Accellos One Warehouse Overview - Freight Management Instructions/WMS...

Accellos One WarehouseOverviewCollect Edition

Accellos Inc. 125 Commerce Valley Drive West, Suite 700 Markham, Ontario, Canada L3T 7W4

October 2008

Copyright © Accellos, Inc. All rights reserved

This manual is reserved for licensed users of Accellos One Warehouse. If you are not a licensed user of Accellos One Warehouse, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Accellos, Inc.

The information in this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment of Accellos, Inc. Accellos, Inc. assumes no respon-sibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENTAudience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vAccellos One Warehouse Product Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viGetting Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Document Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viiContacting Accellos Inc WMS Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION TO ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSEWhat is Accellos One Warehouse? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Accellos One Collect Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Accellos One Warehouse Functional Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Accellos One Warehouse Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Integration with External Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Understanding Upload and Download Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Network Layout, Users and Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CHAPTER 2UNDERSTANDING ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE CONCEPTSKey Warehouse Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Customer/Vendor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Packsize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Attribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Key Warehouse Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Overstock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Carton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Tote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Pallet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Packslip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Product Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Order and Shipment Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Packlane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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CHAPTER 3ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE PROCESSESThe Warehouse Process Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

About Process Steps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Warehouse Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Receiving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Putaway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Replenishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Re-Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Waving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Picking & Packing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Label Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Inventory Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

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ABOUT THIS DOCUMENTThis manual provides a general introduction to the Accellos One Warehouse Collect Edition. It provides the background information necessary for to advance to more detailed and application-specific manuals in the Accellos One Warehouse documentation set.

AUDIENCE

This document is intended for the following readers:

• Accellos, Inc. partners and resellers, and warehouse system administrators or IT managers, who need to understand Accellos One Warehouse functions for the purposes of system installation, setup, and ongoing configuration.

• Warehouse supervisors or managers, who need to understand Accellos One Warehouse functions for the purposes of administering the warehouse, or for training handheld users on warehouse-specific procedures.

This manual assumes some familiarity with basic warehousing concepts, but not necessarily with concepts or terminology that are specific to warehouse management systems (WMS) or to Accellos One Warehouse.

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About This Document

Accellos One Warehouse Product Structure

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE PRODUCT STRUCTURE

The Accellos One Warehouse product line is structured as follows:

Collect Edition—The 'basic' or 'easy' edition of Accellos One Warehouse. Collect is designed to be a true entry-level product. It offers simplified user processes and implementation, while still providing a robust WMS solution.

Manage Edition—This is essentially the Collect Edition with the addition of the Kitting and Multi-Zone modules. It maintains the simplicity of the entry-level Collect Edition, while providing ‘Kitting' for sites that need some sort of production facility and ‘Multi-zone’ functionality for sites that need to use zones for specific purposes such as hazmat or freezers or if they define their warehouse layout using different zones.

The Manage Edition also allows you to optionally purchase additional modules, as required.

FulFill Edition—Builds on the features and functions of the Collect Edition by adding some of the most commonly used advanced features. Fulfill addresses the desire for the most frequently requested enhancements, without requiring customers to buy specialized features they don't need. Growing businesses will find that the upgrades in the Fulfill package provide additional functionality for current and future needs.

Optional Module and Toolkits—Since many businesses have specialized needs, Accellos One Warehouse offers numerous modules/toolkits that can be purchased individually. Accellos understands that businesses don't want to buy functionality that they will never use or that they don't have the infrastructure to support. Therefore, the product structure allows you to pinpoint and purchase only the modules/toolkits you require.

• Modules are a standard set of functions that do not require any additional development to implement.

• Toolkits are used by our Professional Services Development Team to build custom solutions for customers. For example, we have the ability to control carousels and conveyors, but each site requires some level of customization. The customer would be required to purchase the Warehouse Automation Toolkit and then a number of days of custom development at our standard PS rates in order to implement a complete solution.

GETTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The documentation set is intended to provide a targeted approach information as follows:

• Collect and Manage users need documents designated for Collect Edition or have no designated edition.

• Fulfill Users and purchaser of optional modules and toolkits need documents designated for the Fulfill Edition, the Collect Edition or have no designated edition.

Depending on your role and the products purchased, you may want to reference some of the following documents:

Accellos One Warehouse Web Dispatch Functions

Accellos One Warehouse Handheld Functions

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About This Document

Document Conventions

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Document ConventionsThe following formatting conventions are used in Accellos One Warehouse documentation:

Convention Explanation

Initial Caps Indicates the name of a Accellos One Warehouse function.Example:The cartons are sent to the shipping area and, optionally, weighed and scanned with the Carton Shipping function.

ALL CAPS Indicates a Accellos One Warehouse system name, such as a bin loca-tion or an order or carton status. Example:The order is in the status of SUSPENDED and cannot be processed further until it is released.

Bold text Indicates text that appears in screen options such as buttons, menus, text boxes, and so on.In the Product field, enter the product number.

monospace text

Indicates text that you must enter exactly as shown. Example:Enter the IP address or machine name of the server running the Web Dispatch thread, or enter localhost if you are running Internet Explorer on the server machine.

italics Indicates a newly introduced term, emphasis, or a manual title.Example:It cannot be further processed until the dispatcher unsuspends it.

> Indicates the start of a procedure.Example:> To start picking an order:

CONTACTING ACCELLOS INC WMS CUSTOMER SUPPORT

You can contact Accellos Support by telephone or e-mail. Be sure to have ready your company name, the version of Accellos One Warehouse you are using and a concise description of the problem you are experiencing

Telephone: 1-800-668-7700 905-695-9999 or 905-337-7190E-mail: [email protected]

S ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL ix

About This Document

Contacting Accellos Inc WMS Customer Support

X OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

1 INTRODUCTION TO ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

WHAT IS ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE?

Accellos One Warehouse is a Warehouse Management System (WMS), which is software designed specifically for managing the movement and storage of products in your companies warehouses and distribution centres. It tracks the flow of goods through the distribution centre and automates the in-warehouse segment of the order-fulfillment process. By integrating PC, Internet, barcode, radio frequency (RF) and mobile technologies, Accellos One Warehouse maintains up-to-the-minute warehouse inventory records, and reports on the real-time status of orders, products, and processes, to any member of the organization with access to a PC and a Web browser.

Accellos One Collect EditionCollect Edition is the 'basic' or 'easy' edition of Accellos One Warehouse. Collect is designed to be a true entry-level product. It offers simplified user processes and implementation, while still providing a robust WMS solution.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 1

Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse

What is Accellos One Warehouse?

Accellos One Warehouse Functional OverviewAccellos One Warehouse provides the inventory-control component of a fully automated warehouse management system (WMS), which normally includes order-entry, accounting, customer relationship, and supply chain management functionality delivered by a separate packaged application. Accellos One Warehouse also acts as the intermediary between the financial system and a single-carrier shipping system that manages shipping processes and with external logistics partners, such as UPS/DHL/FEDEX, postal system, trucking providers.

Order data

Financial System

Shipm ent data

Order Entry W arehouse processing

Shipping

Shipping costs, carriers, and

shipm ent data

Receipt & pick confirm ations,

inventory adjustm ents

Custom ers & Suppliers

Shipping carriers

Using RF handheld devices equipped with barcode scanners, warehouse staff record each movement of stock through the warehouse, from the moment the products arrive on the receiving dock from a supplier, to the moment they leave the shipping dock to travel to their final customer destination. Accellos One Warehouse can integrate with various types of hardware used in the warehouse to assist in materials handling, keyboard scanners, barcode label printers, laser printers, etc.

Shipping cartonsReceiving/Putaway

PackagingBulk storage Pick binsReplenishment/Transit

PROD

UCT

PROD

UCT

PROD

UCT

PROD

UCT

PROD

UCT

PROD

UCT

2 OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE


Accellos One Warehouse Functional Overview

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ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE FEATURES

From the user’s perspective, the Accellos One Warehouse user interface consists of the following elements:

• “Handhelds, and other Mobile Devices” on page 3.

• “Barcode Printers” on page 4

• “Web Dispatch” on page 5

• “Accellos One Warehouse (RFBase) Console” on page 6.

NOTE: The actual prompts, options, and functions available on the handheld and Web Dispatch interfaces will vary somewhat from warehouse to warehouse, according to the configuration for each implementation, and from user to user, according to the permissions granted to each user.

Handhelds, and other Mobile DevicesRadio Frequency (RF) provides highly accurate, paperless, real-time operations. The interface runs via Telnet sessions on RF handheld devices, in a browser on RF handheld devices running Windows Mobile V5 onward (via telnet sessions), on other mobile devices (such as Blackberry’s) or on a PC.

Handheld devices are used by warehouse staff for all warehousing operations such as receiving, picking, printing labels and so on

Accellos One Warehouse on an Intermec RF handheld device, running Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile.

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ELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 3


Accellos One Warehouse Features

Barcode PrintersAccellos One Warehouse supports up to 24 barcode printers, facilitating bin, product labelling, shipping labels and pickslips.




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Web DispatchThis is the Web-based user interface for Accellos One Warehouse, accessed with Internet Explorer from any client PC. It is used by a warehouse manager to control order processing in the warehouse, to monitor daily warehouse operations in real time, and to generate historical reports. In addition, Web-Dispatch provides access to the administrative functions, which are used to configure and manage Accellos One Warehouse. Web Dispatch may also be used by sales or customer service agents who want to check the status of orders or inventory.



Accellos One Warehouse Features

Accellos One Warehouse (RFBase) ConsoleThe Accellos One Warehouse Console is the user interface for the Handheld Server (RFBase executable program) that is installed on the Accellos One Warehouse server and controls the radio frequency (RF) handheld functions.

The console also provides an interface that can be used as a virtual RF handheld for performing and monitoring warehouse functions in real time.

Accellos One Warehouse handheld functions can be performed on the Accellos One Warehouse (RFBase) Console.




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INTEGRATION WITH EXTERNAL SYSTEMS

Accellos One Warehouse also interfaces with the following applications in a fully integrated automated warehouse management system:

• An accounting/ERP application, such as SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains/Axapta/Navision/Solomon, or Sage Software MAS 90/200/500 etc., and, for some of these systems, third-party interface software that provides seamless integration with Accellos One Warehouse. These host systems are used to enter purchase orders and sales orders. The order data is downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse, which takes over all in-warehouse automation. When processing is complete in the warehouse, data is uploaded back to the host system, so that its inventory is updated accordingly.

• Crystal Reports®. Accellos One Warehouse interfaces with Crystal Reports template files to automatically print paper documents, such as pick tickets, packing slips, invoices, bills of lading, customer manifests, and other shipping documentation. Crystal Reports is also used to generate special, customized reports viewable from Web Dispatch Report screens.

• Single Carrier Shipping System Integration— FedEx, UPS Domestic, DHL, US Postal Service are supported.

• Crystal Reports®. Accellos One Warehouse interfaces with Crystal Reports template files to automatically print paper documents, such as pick tickets, packing slips, invoices, bills of lading, customer manifests, and other shipping documentation. Crystal Reports is also used to generate special, customized reports viewable from Web Dispatch Report screens.

• BarTender® Enterprise Label software. Accellos One Warehouse interfaces with BarTender® Label software, which lets users easily design their own barcode labels using using a simple Windows interface. Labels created using BarTender® print seamlessly from within the Accellos One Warehouse application.



Integration with External Systems

Understanding Upload and Download TransactionsThe following figure summarizes the interactions between Accellos One Warehouse, and the host system. Each process is described below the figure and includes a description of the type of records transferred between the various systems.

Product Data UpdatesVendor Availability (VA) records

1

Miscellaneous Adjustment (MT) record

Physical Inventory Control

Purchase Order Issue

Receipt Confirmation (RC) record

Receiving

Pick Confirmation (PC) record

Sales Order Issue

Inventory AdjustmentComputer Adjustment (CA) record

Pick Head (PH) and Pick Detail (PD) records

Receive Head (RH) and Receive Detail (RD) records

Stock Count (SC) recordFull Physical

Inventory Count

Picking & Packing

2

3

4

5

6

Host ERP/ Accounting

System

Accellos One Warehouse

1 Product, customer, and vendor data are downloaded from the host system to Accellos One Warehouse in Vendor Availability (VA) records.

2 Purchase orders are entered through the host system and downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse in Receive Head (RH) and Receive Detail (RD) records. When products are fully received and the purchase orders ‘closed’, Receipt Confirmation (RC) records are uploaded to the host. The host system’s inventory is increased accordingly. Note that some warehouses may also allow inventory for which there is no purchase order to be received. In these cases, a PO may be created on-the-fly by Accellos One Warehouse and uploaded as a Miscellaneous Adjustment (MT) record. The purchase order process flow is described in “Receiving” on page 24.

3 When full inventory counts are performed in Accellos One Warehouse on a periodic basis (normally once a year), Stock Count (SC) records are uploaded to the host system and the accounting/ERP system’s inventory is updated accordingly Inventory counting in Accellos One Warehouse is described in “Inventory Control” on page 37.



Understanding Upload and Download Transactions

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4 When physical inventory is updated in the warehouse in Accellos One Warehouse, through cycle counting, returned merchandise, or other physical inventory management functions, Miscellaneous Adjustment (MT) records are uploaded to the host system.The host system’s inventory is increased or decreased accordingly. Inventory control processes in Accellos One Warehouse are described in “Inventory Control” on page 37.

5 Occasionally, the accounting/ERP system may need to update Accellos One Warehouse’s inventory. In this case, Computer Adjustment (CA) records are downloaded from the host to increase or decrease Accellos One Warehouse’s inventory.

6 Sales orders are entered through the host system and downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse in Pick Head (PH) and Pick Detail (PD) records. Pick Confirmation (PC) records are uploaded from Accellos One Warehouse to the host system. The sales order process flow is described in various sections of “The Warehouse Process Cycle” on page 21.

NOTE: There is a standard host-interchange interface specification for Accellos One Warehouse that documents each field in each transaction type. For detailed information on Accellos One Warehouse and host system data interchanges, see the Host Interchange Transactions document.



Integration with External Systems

Network Layout, Users and FunctionsThe diagram that follows provides an overview of the entire Accellos One Warehouse network, locating the hardware and software user interfaces and their users in physical terms in a simplified warehouse layout. Following the diagram is a description of the different user roles and the functions they typically perform with the different user interfaces.

• The Accellos One Warehouse server may be either physically present in the warehouse, in a computer room, or, in a multi-building implementation, off-site.

• In a corporate office, customer service representatives may access Web Dispatch through the Internet Explorer Web browser to get up-to-the-minute status reports on orders.

• A warehouse manager accesses the Web Dispatch interface through Internet Explorer, to manage orders, distribute picking assignments to warehouse employees, monitor and report on current or historical warehouse performance, print picking/shipping labels on a label printer, and perform other functions. The warehouse manager may need access to the Accellos One Warehouse servers for system startup and shutdown, monitoring handheld usage in the warehouse, and perhaps using the Accellos One Warehouse (RFBase) console to perform handheld functions.

• In the receiving area, receivers and putaway drivers use handhelds to perform their respective functions, and to print product labels on a label printer.

• In the storage area, pickers, packers, replenishers, and cycle counters use handhelds to perform their respective functions, and to print bin, product, and picking/shipping labels on a label printer. Accellos One Warehouse’s Crystal Reports server may automatically print Crystal Reports paper packslips, invoices or other paper documents on laser printers located in picking and packing areas.

• In the shipping area, shippers weigh and check in shipments with a shipping system, if present. Depending on the system configuration, Crystal Reports paper packslips or label packslips on printers located in the shipping area.


2 UNDERSTANDING ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE CONCEPTSThis chapter introduces important warehouse concepts and terms that are specific to the Accellos One Warehouse product.

KEY WAREHOUSE CONCEPTS

This section defines concepts and terms that pertain to the physical or logical setup of your warehouse, and that affect the processes you use in your Accellos One Warehouse implementation.

WarehouseA warehouse is a logical entity used by some accounting/ERP systems to represent a location from which goods may be picked and shipped. A warehouse may or may not correspond to a physical location, and may even be a virtual entity. In these systems, storage bins may be assigned to different warehouses according to whether goods may actually be allocated and picked from those bins.

A warehouse is identified by a one- or two-digit code defined by the accounting/ERP system.

Customer/VendorTo refer to the consumer of products, we use the term customer. To refer to the supplier of products, we use the term vendor. Customers and vendors are identified by name and number.


Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts

Key Warehouse Concepts

PacksizeA packsize is defined as the number of counting units in a saleable/shippable package. Accellos One Warehouse supports up to five different default or formal packsizes, as well as an infinite number of additional packsizes. The default sizes are defined by the accounting/ERP system when product records are downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse. If a product uses serial numbers, the system will always assume a packsize of 1 for it, regardless of how packsizes are configured.

In some warehouses, where small products may be grouped into multiple levels of packaging, complex packsizes may also be defined. In these scenarios, a packsize consists of its quantity in inner, middle, and outer packs.

Packsizes are assigned to bin types, and are used in all warehouse functions. Customers may or may not order products in particular packsizes as well.

Tip: You may also see the following terms in Accellos One Warehouse to refer to a packsize: carton, Q per P, pack quantity.

AttributeAn attribute is an additional characteristic used to differentiate between different versions of the same product, but which is not significant enough to warrant the product being identified with a different product number. Lots and serials are the most common attributes used. However, “colour” or “size” are example of appropriate attributes that may be added to articles of clothing.

Attributes may be unique or non-unique. A non-unique attribute identifies a group of products, such as a lot number. A unique attribute identifies a single article of a given type of product, such as a serial number. In fact, lots and serial numbers are the most common uses of attributes in Accellos One Warehouse warehouses. For more information on attribute number formats, see “Product Numbers” on page 17.

Products with attributes are known as extended products.

Accellos One Warehouse can be configured to require warehouse staff to identify the attribute value of a product, such as a lot or serial number, as follows:

Receive Only — Identify the attribute only during the addition of product into the warehouse, by any means (receiving, adjusting, or cycle counting).

Pick Only — Identify the attribute only during the removal of product from the warehouse, by any means (picking, adjusting, or cycle counting).

Receive and Pick — Identify the attribute during the addition of product into the warehouse and removal of product from the warehouse.

Receive Lot & Track — Identify the lot number during the addition of product into the warehouse, and during in-warehouse handling, by any means (moving, replenishing, adjustments and cycle counts.)



Bins

A

Store Serial in Warehouse — Identify the serial number whenever stock is added or removed. Remember whether the serial item is in or out of the warehouse, but do not track the bin that the serial item is moved into, if it is moved; However, remember the bin it was first put into.

Receive, Pick, and Track In Warehouse — Identify the attribute during the addition of product into the warehouse, removal of product from the warehouse, and in-warehouse handling.

BinsA bin is a named storage area in the distribution center that can contain inventory. Accellos One Warehouse stores and tracks all inventory in bins. A bin can be any of the following:

• A physical unit in which a product or group of products are stored prior to being moved out of the warehouse. Physical bins are usually defined by some kind of racking or shelving system, and are numbered and barcode-labelled sequentially, according to their spatial placement into rows or aisles. Their sequence determines the path used in guided picking processes.

Physical bins are identified by a combination of letters and digits, such as A101, up to eight characters in length.

• A virtual unit, such as a staging area, where products are temporarily stored before being moved to a more permanent home.

Virtual bins are typically given a name according to the function they serve, such as WRK, for a work area, RECV, for a receiving area, or CART, for a returned materials area.

• A system-defined virtual unit, used for program logic. By default, these are REPLENIS (used for replenishment functions, described in “Replenishment” on page 28), TRANSIT (used for the Direct Move function, described in “Putaway” on page 25), and BATCHPCK (used for the batch picking and repack functions, described in “Picking & Packing” on page 32). Your warehouse may use additional, custom-defined system bins.

If multiple warehouses are used, each system unit is appended with the code representing the warehouse; for example, REPLENIS01.

Each bin is identified by its unique bin label in Accellos One Warehouse. Even when there are several warehouses in different geographical areas, the same bin number cannot be reused. The bin label is a maximum of eight characters.

Tip: You will also see the following terms in Accellos One Warehouse to refer to a bin: pickbin, slot, pickslot, location, shelf.

CCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 13


Key Warehouse Concepts

Bin TypesAll bins are characterized by their bin type. The different bin types are defined according to the variety of different products and packsizes they can store. The storage, allocation, and picking of products is controlled by the bin type where the products are stored. The five different types of bins are:

D: Dedicated bins — Contain one product in a single packsize. These are pickable bins.

N: Non-dedicated bins — Contain multiple products, each in a single packsize. These are pickable bins. Work areas are typically defined as non-dedicated bins.

R: Random bins—Contain multiple products in multiple packsizes. These are pickable bins.

C: Carton bins—Contain multiple products in multiple packsizes. These are usually non-pickable bins for bulk product stored in cartons or pallets, but may be configured to be pickable as well. Receiving areas are typically defined as carton bins, as are “cart” locations, which are used as temporary receiving areas for returned stock which will be returned to storage bins.

S: System bins—Used by the Accellos One Warehouse software for special purposes, such synchronizing the warehouse and host ERP inventory levels. They contain multiple products in multiple packsizes. These are non-pickable bins.

The way in which bin types are configured in your system has a crucial impact on all warehouse processes and functions.

Bins Characteristic and BehaviorsIn addition to the bin type, various properties define the characteristics and behavior of bins in different areas of the warehouse. Furthermore, some bins may only be associated with certain products according to warehouse-defined codes. These settings include:

• “Stock Consolidation” on page 15

• “Homes” on page 15

• “Products Assignment to Bins (Non-Sticky)” on page 15

• “Handle Code” on page 15

Together with bin types, these bin settings and restrictions control all aspects of the warehouse system, and define the warehouse design, layout and processes, such as receiving, putaway, allocation, replenishment, picking, etc.



Bins

A

Stock ConsolidationAll bins in Accellos One Warehouse allow consolidation of stock in the same bins according to the following criteria:

FIFO (first-in-first-out) — Stock from different FIFO dates, i.e., stock received (“created”) on different dates, can be consolidated/merged together in the bin.

Consolidate PO — Stock received on different purchase orders can be consolidated/merged together in the bin.

Consolidate Expiry date — Stock with different expiry dates can be consolidated/merged together in the bin.

HomesPick bins are often referred to as DNR bins (Dedicated, Non-dedicated and Random). DNR bins may also be defined as homes. Accellos One Warehouse refers to two types of homes, according to the number of pickable bins in which a product may be stored:

Single homes. ?In this scenario, a product can only reside in a single pickable bin per location at a given point in time. However, this bin may not be the same one over time, as bins are emptied and may be refilled with any other products.

Multiple homes. ?In this scenario, a product can reside in more than one pickable bin in a location at any point in time.

The type of homes that you define in your implementation has a crucial impact on how product may be put away and moved within the warehouse.

Products Assignment to Bins (Non-Sticky)If a bin is non-sticky, a product is associated with a pick bin only while the required items are in the bin.

The manner in which products are assigned to pick bins over time is called Dynamic homes (often called random slotting or pick-to-empty). Regardless of whether single or multiple homes are used, a product is not assigned to a bin once that product is no longer in the bin. When more inventory of the product is received, the bin is not shown as a home for the product.

Using random slotting/pick-to-empty, goods are put into any location where they fit, EXCEPT a location that already has the same goods. There can be several pickbins with the same product at any time. When a bin runs out, it becomes available for another product.

Handle Code Handle code identifies handling requirements of a product, such as hazardous materials (HAZMAT), heavy materials requiring special equipment to lift, or perishable products requiring refrigeration or freezing. Handle codes are assigned to products by the host accounting/ERP system. Product and bin handle codes must match in order for products to be stored in that bin.



Key Warehouse Terminology

WaveA wave is a set of purchase or sales orders that are grouped together in the system for receiving or picking. Waves of purchase orders are created by receivers during the receiving process, so that they can receive products from multiple orders simultaneously. Waves of sales orders are created by the system, by the dispatcher, or by pickers when orders are released to the warehouse floor, so that pickers can pick products for multiple orders simultaneously (see “Waving” on page 31).

KEY WAREHOUSE TERMINOLOGY

This section provides definitions of important Accellos One Warehouse terminology that you will encounter. This terminology is essential to your ability to understanding Accellos One Warehouse.

OverstockIn its generic sense, overstock refers to an area in a warehouse in which bulk product is stored, in pallets or cases. It is called “over” stock not because it is surplus, but because this stock is normally stored in area that is out of, or “over”, the reach of a standing person, and requires special equipment, such as a forklift, to be accessed.

In Accellos One Warehouse, overstock is used to refer to bins in which such product is stored, as well as to the labels that are affixed to the packages containing such products, normally printed during receiving.

Tip: You will also see the following terms used synonymously for overstock: carton, bulk.

CartonA carton is a generic term that refers to any cardboard, disposable box that can contain products, as distinct from a pallet, or a plastic tote. It can refer both to the case in which inventory is received and stored in the warehouse, and the container into which orders are picked and shipped. It may also refer to product stored in bulk, rather than as individual units.

Tip: The following terms are also used in some functions interchangeably with “carton”: pack, package.

ToteThe general meaning of tote is to refer to a plastic, permanent container into which products may be picked and shipped. However, the term also has specific uses in Accellos One Warehouse, for example, totlabel in the Web Dispatch orders screen.



Pallet

A

PalletA pallet in Accellos One Warehouse may or may not correspond to a physical pallet, and is used in two specific contexts.

• In the context of moving inventory, pallet moving simply refers to multiple products that are being moved from bin to bin at the same time.

• In the context of order shipments or transfers from other locations, a pallet designates a container which may contain multiple shipping cartons, and may correspond to a physical pallet, a bin location, or a carton (see also “Order and Shipment Numbers” on page 18).

PackslipThe term packslip is used in several different ways in Accellos One Warehouse. In one sense, it refers to a concrete item, namely the packing slip that ships with an order, as described in “Label Printing” on page 33. Most commonly, however, it refers to a sales order, or sales order number.

Product NumbersYour warehouse may use several different numbers for referring to products. The following is a brief description of some of the types of product identifiers you may see in different contexts in Accellos One Warehouse:

Warehouse product number—This is the SKU or part number used by your warehouse. This number can be any number defined in your distribution centre and may consist of up to 20 digits. This is the number you will see referenced throughout the Accellos One Warehouse user interface.

If your products use attributes, such as lot numbers, serial numbers, and so on, these will appear after the product number, separated by character delimiters such as a slash (/).

Vendor product number—This is the SKU or part number used by a vendor. This number may be associated with your product number in the Accellos One Warehouse database, and can be supplied through the Product Xref function on the handheld. If a cross-reference is defined for the vendor SKU, this number can also be used in all handheld functions that prompt for a product number.

Customer product number—This is the SKU or part number used by a customer. You will be prompted to enter a customer SKU when printing product labels from the handheld.

UPC (Universal Product Code)—•This is a 12-digit, standard product code used in product manufacturing, consisting of the supplier’s manufacturing ID, plus additional digits. You will only be prompted for this code when creating a new product in Web Dispatch.




Order and Shipment NumbersWhen sales orders are picked and shipped, various numbers are used to identify the order, the cartons in the order, groups of orders that are picked together, and groups of orders that are shipped together. The following is a brief description of some of the of the types of numbers you will see referenced in the Accellos One Warehouse user interface:

Order/Packslip number — This is the number assigned by the accounting/ERP system to identify a sales order, for downloaded orders. The packslip number referenced throughout Accellos One Warehouse contains the order number plus, in some cases, the back order number, logical warehouse, customer number, store number and/or department number.

Customer PO number — This is the customer’s purchase order number for a sales order, which is assigned by the accounting/ERP system for downloaded orders.

Wave number — This is a number, starting from 1000, that identifies a group of sales orders that are grouped together for picking in the same batch. This number is not printed on any documentation, but is used for in-warehouse purposes only. This number is generated for orders by Accellos One Warehouse when they are waved (see “Waving” on page 31).

Big number — This is a number from 1 to 99 that is printed in large text on the picking/shipping labels used in the picking process, to help pickers identify cartons belonging to the same order. This number is only used for in-house identification of cartons during picking, and is not used for shipping identification purposes. The same big number is generated for all cartons in an order by Accellos One Warehouse when the order is waved.

Carton number — This is a unique shipping container code for each individual carton in an order. It is printed and barcoded on picking/shipping labels and is used to track cartons in the warehouse. The format is a 9-digit number beginning with 1000... (for example: 100000078). It is also referred to in Accellos One Warehouse as a tote label, or a carton label. This number is generated for cartons by Accellos One Warehouse whenever a picking/shipping label is printed, such as when an order is waved.

Track-trace (SSCC-18) number — This is a unique serial shipping container code for each individual carton in an order. It is printed and barcoded on picking/shipping labels and is used to track cartons after they have been picked and shipped.

The format may be a standard 18-digit number with a two-digit prefix, beginning with 0, continuing with your manufacturing ID (or 9999999 if you don’t use one), continuing with the carton number described above, and ending with another digit; or it may be a carrier-specific package number, such as the UPS 1Z... number. This number is generated for cartons by Accellos One Warehouse whenever a picking/shipping label is generated, such as when an order is waved.



Order and Shipment Numbers

A

Big number

Order/packslip number

Order/packslip number

Customer PO number

Track-trace number

Your company’s manufacturing ID

Carton number (00) 0 3846358 100000094 9

T O/A: SWT444 REF:201

Sweet Tho ughts500 G arden Ave.To ro nto , O NM 4J 1E2

PO : 622189145

FROM/DE:

T he Candy Warehouse4556 Pepperm int WayT oronto, O NM 4V 9M 7

23201

Pallet number—A pallet number can be of two types in Accellos One Warehouse. The first type is similar to a carton track-trace number, and usually consists of a unique customer-compliant shipping serial number, where the format is the same as a track-trace number, with the initial digit being 1 (corresponding to a pallet addressed to a single or multiple stores) or 2 (corresponding to a pallet containing a single product). This number is generated for customer-compliant picking/shipping labels whenever the labels are produced.

The second type of pallet number corresponds to a “bin” in the warehouse, since a pallet of products may often be stored in a single bin.

BOL (Bill of Lading)/Manifest number—This number identifies a group of orders to be shipped to the same destination shipped on the same truck, or picked up at the same time by one carrier. This number is applied to all cartons in an order. The number is applied by the dispatcher in the shipping options, or it may be downloaded by the host, or it maybe assigned by an integrated shipping system.

Probill#/Shipment number—This number is assigned to all cartons shipped together in one shipment (such as all the cartons in one order), and dispatcher. In LTL shipments, the number is often the Probill number. In single-carton shipments, the shipment number is often the same as the track-trace number for the carton. The number is applied by the dispatcher in the shipping options, or it may be downloaded by the host, or it maybe assigned by an integrated shipping system.




PacklaneA packlane is simply a number used to identify a laser printer on which Crystal Packslip Reports are printed. This number may or may not correspond to a physical shipping lane. For more information, see “Label Printing” on page 33.


ACCEL

3 ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE PROCESSESThis chapter discusses the warehouse process cycle for Accellos One Warehouse. It provides an general overview of all of the major handheld and Web Dispatch functions.

THE WAREHOUSE PROCESS CYCLE

The following figure provides an overview of a typical warehouse process cycle using Accellos One Warehouse.

Shipping

Picking

Cycle-Counting & Inventory Control

Replenishment

Order Allocation

Warehouse Setup

Put-Away

Order Waving

Receiving

Packing

Label Printing

Purchase Order Issue

Sales Order Issue

OrderRe-allocation

LOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 21

Accellos One Warehouse Processes

The Warehouse Process Cycle

Note that once your warehouse is operational, many of these processes are actually happening simultaneously, rather than in sequence; the figure simply tries to show how data might typically flow through the system from the time products are received in the warehouse until sales orders are completely fulfilled. Label printing is depicted in the centre of the cycle, because it may be performed during any or every step of the process.

About Process StepsWhen purchase orders and sales orders are issued, downloaded and processed in the Accellos One Warehouse, they pass through several process steps (or “Procsteps”) before data is uploaded to the accounting/ERP system. These steps are displayed in sales and purchase order reports throughout Web Dispatch, and they indicate the status of an order.



Warehouse Setup

Warehouse SetupThe warehouse setup process is summarized in the following figure:

Accellos One Warehouse is installed and configured

Bins and products are barcode-labeled2

1

Inventory is set up in Accellos One Warehouse 3

1: System Setup and Configuration

During the warehouse setup and testing phase, the warehouse manager, installers, and network administrators work together to set up hardware; define warehouse rules and system users; configure accounting/ERP system; configure shipping systems, Crystal Reports and/or Bartender, as required; configure handheld and/or Web Dispatch options; and populate the Accellos One Warehouse database with product information.

2: Warehouse and Product Labeling

Once the system is set up, there are several warehouse tasks that need to be performed. First, bins and existing products must be barcode labelled. Generating the labels for bins actually ‘creates’ the bins in Accellos One Warehouse. Labels are described in more detail in “Label Printing” on page 33.

3: Inventory Setup

In existing warehouse — The physical inventory of existing products needs to be identified to Accellos One Warehouse and the accounting/ERP system using one of the two following inventory control processes:

• through a full or cycle (partial) count or,

• through miscellaneous adjustments, which includes the non-PO receiving type of miscellaneous adjustment.

Inventory control processes are described in “Inventory Control” on page 37.

In a brand new warehouse with no inventory—Products can simply begin to be received. Receiving processes are described following.




ReceivingThe receiving process is summarized in the following figure:

Purchase order is issued and downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse

Action Order Status

Receiver receives product and puts it away

NOT RECEIVED

BEING RECEIVED

Receiver or dispatcher closes purchase order

READY TO UPLOAD

2

3

1

1: Order Entry

Purchase orders are downloaded into Accellos One Warehouse from the accounting/ERP system.

2: Order Receipt

• When product arrives at the warehouse, warehouse staff receive the stock according to a printed purchase order that accompanies the delivery, or an electronic PO stored in the system.

• Once a receiver opens a PO, its process step in the Web Dispatch is BEING RECEIVED.

• Receivers may be required to record expiry dates for time-sensitive products; or UPC inspection codes. Your warehouse has the option of accepting over-shipped products. Short-shipped products are reported back to the host.

• Once products are received, receivers normally print labels and barcode the received products, cartons and pallets before they are put away.

• Finally, receivers can either put away the products immediately to real bins, or put them away to virtual bins for later putaway, which will consist of a separate step, as described in “Putaway” on page 25.

Tip: For products that arrive without purchase orders it can be received as a miscellaneous adjustment, described in “Inventory Control” on page 37. Non-PO receiving (often used for initial setup) is a type miscellaneous adjustment.



Putaway

3: Order Closure

When all items are received and checked in, the receiver closes the PO, and a receipt confirmation is uploaded to the accounting/ERP system. Alternatively, the Web Dispatcher can close purchase orders in a batch process at the end of the day.

In warehouses that use a manual upload procedure, the purchase order is marked as READY TO UPLOAD; in most implementations, you won’t see this process step, as the upload happens automatically.

NOTE: The dispatcher can close or cancel a PO at any time, before or after products have been received.

PutawayIn many warehouses, putaway is accomplished as a process separate from receiving. In this case, warehouses typically define a staging area where received products are temporarily stored for pickup by putaway drivers. Then, the putaway drivers use the Direct Move function to move single products or entire pallets of multiple products (called a pallet move) within the warehouse from one bin to another.

The general Direct Move process is summarized in the following figure:

Product is moved out of bins or temporary locations1

Product is moved into storage or pick bins2

1: Move Out

In a two-step method of Direct Move is used, putaway drivers move single or multiple products out of their current location into a temporary system location (called TRANSIT). In some warehouses, the system may be configured to restrict removal of product from the “transit” system location only by the user who moved it to the “transit” location initially. In this case, the system bin location would display as #YOUR_USERID, instead of TRANSIT. If a two-step method is used, a separate move-in step is required.

If a one-step method is used, the products are moved out of bins or temporary locations and can be moved immediately into destination bins.

2: Move In (Optional)

If two-step Direct Move is used, a second move-in procedure moves the products from the temporary system location (#YOUR_USERID, or TRANSIT) into their new destination bins.




Allocation Allocation is the process of assigning stock to orders, identifying the bins from which the stock is to be picked, and adjusting the physical inventory accordingly. Sales orders need to be allocated before they can be picked.

The allocation process for sales orders is summarized, in a simplified fashion, in the following figure:

Sales order is downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse

Action Order Status

Dispatcher or system allocates order

UNALLOCATED

HELDSUSPENDEDUNALLOCATED

1

2

READY TO WAVE

1: Order Entry

Sales orders are downloaded into Accellos One Warehouse from the accounting/ERP system.

2: Order Allocation

Once a sales order is downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse, it can be allocated in the following ways:

• Automatically, if background (automatic) allocation is enabled for your system. Accellos One Warehouse attempts to continually allocate unallocated orders on a cyclical basis, in addition to any manual allocations that may be performed by the dispatcher.

• Manually by the Web Dispatcher, through the Allocate function in the Web Dispatch. If background (automatic) allocation is not enabled in your configuration, when a sales order is first downloaded or created in Accellos One Warehouse, its process step is UNALLOCATED.

Whether the allocation method is automatic or manual, Accellos One Warehouse can be configured to allocate stock to handle short orders (those with lines that cannot be filled entirely) and replenishment in different ways. However, when orders are allocated manually in Web Dispatch, the dispatcher can choose the sequence in which to allocate orders according to business rules such as the customer’s requirements, the value, size, or priority of the order, or other criteria.

If all stock is successfully allocated to a sales order, or a short order is marked for shipment anyway, its status is READY TO WAVE (see “Waving” on page 31).



Allocation

If a sales order cannot be fully successfully allocated, it will be held until some remedial action is taken, and then must be re-allocated (see “Re-Allocation” on page 30). Reasons that sales orders may not be successfully allocated include:

• Product is not available in pick bins for some lines, but is available in overstock bins. The system may be pre-configured, or the dispatcher can opt to hold the order for replenishment. In this case, the fillable lines are allocated and stock is reserved for them, while the order status is HELD FOR REPLENISHMENT. A replenishment request is issued, and replenishers must replenish the stock before the order can be re-allocated successfully (see “Replenishment” on page 28).

• Product is not available in the warehouse for some lines. The system may be pre-configured, or the dispatcher can opt to hold the order short. In this case, the fillable lines are allocated and stock is reserved for them, while the order status is HELD SHORT. New stock must be received before the order can be allocated successfully.

• Product is not available in the warehouse for some lines. The system may be pre-configured, or the dispatcher can opt to require 100% fill. In this case, stock is not reserved for any lines, and the order returns to UNALLOCATED status. New stock must be received before the order can be allocated successfully.

• Product is available in the warehouse, but there is a problem with the packsize, or stock specified in the allocation. The order status is HELD FORMAT. The problem must be addressed before the order can be allocated successfully.




ReplenishmentReplenishment is the process of replacing stock depleted from pick bins with stock from bulk, or overstock, bins, and breaking down bulk packages into pickable packsizes defined for the warehouse. The replenishment process is summarized in the following figure:

Letdown request is issued

1

Warehouse staff lets down stock from overstock

2

Warehouse staff fills pick bins with let down product

3Fill-bin request is issued

Action

1: Replenishment Request Generation

In your warehouse, replenishment will undoubtedly be a routine task that is performed according to a defined procedure. Replenishment may also be performed in response to a replenishment request.

Letdown replenishment requests are generated by Accellos One Warehouse automatically by the system when a sales order cannot be fully allocated because some lines do not have enough inventory in the pick bins, and the order is marked to be held for replenishment (by default or by the dispatcher). This type of replenishment is called hot replenishment. The dispatcher can also create groups of replenishment requests, which group together orders with similar characteristics, such as their priority, customer, date, and so on.



Replenishment

2: Stock Letdown

When letdown replenishment requests are issued, letdown tickets may be automatically printed and distributed, if configured. Forklift drivers use the Letdown Stock function to let down the required products from overstock bins, and break the packs down into the appropriate packsizes required for picking.

If a one-step method is used, the stock may be immediately moved to the pick bins or work areas. Replenishment requests are cleared, and sales orders may be re-allocated.

If a two-step method is used, the let-down stock is moved to a temporary system location (called REPLENIS), and fill-bin replenishment requests are automatically issued.

3: Pick Bin Filling (Optional)

When a two-step method is used, once products have been let down from overstock and fill-bin requests have been issued, putaway drivers put away the products to the appropriate pick bins or work orders with the Fill Bins function. When the bins are filled or components moved to work areas, the replenishment requests are cleared, and sales orders may be re-allocated.

Tip: f your system is configured to allow it, replenishers can also use the Direct Move function, described in “Putaway” on page 25, to fulfill replenishment requests.




Re-AllocationFor sales orders that were not immediately marked as ready to wave, they need to be re-allocated. The re-allocation process is summarized in the following figure.

Action Order Status

Stock is received, replenished etc.

1

Dispatcher or System re-allocates order

READY TO WAVE2

1: Short Order or Error Handling

The dispatcher has several options for handling orders that could not be fully allocated the first time.

• For orders held for replenishment (i.e., stock is not available in pick bins) — normally products are simply replenished and the orders are re-allocated.

• Orders held short (i.e., stock is not available anywhere in the warehouse) — options include:

• held and re-allocated when the missing stock is received;

• re-allocated after other orders are unallocated to free up stock;

• shorted, i.e, re-allocated without the missing products.

• For orders held format(i.e., stock is available somewhere in the warehouse, but not in the requested packsize, or orders showing an error status,) — the cause of the problem must be identified and corrected.

2: Order Re-allocation

Once an initial allocation problem is addressed, re-allocation can be performed in the following ways:

• Manual re-allocation. If background allocation is not enabled, the dispatcher must re-allocate the orders manually. The dispatcher can re-allocate orders by running various reports to determine the availability of stock for outstanding held orders, and running the Allocate function again.

• Automatic re-allocation. If background allocation is enabled, Accellos One Warehouse automatically attempts to re-allocate held orders on a cyclical basis. The system will continually attempt to re-allocate a sales order until it is successful and marked READY TO WAVE.



Waving

WavingWaving is the process of grouping allocated sales orders together and releasing them to the warehouse floor to be picked. The waving process is summarized in the following figure:

Action Order Status

WAVEDSystem or dispatcher or picker waves order1

Pickers collect picking/shipping labels and shipping cartons

2

1: Order Waving

Waving can be done in one of several ways:

• By the Web Dispatcher, through the Wave function, for all picking styles. This is the most common method, in which the dispatcher groups together orders for picking. The dispatcher can also select various labels to be printed.

• Through the handheld for normal wave picking (see “Picking & Packing” on page 32). When a picker waves an order, they select orders assigned to them, or they can select a specific order, or select orders according to a predefined sequence, determined by characteristics of the order downloaded from the host system (for example, “hot” picks, priority level, date and time required, etc.)

When an order is waved, if the order is ready to pick and ship immediately, its status is marked as WAVED.

When orders are waved, a wave number is assigned to the group of orders, and a carton/track-trace number is assigned to each shipping carton in each order, based on the number of cartons estimated to be required for the order. Picking/shipping labels are automatically printed for the orders.

2: Shipping Label and Carton Collection

Pickers collect the picking/shipping labels from printers assigned to them, or from the dispatch station, where the dispatcher distributes the labels according to the picking styles used in the warehouse. If pickers are using a picking style that allows them to pack products into cartons during the picking process (see “Picking & Packing” on page 32), they also collect the appropriate number of shipping cartons required for the products and orders in the wave they will be picking, based on the number of labels or label types printed. For more information on picking/shipping labels, see “Label Printing” on page 33.

NOTE: The dispatcher can unwave, cancel, or suspend a sales order at any time after it has been waved.




Picking & PackingThe picking and packing process is summarized in the following figure:

Picker begins picking order or batch

Action Order Status

BEING PICKED1

2Picker/packer packs/repacks cartons

Picker picks last item in order, or packer packs last item in order

RATING/READY TO UPLOAD

3

1: Order Picking

• Depending on the picking styles used in the warehouse, picking and packing are often done simultaneously. The regular picking style used in Accellos One Warehouse (called wave picking), consists of picking items directly into the cartons in which the products are to be shipped. In other picking styles, items are picked onto a cart or into totes (batch picking), and are packed in a separate step (product or scanner picking).

• Regardless of the picking style, when the picker begins to pick an order or batch, the status of the sales order is BEING PICKED.

• During picking, pickers may also perform other functions, such as moving inventory, printing additional labels, and so on.

• Most warehouses have procedures for dealing with the case that a picker encounters missing products for lines in an order they are picking. In some cases, the picker may simply skip or short the pick, continue to pick the rest of the order, and allow the order to be shipped without the missing items. Sometimes, an order in this condition is suspended. The picker alerts the dispatcher, who suspends the order in Web Dispatch. When the shortage is resolved and the picker is ready to resume picking the order, the dispatcher unsuspends the order so it can be re-released to the picking floor for completion, and it returns to the status of BEING PICKED.

2: Order Repacking (Optional)

Sometimes, already-packed orders may need to be repacked for various reasons, such as damage to cartons, poor space utilization in the cartons, and so on. In this case, items can be repacked into a different carton (either a new or existing carton).



Shipping

3: End-of-Line Processes

Once an order is completely picked (and packed), printing a label and/or paper packslip may be performed automatically either when the last pick of an order is completed or when the entire order is confirmed as shipped. These processes are determined by an end-of-line configuration that is applied to the order, based on the method used to ship the order.

Orders are put into the status of RATING if any shipping processes need to be performed (shipping confirmed), or READY TO UPLOAD if no actions are necessary.

ShippingShipping processes will vary from warehouse to warehouse, and even from order to order, depending largely on two factors:

• the type of automated shipping system used in the warehouse, and the level of integration with Accellos One Warehouse, if any;

• the type of carrier that will be used to ship a given order, and the options configured for that carrier.

Accellos One Warehouse supports integration to a a single shipping system at a time. This means that you can have more than one of these shipping stations set up, but it is a manual decision which shipping station you take cartons that are picked and ready to ship. Picked cartons are scanned into the shipping system, providing carton weights and shipping information to the shipping systems so that the cartons can be rated and manifested. The rating/cost information becomes available to Accellos One Warehouse.

Label PrintingAccellos One Warehouse prints several different standard label types, at all points during the warehouse process cycle. For each label type, a format is also associated with it, which can be customized for each warehouse environment.

Labels may be printed automatically according to your Accellos One Warehouse configuration, or manually through handheld printing functions. Furthermore, many handheld functions, such as receiving, and putaway, automatically prompt the user to select labels to print, at the appropriate step of the process.

Accellos One Warehouse also interfaces with the Crystal Reports application to print paper packslips. Paper packslips s are always printed automatically on laser printers, at the process step determined by the End-Of-Line configuration used for the order.




Label Types

Bin Label—A small label containing human-readable bin number and barcode.

• Affixed to physical bins.

• Printed manually from the handheld, during initial warehouse setup or at any other time.

Case Label (Case of Product)—Sometimes referred to as Special Overstock labels, these are generic labels (typically 2 x 4 inch) with barcode, product description and quantity in package. In addition to the information contained on the standard overstock label, these labels also contain any non-unique attributes (lots) that are entered during receiving.

• Affixed to cartons containing multiple units of product.

• Printed during Receiving and Miscellaneous Adjustment functions. Also printed manually from the handheld, during initial warehouse setup, or at any other time.

Product/UPC Label— Typically smaller than case (overstock) labels (for example, 1 x 1¼ inch). This label has a barcode and a product or UPC/EAN number and description.

• Affixed to product units.

• Printed during Receiving, and Miscellaneous Adjustment functions, when prompted from the handheld.

• Also printed manually, from the handheld, during initial warehouse setup or at any other time.

Purchase Order Product Label (F3 Labels)—Label to print when receiving labels are requested for an entire purchase order.

• Receivers can request these labels by pressing F3 when prompted for the product.

• These labels are often used when the system is being set up and then discarded when a proper cross-reference of supplier codes is developed.

Serialized Product Label Format—Label for serialized items, showing serial number after serial number has been captured.

• These labels can only be generated through the Receiving function.

Replenishment Letdown Label (Letdown Tickets)—Letdown tickets are labels that can be used to simplify replenishment of items that are not already barcoded. They are 2 x 4-inch labels with overstock and pick bin locations for replenishment.

• If configured, letdown tickets are automatically printed for sales orders when replenishment requests are generated during allocation. (Note that electronic replenishment requests are always generated).



Label Printing

Default Picking/Shipping Label—A generic or UCC-18 standard 6 x 4-inch label with Ship From/To information, track-trace number, optional big number, and other optional information.

• Used to direct pickers, and affixed to shipping cartons for orders.

• There is the default pick/ship (ASN/MH-10) label, if no specific label was requested (see Customer Picking/Shipping Label below).

Customer Picking/Shipping Label—Customer compliant Picking/Shipping label. Same as default picking/shipping label above, but formatted according to customer standards.

• Used to direct pickers, and affixed to shipping cartons for orders.

Pick Ticket Label—This label is printed before an order is picked and lists all of the products, quantities, and bin locations to be picked for each sales order in a wave.

• Can be used for paper picking or as a checklist for pickers until they become comfortable with RF-based picking, helping pickers make the transition to electronic picking.

• Printed automatically when an order is waved.

Packslip Label—Printed after an order is picked and shows all of the products picked for the sales order. Lists items ordered, quantities picked, and prices for the order.

• Affixed to or placed inside order shipping cartons.

• Printed automatically, if used, at ‘Last Pick’/’Shipping Confirmed’ according to an End-of-Line configuration.

Paper Packslip—Crystal Report, using Packslip.rpt.

• Affixed to or placed inside order shipping cartons.

• Printed automatically, if used, at ‘Last Pick’/’Shipping Confirmed’ according to an End-Of-Line configuration.

Carton Contents—List of items and quantities that were picked into the specified carton.

• Affixed to order shipment cartons.

• Printed manually, at any time after order is picked, from the handheld.

Numbered Carton Contents (N of M Carton)—List of items and quantities in the carton, and number of cartons among total cartons.

• Affixed to order shipment cartons.

• Printed manually, at any time after order is picked, from the handheld.

Price Ticket—Same as product label, plus customer-specific information such as selling price, comparison prices, etc.

• Affixed to product units or to cartons containing multiple units of product.

• Printed manually from the handheld.




Label PrintersThe physical printers on which Accellos One Warehouse labels and paper documents are printed are determined by Accellos One Warehouse logical printers. While physical printers are identified by a number that is assigned during setup to each printer; i.e., label printers are numbered from 1 to 24, Crystal Reports printers (usually laser printers) are numbered from 0 to 9, logical printers are defined according to the function they perform; that is, the types of labels or files they print. The following table lists Accellos One Warehouse’s logical printers and indicates the labels that each printer handles.

Logical Printer Labels Printed

Bin Labels Bin Labels

Receiving Serialized Product LabelPurchase Order Product Label

Product/Case Labels Product/UPC LabelsCase (Special Overstock) LabelsPrice Tickets

Replenishment Letdown Tickets

Zone1 (A) Picking/Shipping Labels (including Customer Compliant Picking/Shipping Labels)Picking Ticket

Post Pick Labels Packslip labelsCarton Contents LabelsNumbered (N of M) Contents Labels

In the system configuration, logical printers are mapped to physical printers as global defaults or according to user ID, so that the printers to which print jobs are sent are determined by the users currently logged on. However, dispatchers and handheld users can also change the pre-set mappings on-the-fly when printing specific labels.



Inventory Control

Inventory ControlInventory control tasks include the following:

• Counting inventory. There are two types of inventory counting:

Full stock count—Full stock counting is a wall-to-wall count of the entire inventory in the warehouse. Usually performed at initial setup and then on a regular interval, such as annually. Full stock counting requires that the entire system be shut down, and is therefore usually only performed outside of regular warehouse operations.

Cycle count—Cycle counting is a regular, routine procedure which is to count a limited amount of stock, in sections of the warehouse. Cycle counting can be performed at any time, concurrently with all other warehouse operations, thus can be performed on a continuous basis.

A Directed Cycle Count function lets a warehouse manager schedule bins for counting. The warehouse user is directed to marked bins so that an appropriate number of bins are counted each day.

• Adjusting inventory

If your system is configured to use miscellaneous transactions, warehouse staff can use the Miscellaneous Adjustments function to account for changes to physical inventory that are not initiated by the host system, such as damage to goods, front counter sales, unforeseen item returns, and so on.





About This DocumentAudienceAccellos One Warehouse Product StructureGetting Additional InformationDocument Conventions

Contacting Accellos Inc WMS Customer Support

Introduction to Accellos One WarehouseWhat is Accellos One Warehouse?Accellos One Collect EditionAccellos One Warehouse Functional Overview

Accellos One Warehouse FeaturesHandhelds, and other Mobile DevicesBarcode PrintersWeb DispatchAccellos One Warehouse (RFBase) Console

Integration with External SystemsUnderstanding Upload and Download TransactionsNetwork Layout, Users and Functions

Understanding Accellos One Warehouse ConceptsKey Warehouse ConceptsWarehouseCustomer/VendorPacksizeAttributeBinsBin TypesBins Characteristic and BehaviorsStock ConsolidationHomesProducts Assignment to Bins (Non-Sticky)Handle Code

Wave

Key Warehouse TerminologyOverstockCartonTotePalletPackslipProduct NumbersOrder and Shipment NumbersPacklane

Accellos One Warehouse ProcessesThe Warehouse Process CycleAbout Process StepsWarehouse SetupReceivingPutawayAllocationReplenishmentRe-AllocationWavingPicking & PackingShippingLabel PrintingLabel TypesLabel Printers

Inventory Control

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