit Tags screen appears. The system displays one screen for each item on the tag. 5. If applicable, enter the deposit container and/or platform tag and package type. 6. If you deposit material to a bin other than the item s primary bin, you may set the deposit bin as the item s new primary bin by activating the Change to Primary checkbox. If this checkbox is active when you save the deposit, the bin in which you deposit the material becomes the primary bin for the items on the deposited tag. 58

59 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 7. Scan the deposit bin. Because tags already track quantities, you don t need to enter deposit quantities; once the system knows what the tag is and where it is going, the putaway process is complete for that tag. SELF DIRECTED ITEM PUTAWAY Self Directed Item Putaway allows you to put inventory items away without using system recommendations. In this process, the system makes no recommendations and you simply choose where to place the item. F Key Commands The scanner function keys perform the following actions in this window: Key Command Description Shift + F6 Additional Item Information Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. F9 Save Saves the record and closes the window. Using Self Directed Item Putaway Use the following procedure to put away inventory using self directed item putaway. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. Select Inventory Operations from the main menu. 2. Select Self Directed Item Putaway from the sub-menu. 3. Scan or enter the bin that currently holds the item you want to put away. 4. Scan or enter the item that you want to put away. 5. Enter the serial number of the item you are putting away, if applicable. 6. Enter the lot of the item you are putting away, if applicable. 7. Enter the traceable factor of the item you are putting away, if applicable. 59

60 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 8. Enter the unit of measure of the item you are putting away if this information does not automatically populate. 9. Enter the quantity of item you want to put away. Your screen will look like this: Note: The Quantity Available to Move field shows you the maximum quantity of item available in the bin. It is not the total quantity in the bin, but the total unallocated quantity. You cannot enter a quantity to move larger than the value listed in this field. 10. Scan the bin you want to place the item in and deposit the item. 11. If you deposit material to a bin other than the item s primary bin, you may set the deposit bin as the item s new primary bin by activating the Change to Primary checkbox. If this checkbox is active when you save the deposit, the bin in which you deposit the material becomes the primary bin for the item. 12. Press F9 to save the deposit. SELF DIRECTED TAG PUTAWAY Self Directed Tag Putaway allows you to put tags away without using system recommendations. In this process, the system makes no recommendations and you simply choose where to place the tag. F Key Commands The scanner function keys perform the following actions in this window: Key Command Description F3 Deposit Deposits an item. If there are multiple items on the tag, you must deposit each one individually. Shift + F2 F Key Help Displays a summary of the function keys and the tasks they perform. 60

61 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F9 Save Saves the record and closes the window. Using Self Directed Tag Putaway Use the following procedure to put away inventory using self directed tag putaway. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. Select Inventory Operations from the main menu. 2. Select Self Directed Tag Putaway from the sub-menu. 3. Scan or enter the tag you want to put away. The system automatically populates the bin where this tag currently resides. 4. The Deposit Tags screen appears. The system displays one screen for each item on the tag. 5. If the item is contained in a separate container, and that container has its own tag, enter or scan that tag. 6. If the item is contained in a separate container, enter the package type. 7. If the item is on a platform, and that platform has its own tag, enter or scan that tag. 8. If the item is on a platform, enter the platform type. 9. Scan the bin you want to place the item in and deposit the item. 10. If you deposit material to a bin other than the item s primary bin, you may set the deposit bin as the item s new primary bin by activating the Change to Primary checkbox. If this checkbox is active when you save the deposit, the bin in which you deposit the material becomes the primary bin for the item. 11. If there are multiple items on the tag, press F3 to deposit the item and move to the next. 61

62 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 12. Repeat steps 5 11 until you ve deposited all items on the tag. 13. Press F9 to save the deposit. 62

63 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE GROUP PUTAWAY Group putaway is simply a version of system-directed putaway (see page 55 or 58) that allows you to load a queue of items onto your scanner. The system then runs the putaway algorithm described on page 53 and generates a list of suggested bins. Because the system generates a list of suggested bins instead of suggesting them one by one, however, it can then present them a more efficient order. This cuts down on trips back and forth across the warehouse, making each hop from bin to bin as direct as possible. ACCEPTABLE PICKUPS/DEPOSITS Group putaway lists follow certain rules when adding material to putaway lists, and when depositing material from lists to bins. Pickup Rules As long as a bin contains sufficient material to meet your request, you may add any quantity of material from a bin to a group putaway list. This includes allocated material, both hard and soft. Because soft allocations are not bin-specific, the material s location isn t important until picking time. See page 85 for more information on soft allocation. Hard allocations, however, are bin specific. Instead of locking the material into a bin with a hard allocation, however, the system merely flags the allocated quantity for tracking. Thus, you may move hard allocated material, in total or in part, from one bin to another. If you do this, the system keeps the allocation in place, but updates the record to note the material s new location, or locations if you split the allocated quantity among multiple destination bins. Whenever you place allocated material on a group putaway list, the system displays a popup window informing you of this. See page 159 for more information on hard allocation. 63

64 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Deposit Rules Prophet 21 uses different kinds of bins, each of which contain a unique set of properties and are used in different ways. The system differentiates between consolidation, weigh station, and inventory bins. Depending on if an item it part of a tag, the system allows you to deposit an item on a group putaway list to certain kinds of bins, as shown in the tables below: Tagged Items Deposit Bin Consolidation Bin Weigh Station Bin Inventory Bin Consolidation Bin NO YES YES Pickup Bin Weigh Station Bin NO YES YES Inventory Bin NO YES YES Lot/Bin Items Deposit Bin Consolidation Bin Weigh Station Bin Inventory Bin Consolidation Bin NO NO YES Pickup Bin Weigh Station Bin NO NO NO Inventory Bin NO NO YES FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The scanner function keys perform the following actions in this window: Key Command Description F3 Shift + F3 Accept Item Deposit Deposit All Adds the scanned item to the putaway list. Deposits the item currently on displayed from your putaway list. Activates the Deposit All function, which allows you to deposit all items/tags to the bin with a single scan. 64

65 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F5 Shift + F5 Suggest Different Bin Suggest Empty Bin Causes the system to rerun the putaway algorithm for that item and suggest a different bin. Note that if you ask for a different bin, the system may reorder the items in the putaway list. For example, if you ask for a new bin and the system s next recommendation is farther away than another bin already on the putaway list, the system will push the item you were about to put away down on the putaway list and display the nearer item and bin. Causes the system to rerun the putaway algorithm for that item and suggest a bin with no material in it. Like the Suggest Different Bin function described above, asking for an empty bin might cause the system to reorder the items in the putaway list. F6 Put Error Pressing this button marks the deposit bin as unusable. The system quarantines the bin and does not allow its use until someone manually removes the quarantine setting. In the meantime, the system runs the putaway algorithm again and suggests a different bin. Shift + F7 Start Group Putaway The first screen in the group putaway process is where you build your putaway list. Until you move past this screen, every bin and tag you scan is simply added to the putaway list. Pressing this key tells the system you are done adding items and causes it to create its list of recommended bins. 65

66 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F8 What s Left Brings up a list of what items and tags remain on your putaway list. Using this screen, you can see everything on your putaway list. If you haven t begun the putaway process by pressing F7, you can remove any of the lines in this screen by highlighting the line and pressing Backspace. However, once you ve begun the process, you can only deposit the items. 66

67 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE SCANNER SCREENS The group putaway process leads you through a series of screens. Each one requires you to enter specific information about the putaway process. Group Putaway List Screen The first screen in the group putaway process is the Group Putaway List screen. This is where you create the list of items you want to put back in their appropriate bins. 67

68 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Tag Number Bin Selection Type Description: The tag you want to add to the putaway list. Once you scan it, press F3 to accept it and add it to the list. The bin that holds the item you want to put away. If you scanned the item s tag, you do not need to scan the bin, since the tag tracks that information. This setting determines how the system handles the items on your putaway list. Setting: Item All Description: If you choose this option, the system treats each item on the putaway list independently. It generates a separate bin recommendation for each one and requires you to make a separate deposit scan for each item or tag, even if two or more are going to the same bin. If you choose this option, the system treats the entire putaway list as one collective unit. It generates a bin recommendation for the items based on the highest ranked item in the list, allowing you to deposit the entire list to the suggested bin. You can still split up items in the list during the putaway process, however, allowing you to deposit them item-by-item in different bins. Item ID The item you want to add to the putaway list. Once you scan it, press F3 to accept it and add it to the list. If you scanned the item s tag, you do not need to scan the item ID, since the tag tracks that information. Lot Serial Number Traceable Factor Package Type Quantity Per The lot of the item you want to add to the putaway list. You only need to select a lot if there is more than one lot for this item available in the bin. The serial number of the item you want to add to the putaway list. If the item tracks lots, it may also include a traceable factor, an additional detail about the item s lot that verifies you have selected the correct lot. If the item uses traceable factors, you must enter that as well before adding it to the putaway list. If the tag has only a single type of package, that package type appears in this field. If there are multiple package types on the tag, this field remains blank. In either case, this is an informational field and you are not required to enter anything. If the tag has only a single type of package, the quantity of item per package appears in this field. If there are multiple package types on the tag, this field remains blank. In either case, this is an informational field and you are not required to enter anything. 68

69 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE UOM Quantity on Hand Unit Quantity If you scanned an individual item, or a tag that has only a single unit of measure, that unit of measure appears in this field. If there are multiple units of measure on the tag, this field remains blank. In either case, this is an informational field and you are not required to enter anything. This is the total quantity of the item in this bin. If you scanned a mixed tag, this field remains blank. This field is an informational field and you are not required to enter anything. This is the quantity of item you want to add to the putaway list. You can only enter a value in this field if the item does not use tags. Since you cannot split tags in the group putaway process, you must take the entire quantity listed on a tag, making this field meaningless for tagged items. Item/Tag Confirmation Screen Before you deposit an item or tag, the system first makes you verify that the item you are about to deposit is the one it currently has as next in the queue. It does this with the Item/Tag Confirmation Screen. Field: Bin Tag ID Confirm Tag Item ID Description: This is the suggested bin the system has selected for the item. You can use this bin, ask the system to suggest another one by using the function keys (see page 64), or manually select another by entering its ID in this field or scanning it. This is the tag that the system has next in the putaway list. The system asks you confirm that the tag you are about to put away is the one in the Tag ID field. You do this by scanning the tag. The tag s number appears in this field. If it matches the value in the Tag ID field, you are cleared to proceed. If not, the system displays an error message and requires you scan the tag again. This is the item that the system has next in the putaway list. 69

70 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Confirm Item Lot Confirm Lot Serial Traceable Factor Package Type Quantity Per Package UOM Quantity Putaway Quantity The system asks you confirm that the item you are about to put away is the one in the Item ID field. You do this by scanning the item. The item s ID appears in this field. If it matches the value in the Item ID field, you are cleared to proceed. If not, the system displays an error message and requires you scan the item again. This is the lot of the item the system has next in the putaway list. The system asks you confirm that the lot you are about to put away is the one in the Lot ID field. You do this by scanning the lot. The lot s ID appears in this field. If it matches the value in the Lot ID field, you are cleared to proceed. If not, the system displays an error message and requires you scan the lot again. The serial number of the item or tag that the system has next in the putaway list. The traceable factor of the item or tag that the system has next in the putaway list. The package type of the tag you are putting away. If this is a mixed tag, this field is blank. The unit quantity within each package of this tag. If this is a mixed tag, this field is blank. The unit of measure of this item or tag. If this is a mixed tag, this field is blank. This is the unit quantity the system suggests you deposit in the suggested bin. The quantity of item you are actually depositing to the bin. This field is only editable if you are depositing an item that does not use tags. If depositing a tagged item, you must deposit the entire tag; you cannot split tag quantities during putaway. Deposit Screen Once you ve confirmed the item or tag, the system displays the Deposit Screen. This screen is identical in appearance and function to the single item and tag putaway screens. 70

71 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Creating an Item Group Putaway List Use the following instructions to create a group putaway list composed of individual items that you enter selectively. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. Select Group Putaway from the Inventory Operations sub-menu. The Group Putaway List screen appears. 2. Set the Selection Type to Item. 3. Scan the first item you want to add to your putaway list. If this is a tag, this is all you need to do. Skip to step If this is an untagged item, scan the bin you are taking the item from. 5. After you scan the bin, scan the item. 6. If the item tracks lots, enter its lot if it does not automatically populate. 7. If the item tracks serial numbers, enter the serial number if it does not automatically populate. 8. If the item tracks traceable factors, enter the traceable factor if it does not automatically populate. 9. Press F3 to add this item to your putaway list. This clears the screen and allows you to add more items to the list. 10. Repeat steps 3 9 until you have added all the items to you list that you wish to put away. 11. Throughout this process, you can press F8 to view your current putaway list. If you add something you later wish to remove, highlight the line and press Backspace. 12. When your putaway list is complete and you are ready to begin the putaway process, press F7. This finalizes your putaway list. Once you press this key, you cannot remove items from your list by any means except depositing them through the putaway process. Also, the system will not allow you to exit the putaway process until you have completed it. The system runs the putaway algorithm for all the items in the putaway list and then references your warehouse and bin zones to present the suggested putaway bins in the most efficient order. When it has this list, you are shown the Confirm Item/Tag screen. See page 72 for instructions on how to perform the group putaway now that you have the putaway list. Creating a Bin Group Putaway List Use the following instructions to create a group putaway list composed of all the items in a single bin. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. Select Group Putaway from the Inventory Operations sub-menu. The Group Putaway List screen appears. 2. Set the Selection Type to All. 71

72 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 3. Scan the bin that contains the items you want to put away. The system automatically adds all items in the bin to the putaway list. 4. Press F7. This finalizes your putaway list. Once you press this key, the system will not allow you to exit the putaway process until you have completed it. The system runs the putaway algorithm for all the items in the putaway list and then references your warehouse and bin zones to present the suggested putaway bins in the most efficient order. When it has this list, you are shown the Confirm Item/Tag screen. See below for instructions on how to perform the group putaway now that you have the putaway list. Performing a Group Putaway Use the following instructions to perform a group putaway. Steps marked with a are mandatory. Note: This set of instructions assumes you already have a putaway list in place, and starts on the Confirm Item/Tag screen. See the two instruction sets above for information on creating putaway lists. 1. The Confirm Item/Tag screen displays the first item on the putaway list, along with a suggested bin. If you want to use the suggested bin, scan the item or tag displayed in the screen. If you want to use a different bin, you can press F5 for a new bin, Shift + F5 for an empty bin, or scan a bin you d prefer to use. Note that if you use the function keys, the system may suggest you put a different item away first based on the new bin s location. 2. If you are depositing untagged items, you have the option of altering the putaway quantity. 3. The system displays the Deposit screen. Scan the bin, and container and platform if applicable, to confirm the deposit. 4. Repeat steps 1 3 until your putaway list is empty. 72

73 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE INVENTORY ADJUSTMENTS Using a scanner, you can make inventory adjustments easily, allowing you to make instant changes to inventory quantities without having to record counts to paper and entering compiled results into the system later. This feature allows you to scan a bin or tag, update the inventory quantity right where you stand. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS Key: Command: Description: Shift + F5 Barcode Learning Pressing this function key allows you to create an alternate code or assign a UPC to an existing item ID on the fly. In both cases, when you press this function key, a confirmation message pops up, asking if you want to create an alternate code or UPC. Answering No cancels the process; answering Yes brings a popup window: Field: Scanned Item Scan Item ID/UPC Description: The item ID for which you want to assign a UPC or create an alternate code. The system takes this information from the item ID entered in the prior screen; you cannot edit this entry. The UPC or alternate code you want to assign to the scanned item ID. You may enter a value in this field in three ways: Scan the new item Use the F2 lookup and select the appropriate item Enter the value manually Assigning a UPC: If the item you re scanning doesn t already have a UPC associated with the supplier listed on the transaction, you have the option of assigning a UPC to the item. When you scan a barcode after pressing Shift + F5, the system checks to see if the value is 12 or 15 digits in length. If it is, and the item/supplier combination has no UPC assigned to it, the system allows you to assign the scanned value as the new UPC. This applies only to the supplier listed on the transaction. If the item is also associated with other suppliers, and they do not have UPCs assigned, the system does not assign the new UPC to them as well. Each item/supplier combination can only have one UPC. If the item/supplier combination on the transaction already has a UPC, you 73

74 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE cannot use this function to assign a new one. Assigning an Alternate Code: Alternate codes do not have the same restrictions that UPCs have. Upon creating one, the system asks if you d like to create another. If you answer No, the system closes the popup window and returns you to the transaction screen. However, if you answer Yes, the system clears the Scan Item ID field in the popup and allows you to enter another value. SCANNER SCREENS Inventory adjustments uses the following screens: Inventory Adjustment Screen The inventory adjustment scanner screen is the same whether you use tags or not: Field Tag Description The tag number of the container you are adjusting. If your tag only has a single type of item on it, the rest of the fields, with the exception of Reason Code and New Quantity, automatically populate once you enter a tag number. If the tag has more than one kind of item on it, you must first specify an item before the rest of the fields populate. This field is available even if you don t use tagging, but is obviously not required unless you manage your inventory with tagging. Bin Item ID The bin number of the bin you are adjusting. You only need to enter this information if you do not use tagging. The bin number will automatically populate once you enter a tag number. The item ID of the item you are adjusting. If you scan a single-item tag, this field automatically populates. However, if you scan a mixed tag or enter a bin 74

75 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE number, you must enter a valid item ID in this field to indicate which item you want to adjust. You can press F2 to display a list of valid item IDs. Lot The lot ID of the item you are adjusting. This field is required only if the item you are adjusting tracks lots. If you scan a single-item tag, this field automatically populates. However, if you scan a mixed tag or enter a bin number, you must enter a valid lot ID in this field to indicate which item you want to adjust. You can press F2 to display a list of valid lot IDs. Serial The serial number of the item you are adjusting. This field is required only if the item you are adjusting tracks serial numbers. If you scan a single-item tag, this field automatically populates. However, if you scan a mixed tag or enter a bin number, you must enter a valid serial number in this field to indicate which item you want to adjust. You can press F2 to display a list of valid serial numbers. Traceable Factor The traceable factor associated with the lot of the item you are adjusting. This field is required only if the item you are adjusting tracks lots and uses traceable factors. If you scan a single-item tag, this field automatically populates. However, if you scan a mixed tag or enter a bin number, you must enter the appropriate traceable factor. Package Type Qty/Package UOM Quantity on Hand Reason ID New Quantity on Hand The package type associated with the tag (box, crate, drum, etc.). The quantity on hand that the system has listed for each package. The unit of measure for the item you are adjusting. The total quantity on hand that the system has listed for this item. This should equal the quantity per package X number of packages. The reason code explaining why the quantity was adjusted. These are taken from your business system and are the same as those available for normal physical counts using printed forms. This is the actual quantity on hand as per your physical count. You can adjust inventory quantities up or down, but you can only adjust free quantities. Inventory allocated for an order or transfer or any other transaction cannot be adjusted; their quantities are frozen in the system and you will receive an error message if you attempt to change them. 75

76 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE COUNTING You can perform physical and cycle counts of your inventory using wireless scanners. This cuts down on the paper costs of your counting process, and gives the counters a system-guided structure to their work and continual system feedback during the process. Because the scanner assisted counting process has several checks built into it that allow the system to verify the counter s location and information, it also reduces errors, making your counts more accurate. Important! You can only perform a physical or cycle count with wireless scanners if you track bins. Without tracking bins, this functionality is not available. PHYSICAL COUNT WINDOW A physical count with wireless scanners starts the same way as a normal physical count does, and uses the same window. The procedure is almost the same, but now scanners direct the counters to bins and items, and allow them to enter their results and discrepancies immediately, updating your system as the count proceeds instead of requiring you to write down the results by hand and enter them into the computer later. In order to do this, you must tell the system that this count will be performed with scanners. A new checkbox, called Paperless Count, has been added to the Adjustment tab in the Physical Count window. Field Paperless Count Paperless Count in Process Definition This defines the count as one that will be performed with scanners. Without enabling this checkbox, you cannot perform this count with a scanner. Checking this checkbox freezes the physical count that s displayed. For as long as the scanner associated with this count is active, you will not be able to edit or delete this count. It will remain frozen until the scanner uploads its data back to the system. You cannot activate this checkbox without first enabling the Paperless Count checkbox. 76

77 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The scanner function keys perform the following actions during a physical count: Key Command Description F3 Enter Data Pressing this key accepts the count for a particular item, lot, serial number, or bin, logs the result and prompts the system for the next item in the list. Shift + F5 Barcode Learning Pressing this function key allows you to create an alternate code or assign a UPC to an existing item ID on the fly. In both cases, when you press this function key, a confirmation message pops up, asking if you want to create an alternate code or UPC. Answering No cancels the process; answering Yes brings a popup window: Field: Scanned Item Scan Item ID/UPC Description: The item ID for which you want to assign a UPC or create an alternate code. The system takes this information from the item ID entered in the prior screen; you cannot edit this entry. The UPC or alternate code you want to assign to the scanned item ID. You may enter a value in this field in three ways: Scan the new item Use the F2 lookup and select the appropriate item Enter the value manually Assigning a UPC: If the item you re scanning doesn t already have a UPC associated with the supplier listed on the transaction, you have the option of assigning a UPC to the item. When you scan a barcode after pressing Shift + F5, the system checks to see if the value is 12 or 15 digits in length. If it is, and the item/supplier combination has no UPC assigned to it, the system allows you to assign the scanned value as the new UPC. This applies only to the supplier listed on the transaction. If the item is also associated with other suppliers, and they do not have UPCs assigned, the system does not assign the new UPC to them as well. Each item/supplier combination can only have one UPC. If the item/supplier combination 77

78 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE on the transaction already has a UPC, you cannot use this function to assign a new one. Assigning an Alternate Code: Alternate codes do not have the same restrictions that UPCs have. Upon creating one, the system asks if you d like to create another. If you answer No, the system closes the popup window and returns you to the transaction screen. However, if you answer Yes, the system clears the Scan Item ID field in the popup and allows you to enter another value. F6 Shift + F6 Go to Next Bin Additional Item Information Pressing this key puts the selected bin at the bottom of the list and skips to the next one. When you ve completed all other bins on the list, the skipped bins return. For example, in your count you must count three bins, bins 1,2, and 3. The scanner prompts you to start counting bin 1. But you are closer to bin 2. You press F6 and skip bin 1. The scanner prompts you to count the next bin in the list, which is bin 2. After counting bin 2, the scanner then prompts you to count bin 3. Once you ve completed counting bin 3, the scanner prompts you to count bin 1, since you sent this bin to the bottom of the list. Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. F7 Show Previously Scanned Tags Displays information on the tags you ve already counted, giving you a better idea of where you are in the process. The information displayed with this button is not editable. F8 Enter Lot/Bins Press this button after you ve entered a count for a particular lot or bin. The system saves this information and moves on to the next lot or bin that needs counting. Note: This is the same as pressing Enter. F9 Exit/Save Pressing this key before your counting session is complete exits the count, but saves all the data you have entered before exiting. 78

79 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE SCANNER SCREENS The counting process leads you through a series of screens. Each one requires you to enter specific information about the counting process. Count Number Screen This is the first scanner screen in the counting process. Here you enter the count number of your count, and proceed through the fields and a series of popup windows to conduct your count. Field Count Number Description The adjustment number of the count assigned by the system. If you do not know the number, you can search for it by pressing F2. The count must be set up in Prophet 21 before you can use the scanner for a physical or cycle count. Thus, you cannot generate a new count number (the adjustment number found Prophet 21 s Physical Count window) from the scanner. Once you ve entered a valid count number into the scanner, the system downloads the list of bins and items included on this count and then locks this count in the system. As long as you have the scanner open with this program, no one else will be able to edit this count record on the system. This prevents someone from changing or deleting the information you are working with while you count. Current Bin The first bin on the scanner s list that requires counting. Bins are listed according to warehouse layout, if this information exists in the system. Otherwise, bins are sorted alphanumerically. You must scan this bin to indicate you are at the correct place. You can skip a bin by pressing the F6 key. This puts the bin at the bottom of the list. When you ve completed counting all the other bins, the scanner returns to the skipped bins and cycles through them until they are counted as well. 79

80 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Scan Bin Current Item The bin ID of the bin you scanned. This must match the bin ID displayed in the Current Bin field, or the system will not allow you to continue. The item you should begin counting. If you re counting a bin that contains only one item, then this field automatically populates. But if the bin contains more than one item, you must tell the scanner which item you d like to begin counting. How you do this depends on how you track material in your warehouse: If you use tagging, you can scan the item tag, and the scanner will automatically populate the item ID, lot, and serial number information based on the tag. If you do not use tagging, you must scan the item you wish to count. You must also scan the lot of the item if there is more than one lot for this item (if there is only one lot, the scanner will automatically populate the Lot Number field). Item ID Tag Lot The item ID of the item you are counting. The tag number of the item you are counting. The lot of the item or tag that you are counting. You do not actually enter a value in this field however. Once you enter an item ID or tag number that tracks lots, you are prompted with a lot popup window. Enter the information here. Press Enter for a new line; press F8 to complete this entry. New Quantity Package Type Quantity Per The quantity you just counted for the item, expressed in terms of the item s UOM, not the package UOM. The kind of package that contains the item in this bin (box, crate, bag, etc.). You can search for package types by pressing F2. The item quantity per package Multiple Entry Serial Screen The Multiple Entry Serial screen automatically comes up if you enter an item ID that has multiple serial numbers assigned to it in the same bin. In that case, this screen appears so that you can enter all the serial numbers for that item in this bin. Because each serial number should receive its own tag, this screen does not appear if you use the tagging system. 80

81 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field Item ID Item Description Serial Number Description The item ID of the item you are counting A short text description of the item. The serial number of each individual item in the group you are counting. Though only a single line appears for this field, you can hit Enter after scanning or entering a serial number and the scanner will display another line. The scanner does not provide you with a count of how many serialized items the system believes are in the bin, nor can you look up which serial numbers are supposed to be there; the count is a verification of serial numbers as well as base quantity. Once you have entered all the serial numbers, press Enter on a blank line to finish the serial count. Performing an Inventory Count with Scanners Use the following procedure to perform an inventory count using scanners. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. In Prophet 21, select Inventory from the Module menu. 2. From the Transaction menu, select Physical Count. 3. Enter the parameters for this count, or call up a previously performed count. 4. Check the Paperless Count checkbox in the Adjustments tab. 5. In the scanner s Count Number Entry screen, enter the count number of this count. The scanner displays the first bin on this count list. Note: You can skip a bin by pressing the F6 key. This puts the bin at the bottom of the list. When you ve completed counting all the other bins, the scanner returns to the skipped bins and cycles through them until they are counted as well. 6. Find this bin and scan it. The scanner confirms you are in the correct location. 7. Scan an item from the bin. The system displays the item ID. If the bin holds only one lot, and this item tracks lots, the scanner displays this information as well. 81

82 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE If you use tagging to track your inventory, you can scan the item s tag instead. The scanner will pull item, lot, and serial information from the tag and display it. Note: If you scan an item that shouldn t be in this bin according to Prophet 21 records, the scanner prompts you with an error message that asks the item be rescanned. If the rescan gives the same item information, you are prompted to remove the item from the bin. Upon accepting this message, the scanner moves to the next item in the bin. 8. If the item tracks lots, but the scanner doesn t default the lot information, scan the lot to enter it in the scanner. If this item doesn t track lots, skip to step 11. Note: If you scan a lot that shouldn t be in this bin according to Prophet 21 records, the scanner prompts you with an error message that asks the item be rescanned. If the rescan gives the same lot information, you are prompted to remove the entire lot form the bin. 9. If the scanner prompts you with a lot popup screen, count each lot of the item and enter each lot s total quantity in a separate line. Press F8 when you are done to enter these results. 10. If the selected item tracks serial numbers, you are prompted to scan them. If you must scan multiple serial numbers, press Enter on a blank line to tell the scanner you ve scanned all available serial numbers. If this item doesn t track serial numbers, skip to step 11. Note: If you scan a serial number that shouldn t be in this bin according to Prophet 21 records, the scanner warns you that saving this information will add the serial number to this bin. If you scan multiple serial numbers, but some or all do not match the system serials, but do match the quantity, the scanner warns they will be added to this bin. 11. Enter the item quantity you counted in this bin. Note: This is not necessary if you entered a lot quantity in the lot popup window. 12. When you have completed counting all lots in this bin, press F3. If you have more items to count in this bin, go to step 14. If you have more bins to count, go to step 16. If you have completed your count, go to step The scanner returns you to the Item Identification screen. Scan the next item and repeat steps 8 13 again until all the items for this bin are counted. 14. When you have completed counting all the items in this bin, press F3. If you have more items to count in this bin, go to step 14. If you have more bins to count, go to step 16. If you have completed your count, go to step The scanner returns you to the Bin Identification screen. Scan the bin it displays and repeat steps 7 15 until you ve completed your count. 16. When you have completed counting all the bins on this count, press F When you have completed your count, system gives you a message telling you that the bin you just entered was the last on the count. 18. Verify and confirm the count on the computer. 82

83 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Note: For more information on how to finalize a count in the system, please see the online help topic Performing a Physical Count. 19. Save the count. FOUND ITEMS REPORT There may be times during an inventory count that you scan an item or tag and the system says it doesn t exist. Your only options would be to write down on a piece of paper where the product was found and either leave it there or carry it with you for the rest of the count. The Found Items report gives you a better option. During the scanning process, if you scan an item the system does not think belongs in the bin you are scanning, it will ask you to rescan the item for verification. If that second scan comes up with the same item information, the scanner flags that entry, and you can leave the item in where you found it and continue with your count. When you confirm the results of your count, all items flagged this way can be viewed on a Found Items report. This report is found in the Reports menu of the Wireless Warehouse module. Criteria allow you to select a single count or a range of counts to view. The actual physical report displays the item ID and description, tag (if used), quantity, serial number (if used) and the user ID of the person that found it. 83

84 3 INVENTORY OPERATIONS WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PRINT ITEM LABELS This menu option brings you to a screen where you can specify what inventory labels you ant to print, as well as how many. Because printing options appear in multiple places throughout the Wireless Warehouse system, all printing information is consolidated in its own chapter. Please see page 210 for more information on printing. 84

85 4 PICKING The Picking section covers all operations that involve taking inventory from your shelves and packaging them for order fulfillment. This includes picking for sales orders, transfers, group picking, and pick ticket creation. SOFT ALLOCATION When you enable tags in your system, Prophet 21 automatically uses a series of algorithms collectively known as soft allocation for the picking processes. Soft allocation analyzes all the bins in your warehouse and tries to find the smallest quantity that matches the allocation in the most logical bin sequence. For example, an order calls for you to pick 1,235 units of an item. The item is packed in cases of 1000, and boxes of 100. The system first determines that you should pick 1 case, 2 boxes and 35 units. It then scans your bins, starting with the item s primary bin, to find any boxes that have already been used for partial quantities, and thus have less than 100 units in them. If it finds any, it recommends that box and bin. The system then scans all your bins to find the bin with the least quantity in it that still has 2 full boxes, and then performs another sweep to find the emptiest bin that contains a full case. It recommends these bins and quantities as well. Note: The system recommends picks based on FIFO and always attempts to pick to clean, meaning that it attempts to recommend quantities that clear out a bin, rather than leave small quantities of items scattered throughout multiple bins in the warehouse. Orders are not assigned lots and bins until you generate a pick ticket. The system will still check for available inventory quantities when you enter the order, but will not assign a lot or bin to the order until you create the pick ticket. Thus even if days pass between when you enter an order and when you pick it, you will almost certainly have sufficient quantities in the bins and lots assigned to the order when it comes time to pick it. If there are no lots or bins with sufficient quantity to complete the pick when the pick ticket is generated, the system prompts you with an error message and will not create the pick ticket. SALES ORDER AND TRANSFER PICKING There is a great deal of flexibility and guidance in the wireless warehouse picking process. Once you ve entered a pick ticket or order number, the scanner guides you throughout the warehouse, showing you what items and quantities to pick. Despite this guidance, however, you are free to skip a suggested item if it doesn t make sense to pick it now (because of packing sequence, for example), and come back to it later. In fact, you can stop the pick process completely, start it again later, and the system can show you what items have already been picked and which ones you still need to get. 85

86 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE You can pick an entire order, or just items in a specific pick zone (see Bin Enhancements in the Prophet New Features Guide for information on pick zones). You can pick an item from multiple bins, place picked items in a staging area, and create tags for packages or palettes where you deposit picked items, all of which is tracked by the system. Finally, if you find a bin missing an item the system thinks is there, or contains damaged or otherwise unusable items, you can enter that into the scanner, which will immediately update its information and give you an alternate bin to pick. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The function keys perform the following tasks in the Picking window: Key Command Description F2 Lookup Pressing this key gives you a popup search window similar to the ones found throughout Prophet 21. When looking up pick tickets in the picking screens, the lookup window gives you a few more options. In addition to showing you the order number, order date, and pick ticket number, the window displays the route code, if one was entered, and if the order is a front counter or will call order. Since you can sort the columns by clicking on them, you can arrange the pick tickets in an appropriate order and pick the highest priority pick tickets, such as those with the oldest order date or those that are front counter orders, first. 86

87 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F3 Deposit You may choose to deposit the pick-to container tags at any time by pressing F3. The system does not require you to deposit any picks until the pick ticket is complete, or until you attempt to leave the Picking window or change pick tickets. Shift + F3 Pick Any Tag This function key allows you to pick something other than what was allocated to the order, substituting a different tag for the one suggested by the system. Normally, the system requires you pick the tag it displays, and will not allow you to continue picking the item until you confirm you have selected the tag it has selected. When you select the Pick Any Tag option, the system displays a popup window of tags that contain the item you are currently picking. In addition to displaying the tag number, the popup shows you the bin where the tag resides, the quantity of item on hand, and the free quantity (the on hand quantity minus allocations) of the item on the tag. These new tags must all meet a few prerequisites: 1. The tag must contain the same item as the tag suggested by the system. 2. The tag must have unallocated quantities of the item available for picking. If you attempt to pick allocated quantities from a tag, the system will display an error message telling you the items are allocated already. 3. The tag cannot be in a pick locked or quarantined bin. If you use this function and completely pick the required quantity, the system considers the line complete and moves you to the next one. If you pick a partial quantity using this function, the system returns to the originally recommended tag, but reduces the quantity to pick by the amount you took from the alternate tag. If you wish to pick from a tag other than the one suggested by the system, you must press Shift + F3 again. 87

88 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F4 Deposit All When on the Deposit Screen, F4 sets the system to deposit all lines and tags in a receipt to a single bin all at once. When you press this key on the deposit screen, the Line Number and Item to Deposit (or Tag to be Moved, if you re using tags) fields display All, and the system will deposit all lines or tags on the receipt to the same bin or tag that you specify. Pressing this key a second time changes the deposit method back to the line-by-line method, meaning you must specify the destination tag and bin for each line or tag in the order, even if they are all going to the same place. Shift + F4 View Notes Pressing this function key causes any mandatory notes to pop up again. F5 Skip Pick By pressing F5, you can skip an item that may not be sensible to be put in the container or palette at that point of the picking. This could be because the next item to pick is heavy and may damage this item, or it could be smaller than the next, meaning it would not pack correctly. This function causes picking to skip the current allocation and continue picking with the next allocation. Picking returns to the skipped allocation after all other picks are completed. 88

89 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Shift + F5 Barcode Learning Pressing this function key allows you to create an alternate code or assign a UPC to an existing item ID on the fly. In both cases, when you press this function key, a confirmation message pops up, asking if you want to create an alternate code or UPC. Answering No cancels the process; answering Yes brings a popup window: Field: Scanned Item Scan Item ID/UPC Description: The item ID for which you want to assign a UPC or create an alternate code. The system takes this information from the item ID entered in the prior screen; you cannot edit this entry. The UPC or alternate code you want to assign to the scanned item ID. You may enter a value in this field in three ways: Scan the new item Use the F2 lookup and select the appropriate item Enter the value manually Assigning a UPC: If the item you re scanning doesn t already have a UPC associated with the supplier listed on the transaction, you have the option of assigning a UPC to the item. When you scan a barcode after pressing Shift + F5, the system checks to see if the value is 12 or 15 digits in length. If it is, and the item/supplier combination has no UPC assigned to it, the system allows you to assign the scanned value as the new UPC. This applies only to the supplier listed on the transaction. If the item is also associated with other suppliers, and they do not have UPCs assigned, the system does not assign the new UPC to them as well. Each item/supplier combination can only have one UPC. If the item/supplier combination on the transaction already has a UPC, you cannot use this function to assign a new one. Assigning an Alternate Code: Alternate codes do not have the same restrictions that UPCs have. Upon creating one, the system asks if you d like to create another. If you answer No, the system closes the popup window and returns you to the transaction screen. However, if you answer Yes, the system clears the Scan Item ID field in the popup and allows you to enter another value. 89

90 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F6 Pick Exception By pressing F6, you can skip an item during picking. This is similar to the Skip Pick function, but with Pick Exception you are telling the system that you do not want to return later to pick the item. You might use this function for cases when you get to a bin and the stock is not there or is damaged, for example. This function pick marks the bin as unpickable, cancels the allocation for all orders for that bin, and automatically reallocates all transactions so they don t use that bin. The system then suggests a different bin for the same item and you can continue picking as normal. Shift + F6 Additional Item Information Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. F7 Print Labels If you are in a screen that supports printing (see page 210), this function key will prompt the system to print a shipping label. F8 What's Left Pressing F8 tells you what s left to pick on an order. This can be used, for example, if your box is getting full and you want to see what's left to pick so that you can tell if you can fit it all or want to start a new container. When you select this function, the Pick Status screen opens, with the lines still available for picking displayed. When leaving this screen (F1 - Exit), you return to the order you were picking. 90

91 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PICKING WITHOUT TAGS This section details the sequence of screens you see if you pick an order without using tags. Transaction Pick Screen The first screen is the Transaction Pick Screen. This is where you identify what transaction you want to pick. If you are picking a sales order, you need to identify both an order number and pick ticket. However, if the order has only one pick ticket, that information defaults automatically once you enter the order number. If you are picking for a transfer, you need only enter the transfer number; transfers do not have pick tickets. Field Order Number Transfer Number PT Number Description The transaction number of the order or transfer you want to pick. The pick ticket you want to pick. If an order has only one pick ticket, this field will automatically populate once you enter an order number. Note: This field only appears in sales order picks; transfer orders do not use pick tickets. Pick Zone If you use pick zones in your warehouse, you can enter a zone here. This prompts the system to provide information on the items for this transaction that reside in the chosen zone only. Using this method, you could assign different portions of the pick to multiple pickers at the same time, and consolidate the individual picks when they are all complete. Alternately, you could enter a pick zone first, and then browse for available pick tickets. The system will only display pick tickets with items in the entered pick zone. This field is optional. You do not have to enter a value in this field even if you use pick zones. Leaving this field blank prompts the system to provide 91

92 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE information on the entire order pick. Bin Screen Once you ve entered a transaction, the scanner displays the Bin Screen. This screen shows you the first item and quantity to pick, and the bin to pick from. All of this information is for information only and cannot be edited. The only thing you can do in this screen is confirm you are at the correct bin. Field Order Number Transfer Number Line Number Bin to Pick Item ID Lot Traceable Factor Pick Quantity Bin Description The transaction number of the order or transfer that you are picking. The line number of the item you are currently picking. This is the bin from which the system wants you to pick the line item. Unless you press F6 (see F-Key Functions above), the system will not allow you to choose inventory from a bin other than this one. The item you are currently picking. If a lot has been specified on the transaction, it will appear here. Otherwise this field remains blank. If a lot has a specific quality assigned as a traceable factor and that lot has been assigned to the transaction, the traceable factor appears here. Otherwise this field remains blank. The quantity of item that you must pick to fill this line on the transaction. The bin you are standing at. You can scan the bin or enter the bin ID manually. This must match the bin ID displayed in the Bin to Pick field and if you enter something different, the system gives you an error message and does not let you continue until you verify you are at the correct bin. If you press F6, the bin in the Bin to Pick field is removed from all picks and the system suggests another bin. 92

93 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Picking Screen Once you ve verified you re at the correct bin, the scanner displays the Picking Screen. Use this screen to enter the information about the actual pick. Field Order Number Transfer Number Line Number Bin Item to Pick Traceable Factor Lot to Pick Lot Serial Pick Quantity Quantity Description The transaction number of the order or transfer that you are picking. The line number of the item you are currently picking. The bin you are picking from. The item you are currently picking. If a lot has a specific quality assigned as a traceable factor and that lot has been assigned to the transaction, the traceable factor appears here. Otherwise this field remains blank. If a lot has been specified on an order, that lot appears here. This is the lot of the item you must pick, and the system will display an error message if you enter a lot other than the one displayed in this field. The lot of the item you are picking. This must match the lot displayed in the Lot to Pick field or the system will display an error message and prompt you to pick the proper lot. If the item you are picking tracks serial numbers, enter that information in this field. The quantity of item that you must pick to fill this line on the transaction. The quantity of item that you have picked. 93

94 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Deposit Screen The deposit screen is where you define what bin you are placing all the items you picked once you ve completed the pick ticket. This might be a bin in a staging area where items can be packaged for shipping, for example. Field Order Number Transfer Number Line Number Item To Deposit Deposit Bin Description The transaction number of the order or transfer that you are picking. The line number of the item you are currently picking. The tag or item you are depositing to the bin. The bin the system suggests you place the item in. This field defaults to the last bin used, even if it was for a different transaction. Note: If picking by zone, this field does not default to the last bin used unless you ve already made a deposit for this order. When picking by zone, this bin must be a consolidation bin. Put in Container Container Package Type Put on Platform Platform Package Type Put in Bin If you are placing tagged items into a container, identify the container tag here. You cannot use this field if the item does not use tags. A brief description of the kind of container. For example: drum or crate. You cannot use this field if the item does not use tags. If you are placing tagged items on a platform, identify the platform tag here. You cannot use this field if the item does not use tags. A brief description of the kind of platform. For example: pallet. You cannot use this field if the item does not use tags. The bin ID of the bin you are placing picked items in, or the shipping bin. 94

95 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Performing a Pick Without Tags Use the following procedure to perform an order pick using the wireless warehouse. Steps marked with a are mandatory. This procedure covers picking for both transfer order s and sales orders, and any differences between them are noted in the individual steps. Note: Throughout this instruction set, there are continual references to scanning and entering information. These two terms are interchangeable in this process. Manually entering information is no different from scanning it as far as this procedure is concerned; it is a matter of preference and convenience only. 1. Select Picking from the main menu. 2. If you are picking a sales order, select Sales Order Picking from the sub-menu. If you are picking a transfer order, select Transfer Order Picking from the sub-menu. 3. In the Transaction Pick screen, enter the transaction number of the order you want to pick. 4. If you are picking a sales order that has more than one pick ticket associated with it, enter the pick ticket number you want to pick. Tip! Remember that if you don t know the pick ticket number, you can search for it by pressing F2 and choosing from a list of available pick tickets. 5. If you want to assign this pick by pick zone, enter what zone you want to pick in the Pick Zone field. To pick the entire order, leave this field blank. 6. The system displays the Bin screen. Find the bin shown in the Bin to Pick field and scan it. Tip! Remember that for steps 6 and 7 you can press Shift + F3 to pick from any bin and lot that contains the item. 7. If the item you are picking tracks lots and has a lot displayed in the Lot to Pick field, pick an item of the appropriate lot and scan it. If the item tracks lots but there is no lot displayed in the Lot to Pick field, you are free to pick any lot you want. 8. If the item you are picking tracks serial numbers, enter the serial number for each item you pick. 9. Pick the quantity of item shown in the Pick Quantity field and enter that number in the Quantity field. 10. When you ve picked the last item, press F3 to save and complete the pick. 11. You are brought to the Deposit screen. Scan or enter the ID of the bin you ll be placing the first picked item in. Repeat this for every item on the pick ticket. Tip! If you want to deposit all line items to the same bin, you can press the F4 key. This allows you to deposit all remaining line items to the same bin instead of working through the order line by line. 95

96 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE MAKING AN ON-THE-FLY ADJUSTMENT This process assumes the person making an on the fly adjustment is a warehouse employee who is in the midst of picking an order using a wireless device, be it a sales order or transfer, when he discovers that the on hand quantity in a bin isn t what the system s says it should be. Because of this, the procedures presented below start with the person already in the middle of the pick procedures described on page 95. They do not provide instructions for how to access bin information or any other setup steps. Please see the procedures noted above for information on how to initiate a pick process. Making an On-the-Fly Adjustment for Lot/Bin Items Use the following instructions to perform an on-the-fly on hand inventory adjustment for items that do not use tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. These instructions assume that you perform all the standard picking procedures such as making a confirmation scan of the bin, item, and lot you are directed to pick. This process begins only after you discover that there is a different quantity in the bin than the amount available according to the system. To Adjust the Quantity Down 1. Enter the quantity of item you are picking. 2. The system prompts you with the message: Adjusting Item/Lot/Bin Quantity? a. If you answer Yes, the system reduces the quantity available in the bin to zero (since it assumes you picked the reduced amount and left nothing). b. If you answer No, the system leaves the quantity on hand for the bin alone. 3. The system prompts you with the message: Undership? a. If you answer Yes, the system marks the line as undershipped and applies the appropriate disposition to it (as defined in the system settings noted above) come shipping time. b. If you answer No, the system looks for other sources of material to make up for the shorted pick using the following method: i. Are there items with the same lot in other bins that have available inventory? ii. Is there a different lot in the same bin with available inventory? iii. Is there a different lot in different bins that have available inventory? iv. If all three of the above options fail to produce further pick quantities, the system marks the line undershipped and moves to the next required item/bin/lot pick. 4. Continue with the picking process. Note: Because the system might suggest picking items of different lots in order to make up for short picks, it does not give an error message if a single line has multiple lots in it. 96

97 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE To Adjust the Quantity Up 1. Enter the quantity of item you are picking. 2. If the enlarged pick quantity you entered is larger than the amount the system lists as the quantity on hand, it prompts you with the message: Adjusting Item/Lot/Bin Quantity? a. If you answer Yes, the system adjusts the quantity on hand according to the amount you enter. b. If you answer No, the system displays an error message that states the bin does not have the quantity you entered. 3. The system prompts you with the message: Overrship? a. If you answer Yes, the system marks the line as overshipped and allows you to continue the picking process. b. If you answer No, the system looks to reduce the pick quantities of other recommended sources of material to make up for the enlarged pick using the following method: i. Are there items with the same lot in other bins that have available inventory? ii. Is there a different lot in the same bin with available inventory? iii. Is there a different lot in different bins that have available inventory? iv. If all three of the above options fail to produce pick quantities that can be reduced, the system marks the line overshipped and moves to the next required item/bin/lot pick. 4. Continue with the picking process. 97

98 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PICKING WITH TAGS This section details the sequence of screens you see if you pick an order and use tags. Pick Types When using tags, there are several kinds of pick that you can use when picking inventory. Move You take the entire tag for the order pick. Split You pick a quantity from an existing tag and move it to another tag created specifically for this order. Content You pick a quantity from an existing tag and move it to another tag that already exists and that contains other product. For example, this existing tag could be a pallet going to the customer that has boxes of different product. You can change the kind of pick you are performing by pressing the F4 key. Transaction Pick Screen The first screen is the Transaction Pick Screen. This screen is identical to the screens displayed above in the Picking Without Tags section. 98

99 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Tag Screen After you ve established what transaction you re picking, you re prompted with the Tag Screen. Here is where you enter the tag you want to pick. You can pick the entire tag, assuming the tag quantity doesn t exceed the order quantity, or you can just pick part of the tag. Field Order Number Transfer Number Line Number Bin Item to Pick Lot Traceable Factor Package Quantity Per Pick Quantity Description The transaction number of the order or transfer that you are picking. The line number of the item you are currently picking. This is the bin from which the system wants you to pick the line item. Unless you press F6 (see F-Key Functions above), the system will not allow you to choose inventory from a bin other than this one. The item you are currently picking. If a lot has been specified on the transaction, it will appear here. Otherwise this field remains blank. If a lot has a specific quality assigned as a traceable factor and that lot has been assigned to the transaction, the traceable factor appears here. Otherwise this field remains blank. The package type assigned to the tag you are picking. The quantity of item per package. The quantity of item that you must pick to fill this line on the transaction, expressed in the item s UOM (not the quantity per package). 99

100 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Pick Tag The tag you are picking. You can pick the entire tag, if the tag quantity doesn t exceed your pick quantity, or just a portion of it. If you pick a tag that is less than or equal to the pick quantity, the system assumes you pick the entire tag. If a single tag does not fill the pick quantity, you are prompted for another tag. If you scan a tag with a quantity greater than the remaining pick quantity, the system assumes you will be splitting the tag, and displays the proper screen. Move Pick Screen The scanner displays the Move Pick Screen when you scan a tag that has a quantity equal to or smaller than the pick quantity of the order line. Because a move pick takes an entire tag and picks it for the order, the only thing you have to do is confirm the pick. The system defaults all the other information from prior screens or the pick ticket. Note: This screen only appears if you scan a tag that has a quantity equal to or smaller than the pick quantity of the order line. If the tag has a quantity larger than the line s pick quantity, the Split Tag Screen (see below) appears instead. Field Description Order Number Transfer Number Line Number Bin Item ID The transaction number of the order or transfer that you are picking. The line number of the item you are currently picking. The bin you are picking from. The item you are currently picking. 100

101 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Lot to Pick Lot Package Quantity Per Pick Quantity Pick Tag Proceed If a lot has been specified on an order, that lot appears here. This is the lot of the item you must pick, and the system will display an error message if you enter a lot other than the one displayed in this field. The lot of the item you are picking. This must match the lot displayed in the Lot to Pick field or the system will display an error message and prompt you to pick the proper lot. The package type assigned to the tag you are picking. The quantity of item per package. The quantity of item that you must pick to fill this line on the transaction. The tag you are picking for this order line. This is the only field you can edit. All other fields in the screen default from information entered in prior screens or from records in the system. This field gives you a chance to double check the tag and make sure this is the one you want to pick. If it is, you can enter Y, and complete the pick. Entering N clears the screen and brings you back to the Tag Screen. You can also use this field to change the kind of pick you want to perform. If you enter S, the system will bring you to the split pick screen, allowing you to define the parameters of the new tags you want to create from this source tag. Once you populate this screen and hit Enter, the system returns you to the move pick process. If you enter C, the system shifts the process to a content move. Once you populate this screen and hit Enter, the system returns you to the move pick process. Split Tag Screen If you scan a tag with a greater quantity than your pick quantity, the scanner displays the Split Tag Screen. This screen allows you to take a quantity of item off an existing tag and move it to another one you generate for this pick. Note: This screen only appears if you scan a tag that has a quantity greater than the pick quantity of the order line. If the tag has a quantity equal to or smaller than the line s pick quantity, the Move Tag Screen (see above) appears instead. 101

102 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field Order Number Item ID Traceable Factor Lot Split from Tag Quantity Package Type Quantity Per Package UOM Total Unit Quantity Split Pick/Number of Tags Description The order for which you are picking. The item you are currently picking. An optional piece of additional information that serves to more specifically identify the item s lot. The lot of the item you are currently picking. The quantity of item you are splitting off the current tag. The package type assigned to the tag you are picking. The quantity of item per package, expressed in the package UOM. The unit of measure used for item in the package. The total quantity you are taking from the original tag. The number of tags onto which you are placing the split inventory. Once you complete the first split screen, the second appears. This second screen is where you define the new tags that you ll be placing the split inventory on. You receive one screen per tag in the split. Field Item ID Tag Quantity UOM Description The item you are currently picking. The quantity of item you want to place on this new tag. The sales pricing unit of measure for this item. 102

103 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Lot Package Quantity Per Number of Packs Number of Tags New Tag Number Tag The lot of the item you want to place on this new tag. The package type assigned to the tag you are picking. The quantity of item per package. The number of packages that you are placing on this new tag. The total number of new tags you are creating with this split. The tag number of the new tag you are creating to place the picked inventory. The total number of tags you must define for this split, and which tag this is in that list (for example, 2 of 3). Content Pick Screen If you are performing a content pick, you can bring this screen up by pressing F4 when on the Split Screen. Field Order Number Item ID Traceable Factor Lot Split from Tag Quantity Package Type Quantity Per Package UOM Description The order for which you are picking. The item you are currently picking. An optional piece of additional information that serves to more specifically identify the item s lot. The lot of the item you are currently picking. The quantity of item you are splitting off the current tag. The package type assigned to the tag you are picking. The quantity of item per package, expressed in the package UOM. The unit of measure used for item in the package. 103

104 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Total Unit Quantity Content Pick/ Number of Packs Destination Tag Destination Package Type The total quantity you are taking from the original tag. The number of packages you are placing on the new tag. The tag number of the package to which you are adding this item. The package type to which you are adding this item. Deposit Screen The deposit screen is identical to the one shown in the Picking Without Tags Section. However, when you use tags you can enter values in the container and platform fields. Performing a Pick With Tags Use the following procedure to perform an order pick using the wireless warehouse using tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. This procedure covers picking for both transfer orders and sales orders, and any differences between them are noted in the individual steps. Note: Throughout this instruction set, there are continual references to scanning and entering information. These two terms are interchangeable in this process. Manually entering information is no different from scanning it as far as this procedure is concerned; it is a matter of preference and convenience only. 1. Select Picking from the main menu. 2. If you are picking a sales order, select Sales Order Picking from the sub-menu. If you are picking a transfer order, select Transfer Order Picking from the sub-menu. 3. In the Transaction Pick screen, enter the transaction number of the order you want to pick. 4. If you are picking a sales order that has more than one pick ticket associated with it, enter the pick ticket number you want to pick. Tip! Remember that if you don t know the pick ticket number, you can search for it by pressing F2 and choosing from a list of available pick tickets. 5. If you want to assign this pick by pick zone, enter what zone you want to pick in the Pick Zone field. To pick the entire order, leave this field blank. 6. The system displays the Bin screen. Find the bin shown in the Bin to Pick field and scan it. Tip! Remember that for steps 6 and 7 you can press Shift + F3 to pick from any bin, lot, and tag that contains the item. 7. The scanner displays the Tag screen. Choose a tag that contains the inventory item you are picking and scan it. 8. If you are performing a move pick, confirm that you want to pick this tag. 104

105 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 9. If you performing a split, enter the quantity you are picking. The Split Pick screen appears, where the package type, quantity per package, and total pick quantity appear; you can edit any of these if you wish. When these values are set, accept them by pressing Enter. 10. The second Split Pick screen appears. Enter the tag number to which you are depositing the split quantity. You must do this once for each tag you are creating in this split pick. 11. If you are performing a content pick, press F4 when the Split Pick Screen appears. This will bring up the Content Pick screen instead. 12. The Content Pick screen displays the package type, quantity per package, total pick quantity, and destination package tag number; you can edit any of these if you wish. When these values are set, accept them by pressing Enter. 13. If the item you are picking tracks serial numbers, enter the serial number for each item you pick. 14. When you ve picked the last item, press F3 to save and complete the pick. 15. You are brought to the Deposit screen. Enter or scan the tags of the container and/or platform you will place the first picked item in. 16. Scan or enter the tag of the bin you ll be placing the first picked item in. 17. Repeat steps 15 and 16 for every item on the pick ticket. Tip! If you want to deposit all line items to the same bin, you can press the F4 key. This allows you to deposit all remaining line items to the same bin instead of working through the order line by line. MAKING AN ON-THE-FLY ADJUSTMENT This process assumes the person making an on the fly adjustment is a warehouse employee who is in the midst of picking an order using a wireless device, be it a sales order or transfer, when he discovers that the on hand quantity in a bin isn t what the system s says it should be. Because of this, the procedures presented below start with the person already in the middle of the pick procedures described on page 104. They do not provide instructions for how to access bin information or any other setup steps. Please see the procedures noted above for information on how to initiate a pick process. Making an On-the-Fly Adjustment for Tagged Items Use the following instructions to perform an on-the-fly on hand inventory adjustment for items that use tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. These instructions assume that you perform all the standard picking procedures such as making a confirmation scan of the tag you are directed to pick. This process begins only after you discover that there is a different quantity on the tag than the amount available according to the system. Preliminary Steps If performing a split or content pick, you must perform these additional steps. If performing a move pick, skip this section. 105

106 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 1. From the Split Pick or Content Pick screen, press Shift + F4. The system displays the Tag Adjustment/Pick screen: 2. Enter the new tag quantity on hand, then proceed with the instructions listed below. To Adjust the Quantity Down 1. Enter the quantity of item you are picking. 2. The system prompts you with the message: Adjusting Tag Quantity? a. If you answer Yes, the system reduces the quantity available on the tag the amount you picked and treats the pick as a content move. b. If you answer No, the system leaves the quantity on hand for the tag alone and treats the pick as a split pick. 3. The system prompts you with the message: Undership? a. If you answer Yes, the system marks the line as undershipped and applies the appropriate disposition to it (as defined in the system settings noted above) come shipping time. b. If you answer No, the system looks for other sources of material to make up for the shorted pick using the following method: i. Are there tags with the same item and lot in the same bin that have available inventory? ii. Are there tags with the same items and same lot in other bins that have available inventory? iii. Are there tags with the same item but different lots in the same bin with available inventory? 106

107 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE iv. Are there tags with the same item but different lots in different bins that have available inventory? v. If all of the above options fail to produce further pick quantities, the system marks the line undershipped and moves to the next required item/bin/lot pick. 4. Continue with the picking process. Note: Because the system might suggest picking items of different lots in order to make up for short picks, it does not give an error message if a single line has multiple lots in it. To Adjust the Quantity Up 1. Enter the quantity of item you are picking. 2. If the enlarged pick quantity you entered is larger than the amount the system lists as the quantity on hand, it prompts you with the message: Adjusting Tag Quantity? a. If you answer Yes, the system adjusts the quantity on hand according to the amount you enter. b. If you answer No, the system displays an error message that states the tag does not have the quantity you entered. 3. The system prompts you with the message: Overrship? a. If you answer Yes, the system marks the line as overshipped and allows you to continue the picking process. b. If you answer No, the system looks to reduce the pick quantities of other recommended sources of material to make up for the enlarged pick using the following method: i. Is the same lot allocated in other bins? ii. Is a different lot allocated in the same bin? iii. Is a different lot allocated in other bins? iv. If all three of the above options fail to produce pick quantities that can be reduced, the system marks the line overshipped and moves to the next required item/bin/lot pick. 4. Continue with the picking process. 107

108 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE GROUP ORDER PICKING Group Order Picking allows you to pick multiple orders for different customers at the same time. When picking multiple orders simultaneously, you can assign picks by zone, or pick an entire order, just like the normal wireless picking process. The same options exist for picking material for transfers. GROUP PICK TICKET CREATION A group pick ticket is used just like a normal pick ticket. Choose a group pick ticket to a pick and the scanner guides the picker through the warehouse or zone, picking the appropriate items for the order. However, a group pick ticket is actually a combination of several pick tickets for different orders. These individual pick tickets are pulled apart into their individual lines, and then put together into a single whole. When the system puts together a group pick ticket, lines are assembled in ways that make sense for your warehouse zone layout and pick sequence. So all items from all pick tickets in pick zone A will be listed together, then all items from all pick tickets in pick zone B, and so on. Note: The group pick ticket is not a pick ticket from Order Processing, but a listing of lines from the linked pick tickets. Both the Prophet 21 system and the Wireless Warehouse have windows that allow you to create and manage group pick tickets for both orders and transfers. PROPHET 21 Prophet 21 has separate windows for creating and managing group order pick tickets and group transfer pick tickets. ORDER PICK TICKETS Navigation Path: Wireless Warehouse\ Maintenance menu\ Group Picking List Maintenance The Group Pick Ticket Maintenance window in the Prophet 21 system allows you to generate, edit, and delete group pick tickets without accessing a scanner. It has the Query, Form View, and Group Pick Ticket Detail Tabs. Query Tab The Query tab is the same as other Query tabs found throughout the system. 108

109 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Form View Tab The Form View tab is where you define the company and location where the group pick ticket resides. This tab is also the one to use if you want to delete an entire group pick ticket. Field: Company ID Location ID Group Pick Ticket Number Description: Your company ID. The location at which you ll perform this pick. The system-generated number that identifies the group pick ticket. This is a searchable field, meaning you can browse all the available pull lists in the system and select one from the list. If you are creating a new group pick ticket, you can skip this field and begin entering pick ticket numbers in the Group Pick Ticket Details tab. In this case, the system will automatically populate this field upon a successful save. Status Used to activate and deactivate a record. The two available settings for this field are: Active The current record is active. You must select this option if you want to use the current record. Delete The current record is inactive and marked as deleted. This is a "soft" delete (i.e., you can reactivate the record by changing this setting to Active). Group Pick Ticket Detail Tab The Group Pick Ticket Detail tab shows you all the pick tickets currently assigned to the group pick ticket, as well as details about each pick ticket. Using this tab, you can add and remove individual pick tickets from the group ticket. 109

110 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Pick Ticket Number Description: The system-generated number that identifies a pick ticket. Though only one line appears when you first come to this screen, you can add any number of pick tickets to a group pick ticket. Each time you press Enter the system adds another blank line that you can populate. This is a searchable field, meaning you can browse all the available pick tickets in the system and select one from the list. A pick ticket can only belong to one group pick ticket at a time. If you attempt to add a pick ticket that s already part of a group ticket to another group ticket, the system warns you the pick ticket already resides on a group ticket and refuses to add it to the new ticket. Order Number Order Date Customer ID Customer Name Address ID Ship To Name Lines Carrier Name Ship Route The order for which this pick ticket was generated. The date on which the order was placed. The name and ID of the customer that placed the order. The name and ID of the ship to location of the customer that placed the order. The number of line items on the pick ticket. The name of the service that will take the picked items to the customer (UPS, FedEx, etc.). The order s delivery category. 110

111 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE TRANSFER PICK TICKETS You can create group pick tickets for transfers in three windows in the Prophet 21 system: Print Transfer Forms, Print Pick Tickets, and Transfer Group Pick Ticket Maintenance. Print Transfer Forms Navigation Path: Inventory/ Reports menu/ Transfers The Criteria tab in the Print Transfer Forms window contains a checkbox that allows you to create a group pick ticket from all the individual transfer orders that meet the tab s criteria. Activating this checkbox makes a group pick ticket out of all the records that meet the tab s criteria Create Group Transfer if you activate this checkbox, the system takes the line items from every pick ticket that meets the criteria listed in this tab and combines them into a group pick ticket. This setting works in noninterrupted mode and not. 111

112 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Print Pick Tickets Navigation Path: Order Processing/ Reports menu/ Pick Tickets The Criteria tab in the Pick Ticket Report has the same checkbox present in the Print Transfer Forms window. Activating this checkbox makes a group pick ticket out of all the records that meet the tab s criteria 112

113 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Transfer Pick Ticket Maintenance Navigation Path: Wireless Warehouse/ Maintenance menu/ Group Transfer List Maintenance The Group Transfer List Maintenance window in the Prophet 21 system allows you to generate, edit, and delete transfer group pick tickets without accessing a scanner. It has the Query, Form View, and Group Transfer Detail tabs. Query Tab The Query tab is the same as other Query tabs found throughout the system. Form View Tab The Form View tab is where you define the company and location where the group transfer ticket resides. This tab is also the one to use if you want to delete an entire group transfer ticket. Field: Company ID Location ID Group Pick Ticket Number Description: Your company ID. The location at which you ll perform this pick. The system-generated number that identifies the group transfer ticket. This is a searchable field, meaning you can browse all the available group transfer tickets in the system and select one from the list. If you are creating a new group transfer ticket, you can skip this field and begin entering pick ticket numbers in the Group Transfer Details tab. In this case, the system will automatically populate this field upon a successful save. Status Used to activate and deactivate a record. The two available settings for this field are: Active The current record is active. You must select this option if you want to use the current record. Delete The current record is inactive and marked as deleted. This is a "soft" delete (i.e., you can reactivate the record by changing this setting to Active). 113

114 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Group Transfer Detail Tab The Group Transfer Detail tab shows you all the pick tickets currently assigned to the group transfer ticket, as well as details about each pick ticket. Using this tab, you can add and remove individual pick tickets from the group ticket. Field: Transfer Number Description: The system-generated number that identifies a transfer. Though only one line appears when you first come to this screen, you can add any number of pick tickets to a group pick ticket. Each time you press Enter the system adds another blank line that you can populate. This is a searchable field, meaning you can browse all the available transfer orders in the system and select one from the list. A transfer can only belong to one group transfer ticket at a time. If you attempt to add a transfer that s already part of a group transfer ticket to another group transfer ticket, the system warns you the transfer already resides on a group transfer ticket and refuses to add it to the new transfer ticket. Source Location ID Destination Location ID Lines Carrier Name Ship Route The company location that is providing the material for the transfer. The company location that will receive the transferred material. The number of lines on the transfer order. The name of the service that will take the picked items to the customer (UPS, FedEx, etc.). The order s delivery category. 114

115 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE WIRELESS WAREHOUSE The Wireless Warehouse system has separate windows for creating and using group pick tickets for sales orders and transfers, but in look and function they are almost identical. Using a scanner, you can create a group pick ticket in the Group Pick Ticket Creation window. Enter the numbers of the pick tickets you want to combine here. The Group Transfer Maintenance window allows you to create group pick tickets for transfer orders. To create a group pick ticket, enter the pick tickets or transfers you want to combine in the Pick Ticket Number/Transfer Number fields respectively. You can generate a new line by pressing Enter after each one, allowing you to add as many pick tickets or transfers as you like. Remember, pressing F2 allows you to search through a list of pick ticket or transfer numbers if you don t know the number of the ticket you re looking for. After you ve added all the pick tickets you want to combine, save the group pick ticket. Once you save the ticket, the system breaks down all pick tickets/transfers in the group and recombines their lines into one single, sorted list. This list of combined pick lines is the group pick ticket, which can then be used to pick all the orders at once. 115

116 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F-Key Commands The function keys perform the following tasks in these windows: Key Command Description F3 Delete Current Pick Ticket From Group Removes the pick ticket you have the focus on from the pick ticket group. F4 Deposit All This function key sets the system to deposit all lines and tags in a receipt to a single bin all at once. When you press this key on the deposit screen, the Line Number and Item to Deposit (or Tag to be Moved, if you re using tags) fields display All, and the system will deposit all lines or tags on the receipt to the same bin or tag that you specify. Pressing this key a second time changes the deposit method back to the line-by-line method, meaning you must specify the destination tag and bin for each line or tag in the order, even if they are all going to the same place. F8 Delete Entire Pick Ticket Group Clears the entire list of pick ticket. F9 Save Saves the group pick ticket. All pick tickets in this group are broken down and reassembled line-by-line into an organized list, and the system assigns this compiled pick list its own group pick ticket number. GROUP ORDER PICKING Once you ve created the group pick ticket or, you can use it to begin picking the orders or transfers. Picking a group pick ticket is very similar to picking a regular pick ticket. Instead of entering a pick ticket or order number, you enter the group pick ticket number. This loads the compiled list of pick lines into the scanner. Once the pick ticket is assigned, the scanner leads you through your zone, directing you to pick items according to your established pick sequence. As you pick items, you place them in the picking bin, and when you are through picking all items go to consolidations bins, broken down by order. If you are picking both tagged and untagged items, you must deposit tagged items into this consolidation bin first. Note: In cases where you have multiple orders with the same item in the same bin, the scanner will direct you to pick each line individually. At this time, the scanner does not sum together these item lines and direct you to pick the entire quantity at once. For example, if you have two different pick lines for Drill381 from bin A 100, one for 10 and one for 5, you must pick 10 for the first line, enter it in the scanner, and then pick another 5 when the scanner presents the second line. You cannot pick 15 in one shot and enter this quantity to satisfy both lines. When depositing picked items to a consolidation bin, the system suggests and requests confirmation of that bin just like a normal pick or putaway process. Each order must have its own consolidation bin, and you will be required to scan each bin when prompted. Once the last item for each order is deposited, the scanner prompts you with a message telling you the pick is complete and deletes the group pick ticket. 116

117 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Note: Because a bin might fill up before you ve deposited all items, it is possible to have multiple consolidation bins for the same order within the group pick ticket. Once a consolidation bin is full, you can select another bin to use. This bin then becomes the recommended consolidation bin for all remaining items for that order in the group pick. Should this second bin also fill before the pick is completed, you can select a third, and so on. Though you might have multiple bins for a single order in a group pick, all consolidation bins remain unique to a given order. For example, a group pick ticket has items for sales orders 1, 2, and 3 on it. As you move through the pick ticket, you fill up five bins for order 1. However, all five bins will only contain items for order 1. F-Key Commands The F-Key commands are identical to those found in the regular pick process; see page 86. However, the F8 What s Left command brings up a different screen. This screen still shows you what remains in your pick, but is tailored to a group pick ticket instead. Group Order Picking Use the Group Order Picking window to call up and assign group pick tickets. You can limit the pick by zone, and thus split the pick list among multiple pickers. Important! If you do not enter a pick zone, one person must pick the entire group pick ticket, or that person must logout of the ticket in order for someone else to begin. The system does not allow two people to pick the same group pick ticket simultaneously unless the pick is divided into zones. 117

118 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Group Transfer Picking Use the Group Transfer Picking window to call up and assign group transfer tickets. Aside from being specific to transfer orders, this screen is identical to the Group Order Picking screen. Note: This is the only screen that is different when picking transfer group tickets instead of group pick tickets. The rest of the screens in this section are the same regardless of it you are picking a group pick ticket or a group transfer ticket. Picking Tag When you pick a tagged item, you place that item on your picking tag. Each order on the group pick ticket must be assigned its own picking tag that it shares with no other order. By the end of the picking session, your picking tags contains all the tagged items you ve picked, already assigned to their proper orders. A picking tag can be either a preprinted tag, or one that you create for the pick. Move Pick Screen Once you ve established what tag you are picking, the system displays the Move Pick screen. This screen looks and functions identically to the Move Pick screen described on page 100. Split Tag Screen Each tag holds a certain quantity of item. If you don t pick an entire tag, the system displays the Split Tag screen, allowing you to transfer your picked quantity to another tag. This screen looks and functions identically to the Split Tag screen described on page

119 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Item Screen The Item Screen is where you define what item you are picking if you are not picking a tagged item. Field Order Number Transfer Number Line Number Bin Item to Pick Item ID Traceable Factor Lot to Pick Lot Serial UOM Pick Quantity Quantity Description The transaction number of the order or transfer that you are picking. The line number of the item you are currently picking. The bin you are picking from. The item the system thinks you should pick now. The item you are currently picking. You must enter an item ID that matches the one displayed in the Item to Pick field. The additional lot information used to identify the item. The item lot that the system thinks you should pick. The item lot you are picking. You must enter a lot ID that matches the one displayed in the Lot to Pick field. The serial number of the item you are picking. The unit of measure the Pick Quantity refers to. The quantity of item you must pick in order to fill the order. The quantity of item you are picking. 119

120 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Picking Bin Once you have completed your first pick for an order, you must define the bin you are picking the product to. This picking bin is where you place all the picked items for this group pick ticket, and is often a tote bag or other portable container that you can take with you as you move through the racks Once you define this bin, subsequent lines on the pick ticket suggest the same bin. Note: This screen does not appear if all items on a group pick use tags. Field Description Order Number Transfer Number Line Number Bin to Pick Item ID Lot Traceable Factor UOM Pick Quantity Bin The transaction number of the order or transfer that you are picking. The line number of the item you are currently picking. The bin the system wants you to pick from. The item you are picking. The item lot you are picking. Traceable factors further define lots. This is the specific kind of lot item you are picking. The unit of measure the pick quantity refers to. The quantity of item you are picking. The bin you are placing picked items in until the end of the pick. 120

121 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Consolidation Bin When you are ready to deposit the picked items, the scanner prompts you for consolidation bins that you ll use for the pick putaway. The consolidation bins are where you sort the picked items into their proper sales orders, and each order on the group pick ticket must have at least one consolidation bin that it does not share with the other orders. When you deposit the first item, you must scan the bin you want to use as the consolidation bin. After that, the system suggests the putaway bin of the last tag or lot you picked. However, you can scan bins other than the suggested bin. Remember, you must deposit all tagged items to consolidation bins first. Field Order Number Transfer Number Line Number Tag To Be Moved Item To Be Moved Deposit Bin Put in Container Container Package Type Put on Platform Platform Package Type Description The transaction number of the order or transfer that you are picking. The line number of the item you are currently picking. The tag or item you are depositing to the consolidation bin. The bin the system suggests you place the item in. If this is the first deposit of a group pick, this field will be blank. Once you make a deposit to a consolidation bin, the system will recommend that same bin for all other items on the same order. You are free to designate another bin, however. For example, the first consolidation bin might fill up, requiring you to use another. If you are placing tagged items into a container, identify the container tag here. A brief description of the kind of container. For example: drum or crate. If you are placing tagged items on a platform, identify the platform tag here. A brief description of the kind of platform. For example: pallet. 121

122 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Put in Bin The bin ID of the consolidation bin. Creating Consolidation Bins You can only use a bin as a consolidation bin if it s been specifically marked as such in Prophet 21. The Bin Form View tab in Location/Bin Maintenance includes a new checkbox for this. Enabling the Consolidation Bin checkbox allows you to deposit the items you pick as part of a group order pick in this bin. Remember, you will need one consolidation bin for each order on the group pick ticket. Items in a consolidation bin can be moved out of the bin using the inventory move process (see page 33), but you cannot allocate them. Consolidation bins may not be primary bins. You can only activate this checkbox if the wireless warehouse functionality is enabled. 122

123 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Performing a Group Pick Without Tags Use the following procedure to perform a group pick using the wireless warehouse. Steps marked with a are mandatory. This procedure covers picking for both transfer order s and sales orders, and any differences between them are noted in the individual steps. Note: Throughout this instruction set, there are continual references to scanning and entering information. These two terms are interchangeable in this process. Manually entering information is no different from scanning it as far as this procedure is concerned; it is a matter of preference and convenience only. 1. Select Picking from the main menu. 2. Select Group Order Picking from the sub-menu (if picking a sales order). Select Group Transfer Picking from the sub-menu (if picking a transfer order). 3. In the Group Pick Ticket screen, enter the group pick ticket number you want to pick. 4. If you want to assign this pick by pick zone, enter what zone you want to pick in the Pick Zone field. To pick the entire order, leave this field blank. The only way multiple people can pick a group pick ticket at the same time is to assign each picker a different pick zone; multiple people cannot pick a group pick ticket at the same time unless assigned different pick zones. 5. The system displays the Bin Screen. Find the bin shown in the Bin to Pick field and scan it. 6. If the item you are picking tracks lots and has a lot displayed in the Lot to Pick field, pick an item of the appropriate lot and scan it. If the item tracks lots but there is no lot displayed in the Lot to Pick field, you are free to pick any lot you want. 7. If the item you are picking tracks serial numbers, enter the serial number for each item you pick. 8. Pick the quantity of item shown in the Pick Quantity field and enter that number in the Quantity field. 9. After you ve picked your first item, the scanner displays the Picking Bin screen. Scan the bin that you are using to store the items while you pick. 10. When you ve picked the last item, press F9 to save and complete the pick. 11. The scanner displays the Consolidation Bin screen. You must have one consolidation bin per order on the group pick ticket. Scan the proper consolidation bin and deposit the items in their proper consolidation bin, grouping them together by order number. Tip! If you want to deposit all line items to the same bin, you can press the F4 key. This allows you to deposit all remaining line items to the same bin instead of working through the order line by line. 123

124 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Performing a Group Pick With Tags Use the following procedure to perform a group order pick using the wireless warehouse using tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. This procedure covers picking for both transfer orders and sales orders, and any differences between them are noted in the individual steps. Note: Throughout this instruction set, there are continual references to scanning and entering information. These two terms are interchangeable in this process. Manually entering information is no different from scanning it as far as this procedure is concerned; it is a matter of preference and convenience only. 1. Select Picking from the main menu. 2. Select Group Order Picking from the sub-menu (if picking a sales order). Select Group Transfer Picking from the sub-menu (if picking a transfer order). 3. In the Group Pick Ticket screen, enter the group pick ticket number you want to pick. 4. If you want to assign the pick by zone, enter the zone you want to pick. If you do not assign zones, one person must pick the entire group pick ticket; you cannot have two people picking the same group pick ticket without assigning them separate pick zones. 5. The system displays the Bin Screen. Find the bin shown in the Bin to Pick field and scan it. 6. The scanner displays the Tag Screen. Choose a tag that contains the inventory item you are picking and scan it. 7. If you are performing a move pick, confirm that you want to pick this tab. 8. If you performing a split, enter the quantity you are picking, and then enter the tag you are depositing the items to. 9. If the item you are picking tracks serial numbers, enter the serial number for each item you pick. 10. After you ve picked your first item, the scanner displays the Picking Tag screen. Scan the tag you are using for this pick; the system will move all tagged items to this tag while you pick. 11. When you ve picked the last item, press F9 to save and complete the pick. 12. The scanner displays the Consolidation Bin screen. You must have one consolidation bin per order on the group pick ticket. Scan the proper consolidation bin and deposit the items in their proper consolidation bin, grouping them together by order number. Note: Tip! If you have both tagged and untagged items in your pick, you must deposit the tagged items first. If you want to deposit all line items to the same bin, you can press the F4 key. This allows you to deposit all remaining line items to the same bin instead of working through the order line by line. 124

125 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE ON THE FLY INVENTORY ADJUSTMENTS In some cases, the quantity of item the system lists in a bin isn t the actual quantity, and the first person to discover this is someone with a handheld scanner in the middle of a transaction. This feature allows that person to immediately adjust the system records with the actual quantities and move on with his transaction with a minimum amount of interruption to the process. This provides you with a work-lite way of adding to the accuracy of your records without the need to divert your workforce from their tasks. For example, you are picking an order for 5200 screws. According to the system, bin A has 5000 screws, while bin B has 400, so it directs you to pick 5000 from bin A and 200 from bin B. However, upon arriving, you find bin A only has 4900 screws. You pick all 4900 screws, but tell the system you do not want to undership the order. The system reallocates the pick, directing you to pick 300 screws from bin B. In another scenario, you arrive at bin A to find it has 5100 screws. You pick all of them and tell the system you do not want to overship the order. The system reallocates the pick and directs you to only take 100 screws from bin B. DEFAULT DISPOSITIONS For undershipped transfer orders, the system uses the default disposition established in System Settings, as described on page 16. For undershipped sales orders, the system uses the default disposition established in the Default Disposition Tab in Customer Defaults Maintenance (Accounts Receivable/ System menu/ Customer Defaults Maintenance), or the OE Options Tab in Customer Maintenance. Both set the default disposition for customers in your system, but the setting in Customer Defaults Maintenance applies to all customers in your system, while the setting in Customer Maintenance only applies to that one customer, which allows you to create exceptions to the blanket rule laid out in Customer Defaults Maintenance. For more information on these tabs, please see the Prophet 21 online help files. MAKING AN ON-THE-FLY ADJUSTMENT This process assumes the person making an on the fly adjustment is a warehouse employee who is in the midst of picking an order using a wireless device, be it a sales order or transfer, when he discovers that the on hand quantity in a bin isn t what the system s says it should be. Because of this, the procedures presented below start with the person already in the middle of the pick procedures described on page 95 (for lot/bin items) or 104 (for tagged items). They provide instructions for how to access bin information or any other setup steps. Please see the procedures noted above for information on how to initiate a pick process. Making an On-the-Fly Adjustment for Lot/Bin Items Use the following instructions to perform an on-the-fly on hand inventory adjustment for items that do not use tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. These instructions assume that you perform all the standard picking procedures such as making a confirmation scan of the bin, item, and lot you are directed to pick. This process begins only after you discover that there is a different quantity in the bin than the amount available according to the system. 125

126 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE To Adjust the Quantity Down 1. Enter the quantity of item you are picking. 2. The system prompts you with the message: Adjusting Item/Lot/Bin Quantity? a. If you answer Yes, the system reduces the quantity available in the bin to zero (since it assumes you picked the reduced amount and left nothing). b. If you answer No, the system leaves the quantity on hand for the bin alone. 3. The system prompts you with the message: Undership? a. If you answer Yes, the system marks the line as undershipped and applies the appropriate disposition to it (as defined in the system settings noted above) come shipping time. b. If you answer No, the system looks for other sources of material to make up for the shorted pick using the following method: i. Are there items with the same lot in other bins that have available inventory? ii. Is there a different lot in the same bin with available inventory? iii. Is there a different lot in different bins that have available inventory? iv. If all three of the above options fail to produce further pick quantities, the system marks the line undershipped and moves to the next required item/bin/lot pick. 4. Continue with the picking process. Note: Because the system might suggest picking items of different lots in order to make up for short picks, it does not give an error message if a single line has multiple lots in it. To Adjust the Quantity Up 1. Enter the quantity of item you are picking. 2. If the enlarged pick quantity you entered is larger than the amount the system lists as the quantity on hand, it prompts you with the message: Adjusting Item/Lot/Bin Quantity? a. If you answer Yes, the system adjusts the quantity on hand according to the amount you enter. b. If you answer No, the system displays an error message that states the bin does not have the quantity you entered. 3. The system prompts you with the message: Overrship? a. If you answer Yes, the system marks the line as overshipped and allows you to continue the picking process. b. If you answer No, the system looks to reduce the pick quantities of other recommended sources of material to make up for the enlarged pick using the following method: 126

127 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE i. Are there items with the same lot in other bins that have available inventory? ii. Is there a different lot in the same bin with available inventory? iii. Is there a different lot in different bins that have available inventory? iv. If all three of the above options fail to produce pick quantities that can be reduced, the system marks the line overshipped and moves to the next required item/bin/lot pick. 4. Continue with the picking process. Making an On-the-Fly Adjustment for Tagged Items Use the following instructions to perform an on-the-fly on hand inventory adjustment for items that use tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. These instructions assume that you perform all the standard picking procedures such as making a confirmation scan of the tag you are directed to pick. This process begins only after you discover that there is a different quantity on the tag than the amount available according to the system. Note: This process only works when performing move picks. To Adjust the Quantity Down 1. Enter the quantity of item you are picking. 2. The system prompts you with the message: Adjusting Tag Quantity? a. If you answer Yes, the system reduces the quantity available on the tag the amount you picked and treats the pick as a content move. b. If you answer No, the system leaves the quantity on hand for the tag alone and treats the pick as a split pick. 3. The system prompts you with the message: Undership? a. If you answer Yes, the system marks the line as undershipped and applies the appropriate disposition to it (as defined in the system settings noted above) come shipping time. b. If you answer No, the system looks for other sources of material to make up for the shorted pick using the following method: i. Are there tags with the same item and lot in the same bin that have available inventory? ii. Are there tags with the same items and same lot in other bins that have available inventory? iii. Are there tags with the same item but different lots in the same bin with available inventory? 127

128 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE iv. Are there tags with the same item but different lots in different bins that have available inventory? v. If all of the above options fail to produce further pick quantities, the system marks the line undershipped and moves to the next required item/bin/lot pick. 4. Continue with the picking process. Note: Because the system might suggest picking items of different lots in order to make up for short picks, it does not give an error message if a single line has multiple lots in it. To Adjust the Quantity Up 1. Enter the quantity of item you are picking. 2. If the enlarged pick quantity you entered is larger than the amount the system lists as the quantity on hand, it prompts you with the message: Adjusting Tag Quantity? a. If you answer Yes, the system adjusts the quantity on hand according to the amount you enter. b. If you answer No, the system displays an error message that states the tag does not have the quantity you entered. 3. The system prompts you with the message: Overrship? a. If you answer Yes, the system marks the line as overshipped and allows you to continue the picking process. b. If you answer No, the system looks to reduce the pick quantities of other recommended sources of material to make up for the enlarged pick using the following method: i. Is the same lot allocated in other bins? ii. Is a different lot allocated in the same bin? iii. Is a different lot allocated in other bins? iv. If all three of the above options fail to produce pick quantities that can be reduced, the system marks the line overshipped and moves to the next required item/bin/lot pick. 4. Continue with the picking process. 128

129 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PROPHET 21 PICKING INTEGRATION Prophet 21 has several additional features that become active at locations where you use the Wireless Warehouse Management System. These features are small enhancements that help better integrate the scanner processes with those performed on a terminal. CONFIRMABLE PICK TICKETS ONLY CHECKBOX With pick tickets constantly being downloaded to scanner guns and uploaded back to the system, keeping track of pick tickets can be difficult. To help with this, the Find Pick Ticket search window in Shipping has a checkbox that appears if the shipping location uses the Wireless Warehouse. The Confirmable Pick Tickets Only checkbox only displays pick tickets that are completely picked and ready to ship. Confirmable Pick Tickets Only checkbox activating this checkbox causes the Find Pick Ticket popup window to display only those pick tickets that are fully picked and ready to ship. The system excludes all other pick tickets from the list. ORDER BINS TAB IN SHIPPING The Order Bins tab appears in the header of the Shipping window. It displays a list of bins. These bins hold the items that were picked for the pick ticket selected in the Shipment tab. The tab does not show what items are in which bins; it only displays the bins to which the items were deposited. WAREHOUSE ACTIVITY TAB IN ORDER ENTRY The Warehouse Activity Tab in Order Entry shows you information on any pick tickets generated for the order you selected in the Order tab. 129

130 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Pick Ticket Number Printing Date Pick Status Description: The system-generated number assigned to the pick ticket. The date the pick ticket was generated for picking. The printing date might also refer to the date the pick ticket was transferred to a wireless scanner for picking; it does not have to exist in paper form to qualify as printed. This field shows what stage the pick ticket is currently in. Printed the pick ticket has been generated for printing. As above, this might not mean it was printed. Picking the pick ticket is in the process of being picked. Deposited the order has been placed in a deposit bin. Shipped the pick ticket has shipped. % Picked This field shows how much of the pick ticket has been picked, expressed as a percentage. This field calculates the percent complete by how many lines of a pick ticket are completely picked. For example, if a pick ticket has 10 lines and 5 of them are picked, the ticket is 50% picked. The system disregards partially picked lines for purposes of this calculation. Important! Because the system treats partially picked lines as unpicked for this calculation, pick tickets for undershipped orders will appear incomplete in this field. Picked to Bin Pull List Number Status The bin in which material on the pick ticket was deposited. This field doesn't show what items are in the bin, just what bin the items were placed in after they were picked. If this pick ticket is part of a pull to pick order (see page 158), this field shows the pull list on which this pick ticket resides. Indicates if the ticket is cancelled or completed. This field remains blank until someone takes action on the pick ticket. 130

131 4 PICKING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PRINT SHIPPING LABELS This menu option brings you to a screen where you can specify what shipping labels you want to print, as well as how many. Because printing options appear in multiple places throughout the Wireless Warehouse system, all printing information is consolidated in its own chapter. Please see page 210 for more information on printing. 131

132 5 RECEIVING Processing inventory in a wireless warehouse begins with the receipt of goods into your warehouse, and wireless receiving makes your receiving process more efficient and allows for the application of tags or bar codes. This makes for better tracking of a package s movement throughout its life cycle. Material receipt is divided into three sections in the wireless warehouse process, and each one receives its own window: Purchase Order Receipts, RMA Receipts, and Transfer Receipts. PURCHASE ORDER RECEIPTS This window performs all the same functions of the Purchase Order Receipts window used to manually receive purchase orders. The only difference is that much of the data entry is handled through scanning instead of keying in information. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The function keys perform the following tasks in the Purchase Order Receipts window: Key Command Description F3 Accept Accepts the entries for lot and serial fields. F4 F5 Shift + F5 Toggle Tag/Pack Receive Current Receipt Line Barcode Learning In the Receiving Tag Creation Screen (see page 136), pressing this key toggles the system between requesting a number of tags and a number of packs. See the Receiving Tag Creation Screen section for more details. Saves the receipt line you have entered, but keeps the transaction open, allowing you to receive another line. Pressing Enter does the same thing if you activate the Enter as Save and Next Keystroke in Receipts system setting (see page 17). Pressing this function key allows you to create an alternate code or assign a UPC to an existing item ID on the fly. In both cases, when you press this function key, a confirmation message pops up, asking if you want to create an alternate code or UPC. Answering No cancels the process; answering Yes brings a popup window: 132

133 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Scanned Item Scan Item ID/UPC Description: The item ID for which you want to assign a UPC or create an alternate code. The system takes this information from the item ID entered in the prior screen; you cannot edit this entry. The UPC or alternate code you want to assign to the scanned item ID. You may enter a value in this field in three ways: Scan the new item Use the F2 lookup and select the appropriate item Enter the value manually Assigning a UPC: If the item you re scanning doesn t already have a UPC associated with the supplier listed on the transaction, you have the option of assigning a UPC to the item. When you scan a barcode after pressing Shift + F5, the system checks to see if the value is 12 or 15 digits in length. If it is, and the item/supplier combination has no UPC assigned to it, the system allows you to assign the scanned value as the new UPC. This applies only to the supplier listed on the transaction. If the item is also associated with other suppliers, and they do not have UPCs assigned, the system does not assign the new UPC to them as well. Each item/supplier combination can only have one UPC. If the item/supplier combination on the transaction already has a UPC, you cannot use this function to assign a new one. Assigning an Alternate Code: Alternate codes do not have the same restrictions that UPCs have. Upon creating one, the system asks if you d like to create another. If you answer No, the system closes the popup window and returns you to the transaction screen. However, if you answer Yes, the system clears the Scan Item ID field in the popup and allows you to enter another value. F6 Lot Number This button prompts the system to provide you with a lot number. Scan the Traceable Factor. If a match is found for the Day/Item/Vendor, the system supplies the appropriate lot number. If not, it generates a new one. 133

134 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Shift + F6 Additional Item Information Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. Shift + F7 F8 Serial Number Create New Tag This button prompts the system to provide you with a serial number. Scan the Traceable Factor. If a match is found for the Day/Item/Vendor, the system supplies the appropriate serial number. If not, it generates a new one. This button prompts the system to provide you with a tag number. Scan the Traceable Factor. If a match is found for the Day/Item/Vendor, the system supplies the appropriate tag number. If not, it generates a new one. F9 Save Saves the purchase order receipt. PO Number Screen When you first begin the receiving process, the scanner displays the following screen: Name Order Number Description Enter the transaction number for the received material. If you don t know the transaction number, you can press F2 to search for it. Receiving Line Information Screen Once you ve identified the order being received, the scanner prompts you for information on which item from the order you are receiving. 134

135 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Once you identify which item you are receiving, the screen displays the ordered quantity for the item on this order, and the remaining quantity if there were any prior receipts. Field Name PO Number PO Line Quantity Ordered Quantity Remaining Item Description This displays the order number of the purchase order as it appears in the system. If the item you are receiving does not have a bar code you can scan, you can enter the item s line number from the purchase order and the scanner can identify it that way. If you don t know the item s line number, you can press F2 to browse for it. This displays the quantity of item ordered on the purchase order. This field automatically populates once you scan an item. This displays the open quantity for an item on the purchase order. This field automatically populates once you scan an item. This is the item ID of the item. To receive an item, scan it. The system will display the item ID in this field, and verify that it is part of the order being received. If the item does not have a tag to scan, enter the item s purchase order line number in the PO Line field above. UOM Quantity The UOM of the receipt. It defaults to whatever unit of measure this item is set to default to normally. The quantity of item received in this purchase order receipt. Lot Receiving Screen If you are receiving an item assigned a lot or serial number, the scanner now brings you to this screen. The Lot Receiving Screen is where you verify lot and serial information for a specific line. Thus, if you are receiving multiple serialized items or an order that contains more than one lot, you could find yourself back at this screen several times for a single receipt, each time for a different order line. 135

136 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field PO Number Item ID Receipt Quantity UOM Traceable Factor Lot Description Displays the PO number being received. This is the item ID of the item. It populates automatically from the previous screen and cannot be edited (though you can go back using the function keys and change the item ID on the Receiving Line Information Screen). The quantity of item you are receiving with this entry. This field populates automatically from the previous screen and cannot be edited (though you can go back using the function keys and change the Receipt Quantity on the Receiving Line Information Screen). The UOM of the receipt. It defaults to whatever unit of measure this item is set to default to normally. When you first assign a lot, you have the option of assigning an additional attribute to this lot that is tracked with the item/lot. This could be the expiration date, country of origin, manufacturer s lot number etc. This is used in wireless warehouse functions and labeling as one more piece of information to make this particular item lot distinct, and help you pick the correct one. The lot number of the material. Receiving Tag Creation (Skipped if using Lot/Bin) This screen is only available if you use tagging. Using this screen, you create tags for packages, pallets, or containers depending on your inventory management procedures. The screen shows you which tag you are currently creating, and how many more there are to go for this receipt, allowing you to better manage and track the tags you generate during the receiving process. Once you create a tag, you cannot exist the screen without first depositing the information to the system. However, you may exit normally if you have not created any tags. 136

137 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE This field becomes No of Packs when you press F4. Pressing the button again changes it back. Field Item ID Traceable Factor Lot Package Type Quantity Per Package UOM Total Unit Quantity Number of Tags Description Displays the Item ID of the line item selected. The traceable factor associated with the lot or item. Displays the lot ID to which this item was assigned. If this item doesn t track lots, this field displays Non-Lot. The way in which the material is packed (box, crate, drum, etc.). The unit quantity per package. The unit of measure by which items are stored in the package. While this might be EACH, it could also be some other unit of measure if there is another layer of packaging within this package (a box filled with smaller boxes, for example). The total unit quantity you are receiving, expressed in terms of the item s UOM, not the package UOM. The system defaults the value you entered previously in this field, but you may edit it. The quantity of tags for this receipt. The system automatically creates this number by using the formula: dividing the total unit quantity by the quantity per package. If you manually edit this number, the system automatically changes the value of the Total Unit Quantity field to make it fit the new value according to the formula. For example, if you change the number of tags from 100 to 50, the system automatically halves the value in Total Unit Quantity to match. This field is available by default, however, pressing the F4 key in this screen changes this field to the Number of Packs field. Pressing the F4 key again returns it to Number of Tags. Number of The quantity of packages (boxes, crates, drums, etc.) on this receipt. This field is not available at first, however, pressing the F4 key in this screen changes the 137

138 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Packs Number of Packs field to this one. Pressing the F4 key again returns it to Number of Tags. Once you establish all the values in this screen, the system brings you to the second tag creation screen. This screen contains much of the same information you entered previously, though this time you cannot edit any of those fields. In addition, the system has two additional fields. New Tag Number Tag Tag Number entered. This needs to be a value from a preprinted roll of tags or that exists in the system in the receipt location. Displays the tag being created and the number to still create. 138

139 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Receiving Deposit Screen Depositing determines where the material you receive will go to be stored in your warehouse. The screens up to this point track and confirm what s coming in; this screen tells the system where that material is going to go. If you do not use tagging to track your inventory, you ll see the following screen: Field: PO Number Deposit Bin Put in Bin Description: Displays the purchase order number as it appears in the system. Shows the default deposit bin for this item, if one exists. You do not need to deposit items to this bin. The bin to which the received items will be deposited. If you do use tagging, the screen will look like this: Field Item ID Traceable Factor Lot Description The item ID of the item being deposited. The traceable factor associated with the lot or item. The lot assigned to the item you are depositing. 139

140 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Package Type Quantity Per Number of Package UOM Total Unit Quantity Container Container Package Type Platform Platform Package Type Bin The package type assigned to the tags you created in the prior screen. The number of units of item in each package. This field shows the number of tags or packages you are depositing with this receipt. Though there is a radio button on this field, you cannot edit it; the system takes this information from prior screens. The UOM by which the package is sold. The total amount of item you are receiving, expressed in the item s purchasing UOM. The tag of the destination container. This tag does not have to exist in the system; you can create a new tag and scan it during the putaway process. You can also search for the tag number by pressing the F2 key. If you are not using the tag system, this field will not appear. The type of container you scanned in the Put in Container field (crate, box, drum, etc.). This field is only required if you enter a value in the Put in Container field; otherwise you do not have to populate it. If you are not using the tag system, this field will not appear. Same as the Container Tag Lookup to the Package Type table via the F2 key. Lookup to the Tag Header table via the F2 key. The lookup should display the Tag Header ID, Bin and Package Type. If you are not using the tag system, this field will not appear. Not required if the Platform Tag is not entered. Lookup to the Package Type table via the F2 key. Lookup should display the Package Type and Description. The bin to which the received items will be deposited. Receiving a Purchase Order Without Tags Follow this procedure to receive material using scanners without using tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. Important! In all cases where you are called to enter a value, you can either scan a barcode if one is available (such as on a deposit bin) or enter the value manually. The scanner makes no distinction between data entry methods, and you can manually enter data even if there is a barcode available to scan. 1. From the Transaction menu, select Receiving. 2. From the sub menu, select the Purchase Order Receipts. 3. In the PO Number screen, enter the purchase order number of the order you are receiving. The system displays the transaction details. 4. Press Enter. The Receiving Line Info screen appears. 140

141 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 5. Enter either the item ID, or PO line number of the item you want to receive. The system populates the UOM, the quantity received, and the quantity remaining of the first line item you are receiving. Instead of the item ID, you can enter the item s line number. 6. Enter the quantity you are receiving, then press Enter. Note: The system will display a warning prompt if the quantity you enter exceeds the expected quantity due in. 7. If any of the items you are receiving tracks lots, you are taken to the lot screen after entering the UOM and quantity. Here, enter the lot ID you wish to assign to this material. Note: You can press F6 to view a list of available lots. 8. If the item tracks serial numbers, you can assign one in this screen. 9. When you ve assigned the appropriate lots and serial numbers for the item, press Enter. You are taken to the Receiving Deposit screen. 10. Enter the bin where this material should move to once it s been received. Note: The Deposit Bin field at the top of the screen is a suggestion based on system defaults. You are free to enter whatever bin number you believe is appropriate. 11. Press F5. This saves the line but does not close the receipt process. 12. Perform steps 5 11 until you ve received all material on this order. 13. Press F9 when you have received the final item on the purchase order. This saves the changes and completes this receipt. Note: You can also press F5 to save the line, then F1 to exit the receipt window. While F9 saves the receipt and moves you to the next one, using the F5, F1 combination saves the receipt without bringing up another. 14. In Prophet 21, call up this receipt, review the information, make any needed adjustments, and save the transaction. Only after the receipt is saved in Prophet 21 is the material available for use and listed as on hand. 141

142 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Receiving a Purchase Order Using Scanners and Tags Follow this procedure to receive material using RF scanners and tags. Steps marked with a are mandatory. Important! In all cases where you are called to enter a value, you can either scan a barcode if one is available (such as on a deposit bin) or enter the value manually. The scanner makes no distinction between data entry methods, and you can manually enter data even if there is a barcode available to scan. 1. From the Transaction menu, select Receiving. 2. From the sub menu, select the Purchase Order Receipts. 3. In the PO Number screen, enter the purchase order number of the order you are receiving. The system displays the transaction details. 4. Press Enter. The Receiving Line Info screen appears. 5. Enter the item ID, of the first line item you are receiving. Instead of the item ID, you can enter the item s line number. The system automatically populates the UOM, quantity ordered, and quantity remaining of this line item. 6. Enter the quantity you are receiving, then press Enter. Note: The system will display a warning prompt if the quantity you enter does not match the expected quantity due in. 7. If any of the items you are receiving tracks lots, you are taken to the lot screen after entering the UOM and quantity. Here, enter the lot ID you wish to assign to this material. Note: You can press F6 to view a list of available lots. 8. If the item tracks serial numbers, you can assign one in this screen. 9. The tag assignment screen appears. Enter the kind of package this item is packed in. 10. Enter the quantity of item contained within each package. 11. When you ve entered all the appropriate information for this screen, press Enter. You are taken to the Receiving Tag Creation screen. 12. The Receiving Tag Creation screen displays information on each package or container that will receive a tag. For each item displayed on the screen, apply a tag and enter the number in the scanner. 13. Press Enter. The scanner displays how many tags you have left to create to complete this session. When you have created all the necessary tags, you are brought to the Receiving Deposit screen. 14. If you are placing the received material into another container, scan that container s tag or enter its number in the Put in Container field. 15. If you are placing the containers on a platform, scan that platform s tag or enter its number in the Put on Platform field. 142

143 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 16. Enter the bin where this material should move to once it s been received. Note: The Deposit Bin field at the top of the screen is a suggestion based on system defaults. You are free to enter whatever bin number you believe is appropriate. However, if you are placing the received material into other containers or on platforms, the system defaults the selected container or platform s bin and will not allow you to change it. If you want to choose another bin, you must first clear the container and platform fields. 17. Press F5. This saves the line but does not close the receipt process. 18. Perform steps 6 19 until you ve received all material on this order. 19. When you have received the last item in this receipt, press F9. This saves the changes and completes the receipt. Note: You can also press F5 to save the line, then F1 to exit the receipt window. While F9 saves the receipt and moves you to the next one, using the F5, F1 combination saves the receipt without bringing up another. 20. In Prophet 21, call up this receipt, review the information, make any needed adjustments, and save the transaction. Only after the receipt is saved in Prophet 21 is the material available for use and listed as on hand. 143

144 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE TRANSFER RECEIPTS Receiving a transfer is little different from receiving a purchase order. However, since you are receiving material from yourself, the process is a little more compact. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The function keys perform the following tasks in the transfer receipt windows: Key Command Description F3 F5 Shift + F5 Deposit/Enter Tag Info Receive Current Receipt Line Barcode Learning Saves the tag number displayed on screen. Some shipments have multiple items with the same item ID, but different tags. In this case, you must enter a series of tag numbers. Press this key after each one to accept the tag number and move to the next one. Saves the receipt line you have entered, but keeps the transaction open, allowing you to receive another line. Pressing Enter does the same thing. Pressing this function key allows you to create an alternate code or assign a UPC to an existing item ID on the fly. In both cases, when you press this function key, a confirmation message pops up, asking if you want to create an alternate code or UPC. Answering No cancels the process; answering Yes brings a popup window: Field: Scanned Item Scan Item ID/UPC Description: The item ID for which you want to assign a UPC or create an alternate code. The system takes this information from the item ID entered in the prior screen; you cannot edit this entry. The UPC or alternate code you want to assign to the scanned item ID. You may enter a value in this field in three ways: Scan the new item Use the F2 lookup and select the appropriate item 144

145 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Enter the value manually Shift + F6 Additional Item Information Assigning a UPC: If the item you re scanning doesn t already have a UPC associated with the supplier listed on the transaction, you have the option of assigning a UPC to the item. When you scan a barcode after pressing Shift + F5, the system checks to see if the value is 12 or 15 digits in length. If it is, and the item/supplier combination has no UPC assigned to it, the system allows you to assign the scanned value as the new UPC. This applies only to the supplier listed on the transaction. If the item is also associated with other suppliers, and they do not have UPCs assigned, the system does not assign the new UPC to them as well. Each item/supplier combination can only have one UPC. If the item/supplier combination on the transaction already has a UPC, you cannot use this function to assign a new one. Assigning an Alternate Code: Alternate codes do not have the same restrictions that UPCs have. Upon creating one, the system asks if you d like to create another. If you answer No, the system closes the popup window and returns you to the transaction screen. However, if you answer Yes, the system clears the Scan Item ID field in the popup and allows you to enter another value. Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. Shift + F7 Enter Serial Numbers Saves the serial number displayed on screen. Some shipments have multiple items with the same item ID, but different serial numbers. In this case, you must enter a different serial number for each individual item. Press this key after each one to accept the serial number and move to the next one. F9 Save Completes the receipt and saves the changes. Transfer Number Screen The first screen in this process is nearly identical to the PO Number screen. Enter the transfer number in this screen to begin the receipt process. 145

146 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Transfer Line Receipt Screen Once you have entered a transfer number, the scanner displays the transfer line receipt screen. This screen is very similar to the Purchase Order Line Receipt screen, but it includes a bit more information. Like the Purchase Order Receipt screen, this screen displays the transaction number, and once you enter an item ID it also displays the quantity of item ordered, and the quantity left to receive. Also like receiving purchase orders, this second screen is where you indicate the receipt quantity and unit of measure. However, transfers do not have a separate screen for assigning lots and bins to items; you perform that function right in this screen. As soon as you enter an item that tracks lots or serial numbers, these fields become active, allowing you to enter that information here. These fields become available as soon as you enter an item that tracks lots or serial numbers. Receiving Deposit Screen This screen too is virtually identical to its purchase order receipt equivalent. In this screen, indicate what bin where you are placing the item once it is received. Receiving Transfers Using Scanners The process of receiving transfers using scanners is almost completely the same as receiving a purchase order receipt. The only key differences are: You should choose Transfer Receipts from the Receiving sub-main menu to begin the process. Lots and serial numbers are entered on the Line Receipt screen; the transfer receipt process does not have a separate screen for lots and serial numbers. If you use tagging, there should already be tags on the material you are receiving, allowing you to scan them and thus automatically enter most information automatically. 146

147 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE RMA RECEIPTS The RMA receipts process and screens are virtually identical to the transfer receipts process and screens. The only difference is the kind of inventory and transactions you are receiving, customer returns instead of internal transfers. All screens and definitions shown in the transfers section apply here. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The function keys perform the following tasks in this series of windows: Key Command Description F3 F5 Shift + F6 Deposit/Enter Tag Info Receive Current Receipt Line Additional Item Information Saves the tag number displayed on screen. Some shipments have multiple items with the same item ID, but different tags. In this case, you must enter a series of tag numbers. Press this key after each one to accept the tag number and move to the next one. Saves the receipt line you have entered, but keeps the transaction open, allowing you to receive another line. Pressing Enter does the same thing. Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. Shift + F7 Enter Serial Numbers Saves the serial number displayed on screen. Some shipments have multiple items with the same item ID, but different serial numbers. In this case, you must enter a different serial number for each individual item. Press this key after each one to accept the serial number and move to the next one. F9 Save Completes the receipt and saves the changes. Receiving RMAs Using Scanners The process of receiving RMA using scanners is almost completely the same as receiving a purchase order receipt. The only key differences are: 147

148 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE You should choose RMA Receipts from the Receiving sub-main menu to begin the process. Lots and serial numbers are entered on the Line Receipt screen; the transfer receipt process does not have a separate screen for lots and serial numbers. Unlike transfer receipts, you can t guarantee that customer returns will include tags, and even if they do, you may need to verify the contents and condition of the material returned. Thus you will rarely be able to enter the bulk of information with the scan of a tag. 148

149 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE EDI 856 RECEIPTS The EDI 856 Receipts screens are used when receiving material from a purchase order that has an unapproved receipt already in the system (see the Prophet New Features Guide for information on the Autoreceive from 856 feature for more information). In many ways, these screens, and the process by which you use them, is similar to a standard purchase order receipt. The difference is that with an 856 receipt, there is already a receipt record in your system; you just need to verify that the material you are receiving matches the existing record, and then approve it. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The F-keys perform the same tasks in these windows that they do in the Purchase Order Receipt windows. However, there is one special case: In the Receipt Selection screen, the F7 and F8 keys have a different function than they do for the other screens in this series. Key: Function: Description: F7 Approve/Clear Pressing this key toggles the Approved checkbox setting for the highlighted line. You cannot approve a line that tracks lots, serial numbers, or tags without first assigning these things. F8 Approve All/ Clear All Pressing this key toggles the Approved checkbox setting for all lines on the receipt. If you press this key and the receipt contains line items that track lots, serial numbers, or tags that have not been assigned, the system gives you a warning message and does not approve these lines, but does approve the rest. In both cases, you must assign a receipt bin for the received items. The system provides a list of bins when you pres either key, but you can exit out of that popup if you choose. Exiting without selecting a bin cancels the approval. 149

150 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE IDENTIFICATION SCREEN The first screen of this process is where you identify what purchase order or shipment you are receiving. This is almost identical to the standard purchase order receipts screen, but the 856 EDI receipt process allows you to identify the shipment by purchase order number or shipment number. Field: PO Number Shipment Number Description: The number of the purchase order for which you are receiving material. The identification number your supplier sent along with the advance ship notice for the shipment you are receiving. Both of these fields are searchable, and only one is required. This is because upon entering a value in either one, the system immediately searches its records to find all unapproved receipts associated with the purchase order or shipment you entered. If it finds none, the system informs you there are no unapproved receipts on file and clears the screen. RECEIPT SELECTION If the system finds one or more unapproved receipts, it brings you to the Receipt Selection screen. This screen displays a list of all unapproved receipts tied to the purchase order and allows you to choose one. Field: Shipment ID Number/ PO Number Description: If you entered a PO number in the Identification screen this field displays the shipment ID number associated with each unapproved receipt. If you entered a shipment ID number, this field shows the PO number associated with each unapproved receipt. Note that in both cases only unapproved receipts that are tied to shipment ID numbers will be displayed. Unapproved receipts created manually and without a tie to a supplier-sent shipment number do not appear here. Vendor Name Approved The name of the vendor associated with the indicated purchase order. This checkbox allows you to confirm the receipt. If you check this box and save the record, the purchase order receipt becomes confirmed, and the system updates your inventory quantities accordingly. This box is clear by default. 150

151 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE RECEIPT DRILL DOWN The Receipt Drill Down screen is an information only screen that isn t used in the receipt process, but exists to give you further detail on any selected unapproved receipt. This screen appears when you select an unapproved receipt and press F3. This screen displays a list of all items that appear on the chosen receipt. Field: Receipt Number Item ID Quantity Received Traceable Description: This identifies which receipt s details appear on the screen. The ID of the item you should see on this shipment. You can see more information about an item by selecting the line and pressing F3 again. The quantity of item that should appear on this shipment. If the item traces lots, serial numbers, or tags, an asterisk * appears in this field. If the item traces none of these, this field is clear. ITEM DRILL DOWN The Item Drill Down screen provides additional details about a selected item and allows you to edit details about it, such as assign lots, serial numbers, and tags. This screen appears when you select an item from the Receipt Drill Down screen and press F3. It is the same as the PO Receiving screen. If you enter this screen and assign all required lots, serial numbers, and tags for an item, the system automatically marks that line as approved when you back out to the Receipt Selection screen. You can toggle this setting with F7 as normal. 151

152 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE CROSS DOCK Cross docking is a process in which you pick material for sales orders from inventory you ve just received before engaging in the putaway process. This means you can take inventory still sitting in receipt bins and send it directly to customers without first investing the time in putting it on your shelves, allowing you to put it to use immediately and reducing the amount of material involved in the putaway process later. Note: This process only applies to sales orders. You cannot use cross docking to pick for transfer orders, MSPs, or any other kind of transaction. HOW IT WORKS Selecting Cross Dock from the main menu gives you the option to choose between bins or receipts. You then enter a series of bin IDs or receipt numbers that the system reviews and creates a list of items. Important! This list of bin IDs or receipt numbers is a list, not a range. If you only specify two bins, the system will analyze those two bins, not all bins between them in alphanumeric sort order. You must include every bin ID or receipt number you want the system to look at. Once the system has this item list, you are prompted to enter sales order information. Here, you specify orders through a series of range fields. The system looks through all the open orders matching your criteria and compares their open lines to the item list it compiled earlier, weeding out any orders that have no lines in common with the available items in the bins/receipts. Once it has this list of matching orders and items, it orders the list by how much of the order may be filled from the material in the bins/receipts. The more of the order that can be filled by the material available from the specified bins/receipts, the higher on the list it appears. When calculating this list, the system factors in concerns such as packing basis and lot allocation. From here, you can elect to pick each order individually, in which case the system generates a pick ticket for each order, or you can pick for all the orders at once through group picking. The system directs you to standard inventory bins for any quantities that cannot be filled from the receipt material. See page 85 for more information on picking. Important! Because of the way this process works, those who wish to use this function should not set the system to automatically assign bins at order entry (found in System Setup/System menu/ System Settings/Inventory Management/System Settings/Serials Lots and Bins). This causes the system to automatically allocate inventory quantities contained in specific bins and thus does not allow you to fill the order with newly received material in the receiving area without the additional work of reallocation. If you are concerned about filling an order with a specific lot, have the system automatically assign the lot instead of the bin, since lot allocation is a consideration in the cross docking process. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS In addition to the F-keys shared by all areas of the WWMS system, you may use the F3 key as the Enter key, accepting the entered values and advancing to the next screen. 152

153 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE CROSS DOCKING SCREEN DESCRIPTIONS The following section details the screens used in the cross docking process and describes their fields. Selection Method Screen The Selection Method screen is the opening screen of the cross docking process. Here, you decide if you want the system to analyze recent receipts by the receipt transaction or by the receipt bin. Field: Receipt Type Bin Location Description: The system will compile a list of available items in the receipt area based on the line items of the receipts you enter in the next screen. The system will compile a list of available items in the receipt area based on the contents of the bins you enter in the next screen. Once you ve made your selection, press either Enter or F3 to move to the next screen. Receipt Selection This screen appears if you ve elected to assemble an available item list from receipt records. Field: Receipt Type Receipt ID Description: The kind of transaction you are receiving. You may choose from Purchase Order or Transfer. The transaction number of the receipt. Note that you must specify the transaction type before entering a number here, since a purchase order receipt and a transfer receipt might share the same transaction number. Enter each receipt you wish included in the system s analysis. Remember, this is a list, not a range, so every transaction you want the system to use must appear here. 153

154 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE If you need additional lines, press Enter. Once you ve entered all the receipts you want to use, F3 to move to the next screen. Bin Selection This screen appears if you ve elected to assemble an available item list from the content of receipt bins. Field: Receipt Bin ID Description: The ID of the receipt bin you want included in the system s calculations. Enter each receipt bin you wish included in the system s analysis. Remember, this is a list, not a range, so every bin you want the system to use must appear here. If you need additional lines, press Enter. Once you ve entered all the bins you want to use, F3 to move to the next screen. 154

155 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Order Selection This screen is where you establish which orders you want to fill from the inventory list established in the prior screens. Unlike the prior selection screens, the Order Selection screen uses range fields to create its list of sales orders for use in this process. Field: Customer ID/ To Ship To ID/ To Shipping Routes/ To Required Date/ To Description: The range of customer IDs you want included in the sales order search. The range of ship to IDs you want included in the sales order search. The range of shipping routes you want included in the sales order search. The range of required dates you want included in the sales order search. Once you ve entered all the criteria you want to use, press Enter or F3 to initiate the search and move to the next screen. 155

156 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Pick Ticket Creation The last screen in this process, the Pick Ticket creation screen is where you decide how the orders will be picked and the tickets formatted. Field: Create Group Pick Description: If you activate this checkbox, the system creates a group pick ticket (see page 108 for more information on group pick tickets) out of all the orders included that passed your criteria from the Order Selection screen. If you leave this checkbox blank, the system creates individual pick tickets for each selected order. Line Sort Sequence Determines how line items of the pick tickets produced through this process are sorted. You may select one of the following options: Line Item Number Primary Bin Bin Pick Sequence Warehouse Sequence Ascending Warehouse Sequence Descending Ticket Sort Sequence Determines how the system sorts the list of tickets generated in this process. You may select one of the following options: Ship To Route Zip Code Include Will Calls Maximum Number of Pick Tickets per Group Unless you activate this checkbox, the system excludes will call orders when generating pick tickets through this process. The maximum number of different pick tickets the system combines in a single group pick ticket. If there are more pick tickets than this maximum, the system creates another group pick ticket from those that remain. If this second reaches the pick ticket limit, the system makes a third, and so on. 156

157 5 RECEIVING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Once you ve set all the criteria for the pick tickets, press Enter or F3 to generate the pick tickets. From here, you pick the material like any other order. See page 85 for more information on picking. 157

158 6 PULL TO PICK The Pull to Pick options offer you a different way to handle picking items for customer orders. Standard picking procedure sends a person through your warehouse, picking items from various bins as per the pick tickets he has. If this person has multiple pick tickets that call for the same item, he might visit the same bin multiple times in his picking rounds to satisfy all the line items. Pull to Pick is similar to Group Order Picking (see page 108), in that it combines several different pick tickets, but it differs in how you pick these tickets. Instead of consolidating the line items of the various pick tickets and sending you throughout the warehouse picking all the lines individually, the Pull to Pick process combines the item quantities for all items in common on the pick tickets and directs you to pull that total amount. This is called a pull list. You bring this combined amount to a central weighing station, and from there, pick the quantities required for individual orders. This allows you to consolidate all the items on your pick tickets in a single location, making the pick process much faster, and bringing them to a weighing station makes pre-shipping weighing more convenient as well. Once you ve completed your picks, you return the unused quantities to their places in the warehouse using Group Putaway; you might not be able to return the product to the bins you originally took it from because of the need to break packages, or there might be different bulk quantities package types once you complete the picks. For example: You receive five different sales orders that have the following lines: Order Line Items Quantity 1 Line 1: A Line 2: B Line 1: 10 Line 2: 10 2 Line 1: A Line 2: B Line 1: 20 Line 2: 5 3 Line 1: A Line 1: 15 4 Line 1: C Line 1: 5 5 Line 1: C Line 1: 15 When the system creates the pull lists, it totals the quantities of all like items from the lines on the orders. So in this example, the system s pull list would direct you to pull 45 units of item A (sum of the first line from orders one and two, plus order three), 15 units of item B (sum of the second line in orders one and two), and 20 units of item C (sum of orders four and five). The system then directs you to pull these totaled quantities from the warehouse racks and deposit them at a weigh station. If you use tagging, you pull items by tag, pulling whole tags until you ve pulled enough to fulfill the pull list quantities. 158

159 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE From here, you pick the appropriate quantities from the amassed product. So once you ve deposited the pulled product at the weigh station, which includes 45 units of item A, you pick 10 for order one, 20 for order two, and 15 for order three, repeating a similar process for items B and C. If there is any product left over after you ve completed your picks (which is possible if you had to pull tags with more quantity than you needed), you scan the product or tag, update the quantity remaining, and move it to the system-recommended bin, placing the items back in the warehouse according to system direction. In the meantime, the picked product moves to a consolidation area. Orders three, four, and five move immediately to a shipping area since they have only one line each and require no further processing. Orders one and two, however, remain in the consolidation area until all their order lines are picked and deposited here. Once all the picked lines appear here, they are packaged together and moved to shipping. A single tag might appear on multiple pull lists. For example, a tag containing three different items might be allocated to three different orders, and wind up on three different pull lists. In order to prevent duplicate product pulls, the system marks that tag as pulled and removes it from all other pull lists as soon as someone pulls that tag. Important! If the same item appears on multiple pull lists, you might find some bins aren t being picked to clean. If you create pull lists in a sequence, the system allocates the un-allocated quantity of the product already pulled to the weigh station. The system relies, for sequencing pulls and putaway, on basic bin setup of sequences and weight and volume values for all bins. In order for the system to direct pull lists by zone, you need to make sure you enter zones for all your inventory bins. Also, it is important you put the pulled product back as soon as possible after you ve completed your picks to minimize other people breaking packages to satisfy different picks. HARD ALLOCATION Typically, Prophet 21 uses a process called soft allocation when allocating inventory to orders. Soft allocation is described fully on page 85, but in a nutshell the system makes the appropriate order quantities unavailable for further transactions, but doesn t assign a lot, bin, or tag to the order until you generate a pick ticket. Because of the way the pull to pick process works, Prophet 21 needs to resort to hard allocation when using this process. When you pull to pick, you take quantities from their warehouse bins and deposit them to a staging area for picking. However, soft allocation assigns inventory to orders based on bin, and since pulling to pick moves inventory from one bin to another without actually fulfilling any orders, this could cause problems within the system. The way Prophet 21 deals with this is through hard allocation. Unlike soft allocation, hard allocation attaches the inventory allocation to the tag or package you pull. In other words, the allocation assignment moves from the bin to the tag or item. This makes the quantity s location irrelevant, as it is that specific tag or quantity assigned to the order instead of any matching quantity in a bin. The system changes all allocated quantities on a pulled tag to hard allocations. When a tag returns to the warehouse, any allocations that remain on it become soft once more. 159

160 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE SETUP If you want to use the pull to pick functions described in this chapter, you must make the following additional configurations to your system. SYSTEM SETTINGS Navigation Path: System Setup/ System menu/ System Settings In order to use the pull to pick functionality, you must activate the Use Pull to Pick system setting. You must activate this setting in order to access any pull to pick functions. Use Pull to Pick Allows access to the Pull to Pick function described in this chapter. Without activating this setting, the Pull to Pick menu option is not available. If you activate this setting, you cannot activate the Allocate Bins setting in the Bins node. 160

161 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE BIN TYPE MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Inventory/ Maintenance menu/ Bin Type Maintenance In addition to activating the system setting described above, to set your system to use pull to pick functionality you must establish you weigh stations as bins so the system can properly track the location of inventory quantities throughout the process. You can do this in the Bin Type Maintenance window. Bins marked as weigh stations automatically become pickable and putable, and cannot be quarantined. The system ignores all quantities in these bins when allocating quantities for orders, but you may pick from quantities in these bins in order fulfill pick tickets. 161

162 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PULL LIST MAINTENANCE Both the Prophet 21 system and the Wireless Warehouse system contain a window called Pull List Maintenance. While they look different, they both do the same thing: allow you to create, and edit pull lists. PROPHET 21 Navigation Path: Wireless Warehouse\ Maintenance menu\ Pull List Maintenance The Pull List Maintenance window in the Prophet 21 system allows you to generate, edit, and delete pull lists without accessing a scanner. It has the Query, Form View, and Pull List Detail Tabs. Query Tab The Query tab is the same as other Query tabs found throughout the system. Form View Tab The Form View tab is where you define the company and location where the pull list resides. This tab is also the one to use if you want to delete an entire pull list. Field: Company ID Location ID Pull List Number Description: Your company ID. The location at which you ll perform this pull to pick. The system-generated number that identifies the pull list. This is a searchable field, meaning you can browse all the available pull lists in the system and select one from the list. If you are creating a new list, you can skip this field and begin entering pick ticket numbers in the Pull List Details tab. In this case, the system will automatically populate this field upon a successful save. 162

163 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Status Used to activate and deactivate a record. The two available settings for this field are: Active The current record is active. You must select this option if you want to use the current record. Delete The current record is inactive and marked as deleted. This is a "soft" delete (i.e., you can reactivate the record by changing this setting to Active). Pull List Detail Tab The Pull List Detail tab shows you all the pick tickets currently assigned to the pull list, as well as details about each pick ticket. Using this tab, you can add and remove individual pick tickets from the pull list. Field: Pick Ticket Number Description: The system-generated number that identifies a pick ticket. Though only one line appears when you first come to this screen, you can add any number of pick tickets to a pull list. Each time you press Enter the system adds another blank line that you can populate. This is a searchable field, meaning you can browse all the available pick tickets in the system and select one from the list. A pick ticket can only belong to one pull list at a time. If you attempt to add a pick ticket that s already part of a pull list to another pull list, the system warns you the pick ticket already resides on a pull list and refuses to add it to the new list. Order Number Lines on PT Route Code Order Date Customer ID Customer Name Ship To ID Ship To Name The order for which this pick ticket was generated. The number of line items on this pick ticket. The order s delivery category. The date on which the order was placed. The name and ID of the customer that placed the order. The name and ID of the ship to location of the customer that placed the order. 163

164 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE WIRELESS WAREHOUSE The Pull List Maintenance screen in the Wireless Warehouse allows you to generate and edit pull lists from a scanner. It is a simple screen showing you the system generated pull list number, and all the pick tickets that are a part of it. Field: Pull List Number Description: The system-generated number that identifies the pull list. This is a searchable field, meaning you can browse all the available pull lists in the system and select one from the list. If you are creating a new list, you can skip this field and begin entering pick ticket numbers in the next field. In this case, the system will automatically populate this field. Pick Ticket Number The system-generated number that identifies a pick ticket. Though only one line appears when you first come to this screen, you can add any number of pick tickets to a pull list. Each time you press Enter the system adds another blank line that you can populate. This is a searchable field, meaning you can browse all the available pick tickets in the system and select one from the list. A pick ticket can only belong to one pull list at a time. If you attempt to add a pick ticket that s already part of a pull list to another pull list, the system warns you the pick ticket already resides on a pull list and refuses to add it to the new list. PT Lines The number of lines on the pick ticket. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The function keys perform the following tasks in this window: Key Command Description F3 Exit Pressing this key exits the current pull list. When you exit with this key the system assigns a number to the pull list, allowing you to return to it later. Though the system saves the list, it does not treat the list as accepted, meaning you can edit it further, but cannot use it in any transactions. 164

165 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE F4 Accept This key saves the pull list and makes it available for use. You cannot edit a pull list after you accept it, but you may still delete it. F5 F8 Delete Current Pick Ticket Delete Pull List If you have your curser in a pick ticket field when you press this key, the system removes that pick ticket from the pull list. Deletes the entire pull list. Creating/Editing/Deleting a Pull List Use the following instructions to create, edit, or delete a pull list using the handheld wireless device. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. From the main menu, select Pull to Pick. 2. From the Pull to Pick menu, select Pull List Maintenance. If you are creating a new pull list: 3. Skip the Pull List field and enter the pick ticket number of the pick ticket you want to add to the pull list. Remember, you can search for pick ticket numbers by pressing F2. 4. Press Enter. This creates a new line. 5. Continue this process until you have added all the pick tickets you wish to add. Note: You can leave the pull list creation process at any time by pressing F3. This exits the screen and retains your work without finalizing the pull list, allowing you to return later to continue work on it. When you press F3, the system assigns a number to the pull list in progress, but does not make this list available in any other pull list screen. 6. When you ve added all the pick tickets you wish to use for this pull list, press F4. This saves and finalizes the pull list. Once finalized, you cannot edit a list, but you may delete it. Finalized lists are available in any of the other pull to pick screen and can be used immediately. If you are editing an existing pull list: Note: You cannot edit a finalized pull list. 3. In the Pull List field, enter the number of the pull list you wish to edit. Remember, you can search for pull list numbers by pressing F2. 4. To add more pick tickets, place your curser at the last line of the pick ticket list and press Enter. This creates a new, blank line. 5. From here, add pick tickets just as you would when creating a new pull list. 6. To delete pick tickets from the pull list, place your curser in the field that contains the pick ticket you wish to remove and either clear the field or press F5. 165

166 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 7. When you have completed your edits, press F4 to save and finalize the list. You cannot edit a pull list once you press F4. 8. Alternately, you can press F3 to leave the list and return to it later. Pressing F3 exist the screen, saves your changes, but does not finalize the list. This allows you to come back to it and edit it further later, but does not allow you to use the list in transactions. If you are deleting an existing pull list: 3. In the Pull List field, enter the number of the pull list you wish to edit. Remember, you can search for pull list numbers by pressing F2. 4. Once you ve called the pull list you want to delete, you can do it in one of two ways: a. Delete all the pick ticket lines. Do this by placing your curser in a pick ticket field and either clearing it or pressing F5. If you clear all the pick tickets from a pull list, the system automatically deletes the pull list. b. Press F8. 166

167 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PICK TICKET REPORT You can also generate pull lists in Prophet 21 s Pick Ticket Report. When you activate the Pull to Pick List checkbox, the report compiles all the pick tickets in the range you specify into a single pull list, summing the line item quantities as described above. Enable this checkbox if you want to use the Pick Ticket Report to generate pull lists. One option you have when generating pull lists this way, as opposed to using the handheld unit, is searching for pick tickets based on route code. For example, you could search for pick tickets tied to orders that all use the UPS RED route code, and combine them into a single pull list. You can access the resulting pull list from handheld devices, and it is ready to be used the moment it is created. However, you can also edit the pull list, adding or removing pick tickets, until the pull process actually begins. Important! You must allow the system time to compile a pull list. Multiple pick tickets with several lines apiece could take a short while to process, and if you rush the process you ll wind up with one pull list for each pick ticket, effectively negating the benefits of this process. 167

168 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Creating a Pull List with the Pick Ticket Report Use the following instructions to create, edit, or delete a pull list using the Prophet 21 Pick Ticket Report. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. In the Order Processing module, open the Reports menu and select Pick Tickets. 2. In the Criteria tab, enter the Company ID. 3. Enter the ranges of information you wish to include. All pick tickets that fall within these ranges will be compiled into a single pull list. 4. Click the Pull to Pick checkbox. 5. From the File menu, select Print. Note: The pull list will not print immediately. The system must first compile all the information from every pick ticket in the specified ranges. Depending on the number of pick tickets and the size of the individual tickets, this may take some time. 168

169 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PULL ORDERS The Pull Orders screens put pull lists to use. These screens work very much like picking screens, guiding you through the warehouse racks, directing you to pull item quantities or tags, and ultimately showing you where to deposit them. Like picking screens, they specifies the particular tag, or item/lot combo to pick, as well as the bin from which you should pick and deposit. However, unlike pick screens, you never break packages or split tags when pulling inventory for pull lists. You take the entire thing to the weigh station and worry about splitting quantities there. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The function keys perform the following tasks in this window: Key Command Description F3 Deposit You may choose to deposit the currently pulled quantities at any time by pressing F3. The system does not require you to deposit any pulled items or tags until the pull list is complete, or until you attempt to leave the Pull Orders window or change pull lists. Shift + F3 Pull Any Tag This function key allows you to pull something other than what was allocated to the orders, substituting a different tag for the one suggested by the system. Normally, the system requires you pull the tag it displays, and will not allow you to continue pulling the item until you confirm you have selected the tag it has selected. However, if you press this function key, you can scan any other tag at your location and pull it instead of the one suggested by the system. This new tag can be anything in your warehouse, provided it meets a few prerequisites: 1. The tag must contain the same item as the tag suggested by the system. If you attempt to pull a tag that does not contain the same item as the one you are pulling, the system will display an error message telling you the items do not match. 2. The tag must have unallocated quantities of the item available for pulling. If you attempt to pull a tag that s already fully allocated, the system will display an error message telling you the items are allocated already. 3. The tag cannot be in a pick locked or quarantined bin. If you attempt to pull from a pick locked or quarantined bin, the system will display an error message telling you no items may be pulled from this bin. If you use this function and completely pull the required quantity, the system considers the line complete and moves you to the next one. If you pull a partial quantity using this function, the system returns to the originally recommended tag, but reduces the quantity to pull by the 169

170 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE amount you took from the alternate tag. If you wish to pull a tag other than the one suggested by the system, you must press Shift + F3 again. Shift + F4 Deposit All When on the Deposit screen, Shift + F4 sets the system to deposit all lines and tags in a receipt to a single bin all at once. When you press this key on the Deposit screen, the Item ID and Item Description (or Tag Number, if you re using tags) fields display All, and the system will deposit all lines or tags on the pull list to the same bin. Pressing this key a second time changes the deposit method back to the line-by-line method, meaning you must confirm the destination bin for each line or tag in the pull list, even if they are all going to the same place. F5 Skip By pressing F5, you can skip an item that may not be sensible to pull at that point of the process. This could be because the next item to pull is heavy and may damage this item, or it could just be farther away than another item on the list. This function skips the current line item, pushing it to the bottom of the list, and continue pulling with the next allocation. The system returns to the skipped allocation after all other pulls are completed. F6 Pull Exception By pressing F6, you can skip an item during pulling. This is similar to the Skip Pull function, but with Pull Exception you are telling the system that you do not want to return later to pull the item. You might use this function for cases when you get to a bin and the stock is not there or is damaged, for example. This function pick marks the bin as unpickable, cancels the allocation for all orders for that bin, and automatically reallocates all transactions so they don t use that bin. The system then suggests a different bin for the same item and you can continue pulling as normal. F8 What s Left Pressing F8 tells you what s left to pull on a pull list. This can be used, for example, if your box is getting full and you want to see what's left to pick so that you can tell if you can fit it all or want to start a new container. When you select this function, the Pull Status screen opens, with the remaining lines displayed. When leaving this screen (F1 - Exit), you return to the pull list. 170

171 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Pull Orders Screen The Pull Orders screen guides you through a pull list, showing you what items/tags to pull and from where you should pull them. Field: Pull List Number Pick Zone Bin Item ID Item Description Lot Traceable Factor Package Type Quantity Per Description: This is the pull list you will be using. Pick Zone is an optional field. If you enter a zone here, the system will only display items from your pull list that reside in the zone you specified. Using this field, several people could pull items from the same pull list, each one assigned a different warehouse zone. This is the bin in which the tag or item resides. While this might not be the only bin in which an item resides, the system requires you pull items from the bin specified in this field. However, much like picking, you can lock a bin if you find its contents do not match those noted in the system. The item ID of the item the system directs you to pick. The system generates a pull list almost identically to the way it recommends picking for pick tickets, arranging the pull order in the most efficient way possible and minimizing the time you spend moving back and forth between the racks. However, you can skip an item and push it to the bottom of the pull list. A brief text description of the item. The specified lot you must pull. An additional detail about the item s lot that verifies you have the correct lot. The package the item is stored in. This might be a box, crate, etc. The number of individual units contained within the package. For example, if you were pulling a box of four tires, the quantity per would be four. 171

172 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Pull Quantity Tag Number The number of individual units you must pull. If you cannot pull the exact quantity without breaking packages, you should pull a number of packages required to satisfy the pull; extra quantities can be returned to the warehouse after the orders are picked. If you use tags, the system will direct you to pull inventory by tag. The tags you should pull for this process are specified in this field. Deposit Screen The Deposit screen appears when one of two things happen: 1. You press the F3 key while on the Pull Orders screen. 2. You pull the last line on a pull list. In this case, the system automatically brings you to this screen without the need to press any keys. Note: If you are pulling by zone, the system brings you to the Deposit screen as soon as you ve pulled all items in your assigned zone, even if there are items remaining on the pull list in other zones. This screen guides you to where you should deposit the items/tags you pulled. It defaults almost all of its information from the previous screen, leaving you only the Deposit Bin field as an editable field. Field: Pull List Number Zone Item ID Item Description Tag Number Description: The number of the pull list you are depositing. If you pulled items according to a zone, that zone appears here. Otherwise, this field remains blank. The item ID of the item you are depositing. Unless you use the Deposit All function (Shift + F4), the system cycles through all the items on your pull list and requires you confirm the deposit of each individually. The description of the item you are depositing. The tag you are depositing. As noted in Item ID above, the system cycles through all tags and requires you confirm the deposit of each one unless you use the Deposit All function (Shift + F4). 172

173 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Deposit Bin The bin to which you are depositing the pulled material. The system only allows you to deposit pulled material to bins marked as weigh stations, and rejects all other bins as errors. This is a searchable field, allowing you to bring up a list of available bins and choose one from the list. Scanning a deposit bin accepts the deposit and automatically brings you to the next item or tag on the list. Scanning a bin for the last item completes the deposit automatically and brings you back to a blank Pull Orders screen. Pulling Inventory Using a Pull List Use the following instructions to pull and deposit material using a pull list. Steps marked with a are mandatory. Note: Throughout this instruction set, there are continual references to scanning and entering information. These two terms are interchangeable in this process. Manually entering information is no different from scanning it as far as this procedure is concerned; it is a matter of preference and convenience only. 1. From the main menu, open the Pull to Pick menu and select Pull Orders. 2. Enter the number of the pull list you want to use in the Pull List Number field. Tip! If you don t know the number, you can search for it by pressing F2. 3. If you want to confine your pulls to a single zone, enter that warehouse zone in the Zone field. The system will then only display those items from the pull list that reside in the zone you specify. 4. The system displays the first item on the pull list, showing you a large amount of information, including either the tag number if you use tags, or the item ID, description, and lot if you don t. In both cases, the system also displays the bin where this material resides. Pull the specified amount of material from the noted bin. If you are pulling tags, pull the entire tag; do not split the tag here. Tip! Remember that if you disagree with the system s suggestions for any reason, pressing Shift + F3 allows you to pull different material as long as the substitute meets certain guidelines (see page 169.) 5. Repeat step 4 until you have pulled all lines on the pull list. Each time you complete a pull, the system automatically brings up the next item. When you pull the last line, the system displays the Deposit screen. 6. On the Deposit screen, scan the bin where you want to deposit the first item in the pull list. Remember, this deposit bin must be a weigh station. 7. Repeat step 6 until you have deposited all lines on the pull list. Each time you scan a deposit bin, the system automatically brings up the next line. When you deposit the last line, the system considers the process complete and brings you to a blank Pull Orders screen. Tip! If you are depositing all lines of a pull list to the same weigh station, you can press Shift + F4 to deposit the entire pull list to a bin with a single scan, instead of scanning the bin for each line. 173

174 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PICK ORDERS Once you ve assembled the pulled material at a weigh station, you fulfill the individual orders that made up the pull list. This process is almost identical to the normal picking process, and uses most of the same screens as well. However, instead of moving through the warehouse racks, you pick from the accumulated material at the weigh station, taking everything you need directly from this area. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The function keys are exactly the same as those in the picking screens. See page 86 for more details. Tag Screen The one major difference between picking from pulled inventory and pulling from warehouse racks is in the very beginning of the pick process. Normal picking begins with moving to a particular bin where the inventory is held, and the system often asks for confirmation that you are at the correct bin. But when pulling to pick, allocations shift from the bin to the item or tag (see Hard Allocation, page 159). Thus, when you begin the pick process you don t need to confirm the bin, but the tag. You do this in the Tag screen. Field: Tag Number Description: Scanning or entering this number brings up the order information associated with this tag s allocation. This is a searchable field, allowing you to bring up a list of available tags and select one to use. Should you scan a tag that has no order allocations associated with it, the system advises you of this, tells you to scan a different tag, and clears this field. Other Screens All the screens after the Tag screen are identical to the screens used in a regular picking process. These screens are described starting on page 100. There are only a few differences between picking from pulled inventory and regular picking: You must use a split pick when picking inventory. The system does not allow you to perform any other sort of pick. You must deposit each picked item immediately upon picking it. Picked items can only be placed in bins marked as consolidation bins. 174

175 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Picking from Pulled Inventory Use the following procedure to perform an order pick from pulled inventory. Steps marked with a are mandatory. Note: Throughout this instruction set, there are continual references to scanning and entering information. These two terms are interchangeable in this process. Manually entering information is no different from scanning it as far as this procedure is concerned; it is a matter of preference and convenience only. 1. From the main menu, open the Pull to Pick menu and select Pick Orders. 2. In the Tag screen, enter the tag number of the tag from which you wish to pick. 3. Enter the quantity you are picking. The Split Pick screen appears, where the package type, quantity per package, and total pick quantity appear; you can edit any of these if you wish. When these values are set, accept them by pressing Enter. Note: You may adjust the tag s on hand quantity if you find the actual quantity is different from the one the system displays, but you must do this before splitting quantities from this tag. To adjust the on hand quantities, press Shift + F4, enter the new on hand quantity, and follow the instructions on page The second Split Pick screen appears. Enter the tag number to which you are depositing the split quantity. You must do this once for each tag you are creating in this split pick. 5. If the item you are picking tracks serial numbers, enter the serial number for each item you pick. 6. You are brought to the Deposit screen. Enter or scan the tags of the container and/or platform you will place the first picked item in. 7. Scan or enter the tag of the bin you ll be placing the first picked item in. 8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for every item on the pick ticket. Tip! If you want to deposit all line items to the same bin, you can press the F4 key. This allows you to deposit all remaining line items to the same bin instead of working through the order line by line. 9. When you complete the final line on the pick ticket, the system informs you there are no more items remaining, and returns you to a blank Tag screen. From here, you can scan another tag and pick another order, or exit the application. Consolidation Screen Consolidation is where all the individually picked items are placed together with other items on the same order and packaged for shipping. 175

176 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Tag Number Order Number Item ID Item Description Quantity on Tag Suggested Bin Description: When you scan a tag, its tag number appears in this field. The order number associated with the tag. The item ID of the item on this tag. A short text description of the item on this tag. The quantity of item on this tag. Unless this is the first item in a particular order you scan, the system accesses the deposit information when you scan a tag and finds where the other line items for the same order have been placed. That bin ID displays in this field. If this is the first tag for a given order you scan, this field remains blank. Deposit Bin This is the bin to which you are depositing the item. This bin must be a consolidation bin, and if you attempt to deposit the item to any other type of bin, the system will warn you. If this is the last tag of the order, the system informs you of this, but does not require you to place the item in a consolidation bin. It does, however, continue to display the bin location of the other tags on the order. This allows you to collect all the tags on the order and deposit them to whatever bin is most appropriate. Consolidating Picks from Pulled Inventory Use the following procedure to consolidate tags picked from pulled inventory and prepare them for customer shipping. Steps marked with a are mandatory. Note: Throughout this instruction set, there are continual references to scanning and entering information. These two terms are interchangeable in this process. Manually entering information is no different from scanning it as far as this procedure is concerned; it is a matter of preference and convenience only. 1. From the main menu, open the Pull to Pick menu and select Consolidation. 176

177 6 PULL TO PICK WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE 2. Scan a tag of an item you want to consolidate. The system automatically accesses the order information associated with it. 3. Scan the consolidation bin where you deposit this tag. 4. The system prompts you with the next line on the order. Find this tag and scan it. 5. Scan the consolidation bin where you deposit this tag. The system will suggest the same bin as the one you used for the first item, but you may choose another. 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you ve deposited the entire order. 7. When you scan the last item on the order, the system informs you there are no more lines, and displays the bin where you places the other items, but allows you to make the final deposit in any bin. This bin does not have to be a consolidation bin. The idea is that you can gather the items you consolidated and place them in whatever bin is most appropriate for shipping. GROUP PUTAWAY When you have completed all picks and have no further need for the pulled inventory, you may return it to the warehouse racks by using the group tag putaway procedure described on page 63. Note that you may not be able to simply return the pulled inventory to the place from which you took it because you are returning a different quantity than the one you took. Because the group tag putaway procedure makes placement suggestions that maximize your use of available space, the system might find a better place for this reduced quantity than its original location. 177

178 7 INQUIRY The Inquiry menus grant you quick access to bin contents and item locations without the need to perform multiple lookups in the middle of a transaction, fin an open terminal to perform an inquiry using Prophet 21, or physically walking to each bin to manually inspect it. BIN CONTENT BY ITEM The Bin Content by Item grants you access to the item quantities within a bin as well as information on the open transactions involving those quantities. This allows you to assess bin inventory levels without the need to check a terminal; instead you can run the query right from your scanner. Criteria Screen The first screen of the Bin Content by Item inquiry is the Criteria Screen. This is where you define the bin about which you want to view information. Field: Bin Description: The bin on which you want to run the inquiry. You can either scan a bin or enter its bin ID in this screen. 178

179 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Bin Content Screen Once you establish what bin you want to investigate, the scanner lists the contents of that bin. If there are more items than can fit on the screen, it provides a scroll bar. Field: Tag Number Item ID Total Quantity UOM Description: The tag number on which the item resides. If the item does not reside on a tag, this field is blank. The item in the bin. The total quantity of the item in the bin. This includes allocated and free quantities, but only shows the quantity of item in this single bin. You might have additional item quantities in other bins. The unit of measure used in Total Quantity field above. > If the checkbox in this column is checked, it means that you can drill into this line item for more information. If the box is clear, it means there are no further details available for this item. Function Key Commands Aside from the standard array of F-key functions that are the same in all windows, the Bin Content Screen provides additional F-key functions: F-Key Function Description F3 Drill Into Detail You can view lot details for any item with the > field is checked. If you place your focus on one of these lines, you can press F3 to move to the next screen and see details about its lots. Otherwise, F3 takes you to the Transaction Detail screen. 179

180 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Shift + F6 Additional Item Information Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. Lot Information Screen The Lot Information screen shows all of an item s lots present in the selected bin. Header information identifies the item being viewed, and all lots appear below. If there are multiple lots of the item in the bin, they appear in a list. Field: Bin ID Item ID Tag Number Description: The bin in which you are looking. All lots listed in this screen are of this item. If the item is assigned to a tag, that tag number appears here. Otherwise, this field remains blank. Each lot present in the bin appears on its own line and displays the following information: Lot Number Serial Number Total Quantity UOM The ID of the item s lot. If any of the individual items have been assigned serial numbers, they appear in this field. Otherwise, the field remains blank. The quantity of item in this bin that belongs to this lot. The unit of measure used in the Total Quantity field above. 180

181 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Function Key Commands You can view transaction details for any item lot by placing your focus on the lot line you want to view and pressing F3. This opens the Transaction Detail screen. F1 takes you back to the Criteria Screen where you can enter a different bin ID. Shift + F6 again brings up additional item information for the item. Transaction Detail Screen The Transaction Detail screen lists all the transactions to which item or lot quantities held in this bin are allocated. Header information identifies the bin, item, tag, and lot, while the transactions display in list format below. This field only appears if the item tracks tags. Field: Bin ID Item ID Tag Number Lot Number Serial Number Description: The bin in which you are looking. All lots listed in this screen are of this item. If the item is assigned to a tag, that tag number appears here. Otherwise, this field does not appear. The item lot allocated to the transaction. If the item has been assigned a serial number, it appears here. Each transaction the item is a part of appears on its own line and displays the following information. Transaction Number Transaction Type Line Quantity Allocated UOM The system generated tracking number that identifies the transaction. The kind of transaction to which the item is allocated. Where in the transaction, in terms of line number, the item appears. The amount of item allocated to this transaction. The unit of measure used in the Quantity Allocated field above. 181

182 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE BIN CONTENT BY TRANSACTION The Bin Content by Transaction grants you access to the item quantities within a bin as well as information on the open transactions involving those quantities. This allows you to assess bin inventory levels without the need to check a terminal; instead you can run the query right from your scanner. Criteria Screen The first screen of the Bin Content by Transaction inquiry is the Criteria Screen. This is where you define the bin about which you want to view information. Field: Bin Description: The bin on which you want to run the inquiry. You can either scan a bin or enter its bin ID in this screen. 182

183 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Transaction List Screen Once you establish what bin you want to investigate, the scanner lists all of the transactions that have allocated quantities that reside in that bin. If there are more transactions than can fit on the screen, it provides a scroll bar. Field: Transaction Number Transaction Type Description: The system generated tracking number that identifies the transaction. The kind of transaction to which the item is allocated. Function Key Commands You can view transaction details for any line appearing on this screen by placing your focus on the line you want to view and pressing F3. This opens the Transaction Detail screen. F1 takes you back to the Criteria Screen where you can enter a different bin ID. Transaction Detail Screen The Transaction Detail screen shows you the specific amount of item from this bin that s been allocated to the selected transaction, as well as the where to find it on the transaction record. 183

184 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Bin ID Transaction Number Transaction Type Tag Number Item ID Line Quantity Allocated UOM Description: The bin in which you are looking. The transaction about which you are viewing allocation details. The kind of transaction to which the item is allocated. If the allocated item resides on a tag, that tag number appears here. The item allocated to the transaction. Where in the transaction, in terms of line number, the item appears. The amount of item allocated to this transaction. The unit of measure used in the Quantity Allocated field above. > If this checkbox is checked, it means that the item tracks lot, and you can drill into this line to see specific lot information on the allocated quantity. Function Key Commands You can view lot details for any item with the > field is checked. If you place your focus on one of these lines, you can press F3 to move to the next screen and see details about its lots. Otherwise, F3 takes you to the Transaction Detail screen. Lot Details Screen The Lot Details screen is identical to the screen described on page 180. ITEM INQUIRY The Item Inquiry grants you access to the quantities and bin locations of items in your warehouse, allowing you to find inventory without the need to check a terminal; instead you can run the query right from your scanner. Criteria Screen The first screen of the Item Inquiry is the Criteria Screen. This is where you define the item about which you want to view information. 184

185 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE You can enter any part of the item ID or description in this screen. The system provides a popup window that displays all items in your database that match the information you enter here. Once you select the item ID you want, you return to this screen with the Item ID and Description fields populated. 185

186 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Function Key Commands Aside from the standard array of F-key functions that are the same in all windows, the Criteria Screen provides additional F-key functions: F-Key Function Description F3 Drill Into Detail Pressing this key once you ve entered an item ID in the window brings you to the next screen. Shift + F6 Additional Item Information Opens a window that provides additional information on the item, specifically the item description and extended description. Item Confirmation Screen Once you enter an item ID in the Criteria Screen and press F3, the system brings you to the Item Confirmation Screen, which displays the item ID and description you selected. Function Key Commands If this is the correct item, you can press F3 again to move to the next screen and see more detail information about it. Otherwise, F1 takes you back to the Criteria Screen where you can enter a different item ID. Shift + F6 again brings up the additional item information. Item Display Screen The Item Display Screen shows you bin and quantity information about the selected item. 186

187 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Bin ID Primary Bin Quantity Available Quantity on Hand UOM Description: Any bin with an on hand quantity appears on this screen. Since all the other fields on the screen apply to a particular bin ID, each bin ID receives its own entry. If the bin ID displayed is the item s primary bin, this field shows PRIMARY. For all other bins, the field remains blank. The quantity of unallocated inventory for this item in the bin. The total quantity of inventory for this item in the bin. The unit of measure used for the two quantity fields above. Function Key Commands F-Key Function Description F3 F5 Drill Into Bin Detail Drill Into Lot Detail Pressing this key brings you to the Specific Bin Lot Quantities Screen, which shows you the lot quantities present in the bin displayed on screen when you press this key. Pressing this key brings you to the Item Lot Quantities Screen, which shows you the lot quantities present throughout your warehouse. 187

188 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Specific Bin Lot Quantities Screen This screen displays the specific lot breakdown of the item quantity held in the bin selected in the Item Display Screen. Each lot displays on its own screen along with quantity information. Field: Bin ID Lot Quantity Available Quantity on Hand UOM Description: The bin that contains the lot quantities shown below. Any lot with an on hand quantity appears on this screen. Since all the other fields on the screen apply to a particular lot, each one receives its own entry. The quantity of unallocated inventory for this lot in the bin. The total quantity of inventory for this lot in the bin. The unit of measure used for the two quantity fields above. Item Lot Quantities The Item Lot Quantities Screen shows you the lot breakdown of your on hand inventory for your chosen item. Unlike the Specific Bin Lot Quantities Screen, this screen shows lot quantities stored throughout your warehouse; it doesn t confine its results to a single bin. Field: Lot Quantity Available Quantity on Hand UOM Description: Any lot with an on hand quantity appears on this screen. Since all the other fields on the screen apply to a particular lot, each one receives its own entry. The quantity of unallocated inventory for this lot in the bin. The total quantity of inventory for this lot in the bin. The unit of measure used for the two quantity fields above. 188

189 7 INQUIRY WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Function Key Commands F-Key Function Description F3 Drill Into Bin Detail Pressing this key brings you to the Specific Lot Bin Quantities Screen, which shows you the quantities in all the bins in your warehouse of the lot on screen when you press this key. Specific Lot Bin Quantities Screen The Specific Lot Bin Quantities Screen shows you what bins contain the lot you selected, and in what quantities. Field: Lot Bin ID Primary Bin Quantity Available Quantity on Hand UOM Description: The lot about which you are viewing details. Any bin with an on hand quantity appears on this screen. Since all the other fields on the screen apply to a particular bin, each one receives its own entry. If the bin ID displayed is the item s primary bin, this field shows PRIMARY. For all other bins, the field remains blank. The quantity of unallocated inventory for this lot in the bin. The total quantity of inventory for this lot in the bin. The unit of measure used for the two quantity fields above. 189

190 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT High traffic items are commonly stocked in dedicated bins laid out in a specific order to speed the picking process. Because of their high use, these bins have a tendency to stock out. This feature helps maintain the proper inventory levels of a dedicated bin. OVERVIEW To use this feature, you dedicate a bin to a particular item. In so doing, you establish not only what item is wedded to this bin, but the minimum acceptable stock levels, and the stock replenishment method. When the inventory levels of this bin fall below your specified minimum levels, the system does one of two things: 1. Notify a warehouse employee with the details of the bin s replenishment requirements. This employee is someone you designated as responsible for replenishing the bin, and he receives notification through his scanning device. The system then waits for a period of time you also specify. If the bin isn t marked as replenished, or in the process of being replenished in that time, or if the person the system is supposed to notify isn t logged into a scanner at the time, the system generates an alert (as per Alert Maintenance) and sends it to the appropriate people. Should there be no alert set up in the system for this circumstance, the system instead submits a replenishment request to all active scanning devices. 2. Create an alert for a particular transaction type (purchase order, transfer, production order, or secondary process) that you specify. The system will only issue a single alert for a particular bin in a day, but if conditions cause it to issue another alert on a subsequent day, the system re-issues the alert with the updated information. 190

191 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE SETUP REQUIREMENTS In order to use this feature, you must first establish the following settings in your system. SYSTEM SETTINGS In order to use this feature, you must activate it in System Settings. You must activate this system setting in order to use the bin replenishment functionality described in this chapter. Setting: Use Wireless Bin Replenishment Description: When activated, the system sends an automated notification to a warehouse employee in an appropriate section of the warehouse that notes the bin and its stock requirements. This notification is sent to another warehouse employee if the stock requirements aren t met within a certain period of time. 191

192 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE BIN SETUP Navigation Path: Inventory/System menu/ Location Bin Maintenance There is a new tab in the Location/Bin window called the Replenishment Form View tab. The replenishment trigger point, replenishment quantity, the transaction type used for replenishment, the warehouse zone replenishment source, and the inventory package type used for replenishment are all defined on this new tab. Note: This tab only becomes available after you activate the Use Wireless Bin Replenishment system setting described above and on page 16. Field: Description: Company ID Location ID Bin ID Putaway Zone Pick Zone Item Package Type Qty Per UOM These fields show the basic attributes of the bin, as defined in the Bin Form View tab. The item you enter in this field becomes the one that this bin is dedicated to and track its stock levels. The package type that should be used to restock this bin. The number of individual item units contained within the package type you specified in the field above. You cannot enter a value in this field until you populate the Package Type field, however, once you do specify a package type the system automatically populates this field with the quantity per defined in Item Maintenance. You may edit this value if you desire. The unit of measure for the package type, or item if no package is used. 192

193 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Replenishment Source This defines what type of order the system uses to replenish the bin. This field is a drop down that offers you the following choices: Option: Inventory Operations Purchase Order Secondary Processing Production Order Transfer Description: When bin stock levels reach the inventory trigger, the system sends a replenishment order to another employee in the warehouse. This is the default setting. When bin stock levels reach the inventory trigger, the system creates an alert to a purchasing agent that contains the item and requested purchase amount. When bin stock levels reach the inventory trigger, the system creates an alert to a shop employee that contains the item and process amount. When bin stock levels reach the inventory trigger, the system creates an alert to a shop employee that contains the item and requested production amount. When bin stock levels reach the inventory trigger, the system creates an alert to an employee that contains the item and requested transfer amount. See page 194 for more details about the notifications. Replenishment Method This field determines the method by which the system determines what quantity to request when generating a replenishment order. This is a drop down field with the following options: Option: Min Replenish Quantity Up to Max Description: The system generates a request for the minimum amount of the bin. The system generates a request for the amount specified in the Replenishment Quantity field. The system subtracts the bin s current quantity from the bin s maximum quantity and generates a request for this amount. Replenished From Zone Minimum Qty The putaway zone the system recommends when looking for replenishment quantities for the bin. This is not a required field, so if no zone is enterd here, the system does not recommend a zone. Whenever stock levels fall below the value listed here, the system generates a replenishment request. The system evaluates the bin s quantity on hand whenever a transaction takes place that reduces the stock level of the bin. This includes picking and inventory adjustments. 193

194 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Maximum Qty Replenishment Qty Status This is the maximum quantity of item the bin will hold. This field becomes required if you use the Up to Max replenishment method, since the value in this field is integral in determining the replenishment quantity. The value in this field must be greater than the value in the Minimum Quantity field. This field is only required if you select the Replenish Quantity replenishment method. In that case, whenever the system generates a replenishment request, it requests a quantity equal to the value entered in this field. This dropdown menu determines if the bin is available for use. Setting: Active Inactive Description: The bin is available for use and shows up in bin searches. The bin remains in your system, but is not available for use and does not show up in bin searches, even if it meets all search criteria. However, you can still pull up its record by entering the bin ID in the appropriate fields. ALERT MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: System Administration/ Maintenance menu/ Alert Maintenance Automated bin replenishment requests use the alert system in System Administration. Using this system, you can establish who receives the replenishment request. Using this system, you can establish a hierarchy of recipients. For more information on Alert Maintenance and how to set up automated alerts, please see the Prophet 21 help files. 194

195 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PICK ZONE MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Inventory/ Maintenance menu/ Pick Zone Maintenance However, there is one additional parameter you can set with automated bin replenishment s. This parameter is found in the Pick Zone Maintenance window. This window contains a field allowing you to set a follow up time interval for the replenishment alert. If no action is taken on a bin replenishment request within the amount of time specified in this field, the system sends another to a different recipient. PUTAWAY ZONE MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: Inventory/ Maintenance menu/ Putaway Zone Maintenance Putaway Zone Maintenance is where you establish whom the system notifies when stock levels in a dedicated bin dip too low. The Dedicated Bin Replenishment User identifies the employee you want notified when a dedicated bin requires replenishment. Enter that person s user ID in this field. If you use the Inventory Operations replenishment source, that person receives a message in his wireless device. 195

196 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE REPLENISHMENT NOTIFICATION After you ve set the system to use wireless bin replenishment and established the protocols it should use in the process, the system is set to run this function. As soon as a dedicated bin s stock dips below its established minimum levels, the system responds according to your specifications. If you set it to generate an alert , it sends one according to the parameters you established. Aside from the new trigger and tokens this alert might use, this is identical to all the other alert s generated by the system. However, if you set it to notify someone logged into a wireless device, the system takes some unique actions. The wireless device display notifies you in two ways that there s a bin replenishment order that needs your attention. The first is a new option on the main menu, called Bin Replenishment, that only appears when there is a pending replenishment order. This menu option only appears if there is a bin replenishment request that requires your attention. This icon appears whenever there is a pending bin replenishment order. Because it appears above the menu, it displays no matter what window you re in. The second is a new icon that appears at the head of the wireless device screen no matter what window you re in. This icon, a B, remains until you return to the main menu, select Bin Replenishment, and deal with the request as described in the Bin Replenishment section on page

197 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE REPLENISHMENT REPORT Navigation Path: Wireless Warehouse/ Reports menu/ Bin Replenishment Report In addition to the wireless notification, Prophet 21 offers a report that displays the bins that require replenishment and the quantities required to replenish them. Unlike the wireless notification system, this report shows all outstanding replenishment needs for dedicated bins that fall within the report s parameters. The results are grouped by item, with bins as a sub-category. This allows you to see the total replenishment demands of a single item across multiple bins, so you can pick the total quantity at once and deposit the appropriate quantities into each dedicated bin. Field: Company ID Location ID Bin ID Item ID Replenishment Source (From Alerts) Description: The company for which you want to run this report. The location for which you want to run this report. If the location you enter here has no active dedicated bins, the system displays an error message. The range of bins you want to include in this report. The system automatically excludes inactive bins, even if they fall within your established range. The range of item IDs you want to include in this report. To see all the bins that require these items, leave the Bin ID range fields above wide open. Otherwise, the system will only show results that fall within both the item and bin ranges. Replenishment source refers to the action the system is directed to take when a particular dedicated bin stocks out. However, the options here don t exactly match the ones in Bin/Location Maintenance. Setting: Non Inventory Operations Description: This setting includes all bins that have a replenishment source of Purchase Order, Transfer, Production Order, or Secondary Process. 197

198 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE When you run this report, the system sends the proper alert just as if it were triggered by an automated process. Inventory Operations Bin Replenishment Order This setting includes all replenishment requests set to Inventory Operations where the request does not have a designated dedicated bin replenishment user, or that person was not logged into a wireless device at the time the request went out. This setting includes all replenishment requests set to Inventory Operations where the designated dedicated bin replenishment user received the replenishment request, but failed to begin it in the set amount of time. Replenishment Date The date the system noted the replenishment need. When you run this report, the system treats the replenishment requests as received. This means that it will not send further alerts about outstanding replenishment requests included on this report, and it removes those requests from any wireless devices. BIN REPLENISHMENT When you select Bin Replenishment from the main menu, you are brought to the following screen: Field: Bin ID Item ID Description: The dedicated bin needing replenishment. The item ID that requires replenishment. 198

199 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Item Description Package Type Qty Per Pkg UOM Quantity Suggested Bin ID Started Completed A brief text description of the item noted above. The package type required for the replenishment quantity. The number of individual item units contained within each package. The stock unit of measure of the required item. This is the amount of item needed to replenish the dedicated bin. The first bin found in the putaway zone that matches the requirements or has a sufficient package quantity with a quantity per package greater than or equal to the requirement. Indicates the replenishment process has been started. Indicates the replenishment process is complete. This screen comes automatically populated with all the information already populated based on system information. With the exception of the Started/Completed radio button, none of these fields are editable; you are viewing an order that s already been created. However, like all system suggestions, you are not required to pick material from the suggested bin. FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS The function keys perform the following tasks in this screen: Key: Task: Description: F5 New Bin Pressing this key causes the system to suggest a new bin to pick material for the replenishment. F9 Start/Save This function key s task depends on the setting of the Started/Completed radio button. Setting: Started Completed Description: Pressing F9 when the screen is set to Started assigns the replenishment request to you. This means the system still treats it as open, but will not notify anyone else about the replenishment requirements. Pressing F9 when the screen is set to Completed closes the replenishment request. However, the system will give you an error message if you press this button when the bin s stock levels are still below the established minimum. 199

200 8 BIN REPLENISHMENT WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Completing a Bin Replenishment Use the following instructions to complete a bin replenishment. Steps marked with a are mandatory. 1. Select Bin Replenishment from the main menu. This option only appears when there is a bin replenishment request that requires attention. Otherwise, this option is not available. The Bin Replenishment screen appears. Note: If there are multiple outstanding bin replenishment requests, the system displays the oldest one first. However, the B icon at the top of the screen will remain even after you begin fulfilling this request, indicating there are others that still require attention. 2. Select the Started option and press F9. This saves the transaction, but does not clear the screen. Rather, it notes the request as received and assigned so the system won t send notification to anyone else to replenish the bin. 3. Return to the main menu and use whatever inventory movement procedure is appropriate (content move, or split) to restock the bin. The Bin Replenishment window remains open during this time, allowing you to toggle back and forth between it and the inventory window. 4. When you ve replenished the bin, select the Complete option and press F9. This closes the bin replenishment request. If there is another, it appears now. Note: The system will display an error message if you attempt to mark a replenishment request complete when the bin s stock level is still below minimum levels. 200

201 9 SYSTEM INFO The System Info section contains technical and setup information about your session. Most of the options contained in this section are for informational purposes only; you cannot change many of the fields in these windows, but they can help you when you need basic information about the system you re running. LOGIN INFORMATION The Login Information screen contains the basic technical details about the session currently running on the wireless device. All information in this screen is for informational purposes only; you can edit nothing here. Field: User ID Company ID Company Name Login Date Location ID Location Name RF Bin ID Description: The person currently logged into the device The system code for the company under which the user is currently logged into the device. The company under which the user is currently logged into the device. The time and date the user began this current session. The system code for the location at which the user is logged into the device. The location at which the user is logged into the device. The temporary bin ID assigned to this wireless device (see page 11 for more 201

202 9 SYSTEM INFO WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE information on temporary bins). IP Address Client Name The IP address assigned to this wireless device (see page 30 for more information on how the system assigns IP addresses). The network name assigned to the client computer. ABOUT The About window provides information about the Wireless Warehouse software you are running on a wireless device. Like the Login Information screen, all information in this screen is for informational purposes only; you can edit nothing here. 202

203 9 SYSTEM INFO WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PRINTER ADMIN The Print Admin screen displays information about the person logged into the wireless device and that person s current session. Field User ID Company ID Company Name Login Date Location ID Location Name Current Printer New Printer Description User ID of the person currently logged into this wireless device Company ID under which the current user logged into this wireless device Company name under which the current user logged into this wireless device Date and time the current user logged into this device Location ID under which the current user logged into this wireless device Location name under which the current user logged into this wireless device The printer assigned by default to this user. This information comes from the information entered in User Maintenance (see page 210). This is the only editable field in this window. Using this field, you can enter a new printer, and the system will send all print jobs generated from this wireless device to this new printer instead of the default printer. However, this only changes the printer assignment for this session. When you log off and log back in again, the system again assigns you the default printer specified for you in User Maintenance. This is a searchable field, meaning you can call a popup search window and browse a list of system printers, selecting one for use. Note, however, that this list includes all printers defined for the system, which may include a mix of regular printers and smaller label printers. The system allows you to select any printer; it does not prevent you from selecting a standard printer. 203

204 9 SYSTEM INFO WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE The function keys perform the following actions in this field: Key Function F1 Exits the window without saving any changes. Shift + F1 Clears the field. F2 Calls a popup search window that displays a list of all system printers. Shift + F2 Provides function key definitions for this screen. F9 Saves any changes. 204

205 9 SYSTEM INFO WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE RECEIPT SESSION DEFAULTS The screens in this area of the system are identical to those described on page 22. Defaults established on a wireless device override those established on the main system. Lot Attribute Screen If you ve enabled the Enter Lot Attributes Via Wireless Device setting (see page 23), the system prompts you with the Lot Attribute screen once you define a lot. This screen has a field for each lot attribute set up in your system. It requires you enter a value for each attribute you marked Mandatory in Lot Attribute Maintenance. Once you ve entered the lot attributes, press F4 to accept the entries. If there are more attributes than fit on a single screen, the wireless device displays the next batch of attributes after you press F4. Lot Attributes System Dates Screen Once you ve entered and accepted all the lot attributes for a given lot, the system displays the Lot Attributes System Dates screen. Field: Certified Description: The date you certify the lot as sellable. 205

206 9 SYSTEM INFO WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Recertified Expiration Number of Lots Supplier Certified Supplier Recertified Quality Code User Defined The date you reaffirm the lot as still sellable. The date on which your sellable certification for this lot expires. The number of lots covered in this certification. The date your supplier certifies the lot as sellable. The date your supplier reaffirms the lot as still sellable. A numerical rating that indicates the quality of the lot. The lower this number, the better the quality, making 1 the best quality available. If you ve created any additional tracking dates, they appear here. Once you ve entered all the dates in this screen, press F4 to accept the entries. Lot Attributes Comments After you enter and accept the lot attribute dates, the system displays a freeform screen that allows you to enter any comments for the lot. Posting Receipts Screen Once you ve received your inventory and identified all lots and lot attributes, you can review all under and overreceipts by pressing Shift + F9. This brings up the Posting Receipts screen, which provides information on all receipts that don t match the expected quantities. This screen is available for both PO and transfer receipts. Note: When judging if a line meets the expected quantity, the system looks at the total cumulative quantity, not just the quantity received in this shipment. If the total received quantity across all receipts to date meets the order amount, the system closes the line and marks it complete. Also, if you didn t receive anything against a particular line, the system ignores that line. It only evaluates lines against which you received something. 206

207 9 SYSTEM INFO WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Transfer/PO Number Transfer/PO Line Number Item ID Item Description UOM Transfer/PO Open Quantity Transfer/PO Received Quantity Remaining Quantity Complete Description: The transaction number against which you are receiving material. The line number of the transfer or PO that doesn t match the ordered quantity. The item ID of the item that doesn t match the ordered quantity. A brief text description of the item that doesn t match the ordered quantity. The order UOM of the item. The amount of item still not received. The cumulative amount of item received from all receipts to date, including this one. The quantity of item still open on this transaction. If you re overreceiving a line, this field displays a negative number. If the PO Received Quantity matches the order quantity, the system automatically checks this box and closes the line. If this box is checked, it denotes that the line is completely received and no further action is required on it. Freight Screen The Freight Screen allows you to enter freight charges at the time of inventory receipt, rolling these charges into the base cost of the item. You can access this screen by pressing Shift + F9 after you ve entered and accepted receipt quantities, lots, and lot attributes. 207

208 9 SYSTEM INFO WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Field: Receipt Freight Currency ID Currency Type Description: The amount of freight you paid to have the inventory shipped to you. The value you enter here is added to the cost of the item. This information only field displays the currency used to pay the freight charge. This setting allows you to toggle between the currency used for the purchase order, and your company s home currency. The Receipt Freight field changes its value to match the selected currency, using the exchange rate in effect on the date you created the PO. Posting Exception Screen The Posting Exception screen provides you the opportunity to save a receipt with different settings than the default in terms of how the receipt impacts your inventory levels and general ledger. If you press Shift + F9 after receiving the inventory, identifying its lot and all its lot attributes, and resolving any under and overshipped lines, the following screen appears: 208

209 9 SYSTEM INFO WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE These options are identical to those described on page 22, but apply to this receipt only. Any changes you make to the default setting in this screen do not change the default setting for the wireless device or the main system. Note: This screen is available for transfer receipts as well, but only gives you the Approved checkbox and the allocation options. 209

210 10 PRINTING Printing isn t an option on the system menu, but deserves its own section nonetheless. This is because once you enable the printing functionality of the Wireless Warehouse, you gain printing options in multiple places throughout the system, most of which behave in a virtually identical manner. Rather than reprint the same information in multiple places throughout the manual, this section presents all the information you should need to print using the Wireless Warehouse. SYSTEM SETUP Before using any of the functions described in this section, you must first establish some additional system settings: USER MAINTENANCE Navigation Path: System Setup/System menu/user Maintenance Anyone using the Wireless Warehouse system can be set up with a default wireless printer as well. Enter the printer path of the selected default printer in the User Tab of User Maintenance. Once established, the system will default that printer to the user whenever he logs into a wireless device. However, he may change printers after logging in if he needs to. Establish the default printer for the user in this field. Field Default WWMS Printer Description The printer defined in this field becomes the default printer for the user in the Wireless Warehouse system. The system sends all the user s print jobs generated within the Wireless Warehouse system to this printer unless the printer assignment is changed (see page 203). 210

211 10 PRINTING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE This is a searchable field, meaning you can call a popup search window to see a list of all defined system printers. You can then select any printer form this list as your default. Important! Printers for the Wireless Warehouse system are very different from those used with a typical computer. The Wireless Warehouse is designed for use with label printers. By necessity they are smaller, so the labels that print from the Wireless Warehouse system are designed to fit on this smaller output. Because of this, you must make sure that the printer you assign yourself is a label printer, not a standard paper printer; the system does not check this for you. LABEL DEFINITIONS BY LOCATION Navigation Path: System Setup/Maintenance menu/label Definitions/Label Definition Location Maintenance If you intend to print labels from the Wireless Warehouse system, you need to define them in the locations you intend to print so the system can differentiate between the labels used on the regular label printer and the wireless printers. Define these labels in the Label Definitions by Location window. Here, you can select wireless operations for item operations, tagging, and shipping. If you intend to print labels through the Wireless Warehouse at a location, you should only mark the only wireless label types valid. You can use any label definition for a label that has a valid label type. These options will then be available for any wireless device in any screen that allows printing. Note: Because wireless printers use a different printer stock from standard printers, it is recommended that you make your default printer a wireless or belt printer. However, you can use any system printer; label and tag printing are not restricted to wireless or belt printers. The first label format you create in this window becomes the default format for the location. However, you can manually change which format is the location s default as you need. Every location must have a default label format assigned so the system knows what format to use when auto-printing and displaying print previews. Field: Process Name Label Type Description: The wireless function for which you want to print a label. This drop down menu gives you the following options: Inventory Movements, Shipping, Receiving, Tagging, Wireless Item Operation, Wireless Receiving, Wireless Shipping. This drop down contains a list of the labels types: Item, Shipping, Package, Platform, and Mixed. Each label type is matched with a label definition ID. This determines the label definition that will be used for any customer that does not have a definition specified in the customer record or the ship to record. 211

212 10 PRINTING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Label Definition ID Label Definition Description Label Template Filename Print Default Printer Row Status WWMS Default Determines the label definition ID that will be associated with the label type for any customer that does not have a definition specified in the customer record or the ship to record. The description associated with the label definition ID to help you better identify the label definition ID. The fully qualified path where a wireless label template is stored. This drop down determines if the system will print a label when you successfully save a process. You can choose between yes, no, and prompt, which means the system asks you if you d like to print a label when you save a process. The fully qualified network path to the printer that prints this particular type of label. Determines if the label record is active or deleted. The system uses this label type when auto-generating labels and displaying print previews. 212

213 10 PRINTING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PRINTING FUNCTIONALITY Printing is available in the following areas in the Wireless Warehouse system: PO Receipts RMA Receipts Transfer Receipts Sales Order Picking Group Order Picking Transfer Picking Self Directed Putaway System Directed Putaway Adjustments Counts Once you enable the system setting that allows printing (see page 16), you gain the ability to print item or tag labels when receiving, picking or moving inventory. WHEN TO PRINT The system prints a label whenever it receives the information necessary to print a complete label. Because this varies by transaction, labels print at different times depending on what function you are performing. For lot/bin items, printing becomes available once you specify lot, bin, serial number, and quantity. In the case of shipping items, the bin you specify is the consolidation or deposit bin, while when receiving it is the putaway bin. In the case of tags, the system prints a tag, or prompts for printing confirmation, as soon as you create a new tag. This is true of all functions; once you create a tag, the system makes tag printing for that tag available. Important! If you exit a tag window without saving or if you experience an error while working in a tag window, the printed tag label may contain errors. Always double-check the tag label against system information in these cases. WHAT TO PRINT For tagged items, the system allows you to print a tag label for the highest level tag. You cannot print item labels for packages within a tag. In the case of lot/bin items, the system defaults item and other available information, but not the quantity per package or number of labels. For these fields, the system always prompts you to select what to print. 213

214 10 PRINTING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Print Labels Screen The Print Labels screen appears when the system prompts you for printing information. It also appears whenever you make a menu selection that involves printing. Certain function keys can also call the Print Labels screen, depending on what screen you are in when you press them. There are two different version of the Print Labels screen, though they work identically. These two screens just verify different information based on the kind of label you are printing. The printing screen for inventory labels prints item labels and tags. The function key F7 calls this screen. Field Tag Number Description The tag number of the tag for which you are about to print a label. If this screen appeared automatically because you ve just generated a tag, that tag number appears in this field. If you came to this screen by menu option, this field begins blank. Once this field is populated, whether from defaulting information or manual entry, the system automatically populates the remaining fields with all available tag information. This field is only required if the item is tagged; if you are printing a label for a non-tagged item, you can skip this field. Item ID The Item ID of the item for which you are about to print a label. If the Print Labels screen appeared automatically because of a completed transaction line, or if you pressed F7, the system populates this field from transaction information and does not allow you to edit it. If you came to this screen through a menu option, this field begins blank and you must enter an Item ID to proceed. This field is searchable, allowing you to browse a list of item IDs and select one from there. 214

215 10 PRINTING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE UOM The UOM of the item for which you are about to print a label. If the Print Labels screen appeared automatically because of a completed transaction line, or if you pressed F7, the system populates this field from transaction information and does not allow you to edit it. If you came to this screen through a menu option, the system defaults this field with the item s base UOM once you enter an item ID. However, you can change this entry from the default as needed. Package Type Qty Per Qty If the item uses tags, the package type associated with the tag displays here. If the item uses tags, the quantity of item per package displays here. The quantity of the item for which you are about to print a label. If the Print Labels screen appeared automatically because of a completed transaction line, or if you pressed F7, the system populates this field from transaction information and does not allow you to edit it. If you came to this screen through a menu option, this field begins blank and you must enter a quantity to proceed. If you came to this screen through a menu option, this field defaults to 0, and you must enter a value to continue. Label ID Number of Labels This field indicates the format of the label. The system defaults to wireless item format unless the item uses tags, in which case it defaults to wireless item/tag. This field defines how many labels the system prints. It defaults to 1, though you can edit this field. You may not enter negative or fractional values. If the Print Labels screen appeared automatically because of a completed transaction line, or if you pressed, you begin in this field. Pressing Enter on this field process the print job. Tagging Note: When dealing with tags, the system prints a tag label for the highest level tag in the inventory structure. For example, if you have a tagged pallet with 27 packages, the system prints one tag label for the pallet. If you choose to print labels for the packages on the pallet, the system generates 27 additional labels, all of them identical to the pallet label. You cannot print item labels without tag information. 215

216 10 PRINTING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE The Print Labels screen for shipping labels prints labels used to send packages to customers. The function key F7 calls this screen. Field Order Number Description The order number of the order you are picking and preparing to ship. If the Print Label screen appears because you completed a transaction line, or because you pressed F7, the system automatically populates this field based on transaction information. If you came to this field by menu option, this field begins blank. You must enter or scan an order number in order to continue. This field is searchable, meaning you can pull up a list of all open order numbers and choose one. Pick Ticket Number Pick ticket you are picking and preparing to ship. As soon as you enter an order number in the field above, the system automatically populates this field based on transaction information. However, you can also start with this field, entering or scanning a pick ticket number. If you do this, the system populates the Order Number field with the order associated with your pick ticket entry. Like the Order Number field, this field is searchable, so you can browse a list of open pick tickets and choose one to populate this field. Customer Ship To Customer PO Route Carrier Customer ID of the customer that placed this order. Ship To ID of the customer that placed this order. Customer PO number of the customer that placed this order. If the customer did not provide a customer PO number, this field remains blank. Route code assigned to the order. Carrier ID of the carrier that will transport the shipment. 216

217 10 PRINTING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE Label ID Number of Labels This field indicates the format of the label. The system automatically chooses the shipping label format set as the default in Label Definitions by Location, but you may change it as needed. This field defines how many labels the system prints. It defaults to 1, though you can edit this field. You may not enter negative or fractional values. If the Print Labels screen appeared automatically because of a completed transaction line, or if you pressed F7, you begin in this field. Pressing Enter on this field process the print job. Tagging Note: Regardless of the value you enter in the Number of Labels field, the system prints one shipping label for each tag. If you enter a number other than 1 in the Number of Labels field, that number indicates the number of duplicate shipping labels that print for each tag. 217

218 10 PRINTING WIRELESS WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT GUIDE INVENTORY LABEL Inventory labels printed from the Wireless Warehouse system are designed to fit on 3x5 label stock, and look like this: Item ID (Barcode) Item Description Supplier Part Number Traceable Factor (Barcode). UOM Tag Number (Barcode) This area is blank for lot/bin items. Quantity. If this is a tag label, this is the quantity of item on the tag. Important! When printing using direct transfer, as opposed to using ink ribbons, labels may fade with exposure. Labels printed with this method have a shelf life of about 18 to 24 months, depending on the label stock quality. While this should present no problems for shipping labels, as they are used very shortly after creation and then not referenced after delivery, this may present some issues for inventory labels, where longevity is more of an issue. SHIPPING LABEL Shipping labels printed from the Wireless Warehouse system are designed to fit on the LD-R6AD5W - Direct 2000: x in. label stock and look like this: Ship To Address Pick Ticket Number Customer PO Customer PO barcode Order Number Route/Carrier Number of Boxes 218