Introduction

This document describes the maintenance screen of WMS location distances in menu WMS, Setup, Location management, Location distances.

Description

Location distances were introduced in E-WMS in product update 408 for 'real-time replenishment' and for Directed-Put Away where a specific policy is used, like storing bulk stock near the item's default location. To be able to determine 'nearby', E-WMS needs to know the distance between locations. In menu WMS, Setup, Location management, Location distances you can configure distances between locations in your warehouse.

Location distances need to be configured for following scenarios:

• When using orderpicking/replenishment scenario '1' and when you are using 'order-specific' stock such as S/B-number in orderline or debtor 'external shelf life';  or
• when using Directed Put-Away (DPA) and DPA policy 'Near item default location', or
• when using Directed Put-Away (DPA) and DPA policy 'Near source location'

When a specific DPA policy is configured involving distances, the value of the E-WMS setting 'DPA default distance' is used for any distance between locations not specifically configured in this menu.

Maintenance of location distances

Menu WMS, Setup, Location management, Location distances is available when your Exact Globe Next license contains E-WMS II (SE1381) or E-WMS Replenishment (SE5710), and E-Warehouse location (SE1312).   

In this browser screen, you can add columns from master data of the used warehouse code, and from the 'location to' warehouse location.

Press button Open to edit an existing record, or New to create a new 'distance'. You can only create new records for 'from-to' combinations that do not exist yet.

• Warehouse
  Select the warehouse. You can only configure distances between locations in the same warehouse
   
  
• Location from
  Select the source location. When browsing, only locations from the previous selected warehouse will show.
  When using DPA policy 'Near item default location' or when using the 'real-time replenishment' scenario, this is the item default location.
  When using DPA policy 'Near source location', this is the source location where the stock is transferred from. In a 'receipt and transfer' process, this would be the general receipt location.
   
  
• Location to
  Select the target location. When browsing, only locations from the previous selected warehouse will show.
  When using DPA, this is the location where incoming bulk stock should be stored, and the location should therefore be linked to an E-WMS location type.
  When using the 'real-time replenishment' scenario , this is a bulk location near the item default location, where order-specific stock (specific batches) can be stored and were breaking up SKUs is allowed.
    
  
• Distance
  This value can be the real distance in meters, but it can as well be a factor. It is just used as primary sorting key when use of distances is required.
  When locations have equal distance, then the next sorting is by location preference factor and by the location code itself (alphabetically).
  
  

Sample of using distance locations

This sample shows the use of distances in Directed Put-Away, to store new stock near the item's default location.

• SKU item A2060 has default location 03-10-1 (aisle 3, stop 10, level 1 = pick location at floor position)   
   
  
• Bulk locations near this location are linked to location types for DPA of bulk stock, with separate rules for bulk locations on height 2 (breaking and broken SKUs allowed) and on height 3 and 4 (only full SKUs).     
   
  
• When the WMS general setting 'DPA policy' is set to 'None', or when no location distances are configured.
     
  then DPA will advice location 01-01-3 (aisle 1, stop 1, height 3), which is not in the same aisle as the default picking location for item A2060, and therefore not optimal for this warehouse:
  
     
   
  
• When the WMS general setting 'DPA policy' is set to 'Near item default location', and when distances are configured between the item default location and nearby bulk locations.   
  
  then DPA will advice optimal location 03-10-2, which is located just above default location 03-10-1
  
     
  
     

Related documents

• Directed Put Away (DPA)
• WMS General settings: DPA policy
• Product Update 408: E-WMS offers real-time replenishment of picking locations
   
  
• E-WMS start page