E-WMS

E-WMS - 'Pallet quantity from bulk' explained

Introduction

This document describes the functionality of E-WMS advice setting 'Pallet quantity from bulk', as per release 413.

SKU Management already offers a setting 'Full SKU first from bulk location'.

This functionality offers the possibility to pick 'full pallets from bulk locations', when not using E-WMS SKU Management.

Basics

The functionality works best when your bulk locations mostly contain 'full pallets'.

When your bulk locations contain broken pallets or stock remainders, then picking from picking locations could still be more efficient.

However, this E-WMS logic does not optimize over quantities that could be picked on both bulk- and pick locations; it will just advice bulk locations for specific ordered quantities.

A serial/batch advice policy is always applied first.

When you have to pick batch items, where typically the oldest stock would already be stored on picking locations, then you will still be directed to picking locations.

Only when you have the same batch (end dates) stored both on picking and bulk locations, then you may benefit from this new functionality.

The picking advice for the bulk locations is not necessarily split into single picking lines per 'pallet quantity', by this logic.

Only when you have single-pallet locations, then the advice is still split per pallet, due to the fact that different warehouse locations are advised.

When you have bulk locations allowing storage of multiple pallets, then this functionality does not split the picking advice per pallet quantity.

When the advice setting 'Pallet quantity from bulk' is enabled, it overrules the advice setting 'Location advice policy'. The other location advice settings are still applied.

When E-WMS SKU Management is enabled, then the settings for this functionality are not visible since SKU Management already offers this functionality.

Configuration

The functionality has following settings:

advice setting 'Pallet quantity from bulk' to enable the functionality:
setting 'Pick from bulk: quantity' per item.

Working

You can configure a 'pallet quantity' in item maintenance, by clicking the WMS button:

When the advice setting 'Pallet quantity from bulk' is enabled and this item factor is not zero, then the advice logic will advice an ordered quantity of 50 or more, from bulk locations - for each multiple of 50, in the order line quantity. For a remaining quantity smaller than 50, a picking location will be advised.

Some samples, for a pallet size of 50:

qty ordered advice

10 10 from pick

49 49 from pick

50 50 from bulk

52 50 from bulk, 2 from pick

99 50 from bulk, 49 from pick

100 100 from bulk (note: not 2x50)

120 100 from bulk, 20 from pick

500 500 from bulk

Of course, the real location advice still depends on the actual available stock, and this logic is only applied on pre-selected serial/batch stock (when serial/batch advice is enabled).

The efficiency of this advice also depends on the actual stock quantities on bulk locations, and therefore the number of picks needed on the bulk locations.

Taking above advice sample for ordered quantity of 100; when the bulk stock positions are 20, 10, 20, 35, 15 - then you still need 5 picks to get 100.

When your bulk stock only consists of full pallets of 50, then you need 2 picks to get 100.

Filter order lines

Picking from bulk locations may require specific picking equipment, for example for high bulk locations, or a fork lift truck to handle full pallets.

< You can direct a picking advice for bulk locations to a specific order picker (or at least direct to the picking queue as separate picking order) by using WMS 'filter order lines'.