This document describes the configuration and working of E-WMS Autopack and SSCC Shipment Builder in Exact Globe Next, per product update 409.
Description
This document contains the following sections:
Autopack can be used when you need shipment labels during your sales order fulfillment process, but when you do not want to use order picking using scanners.
Autopack and SSCC Shipment Builder offer a shipment label print solution without the need to use scanners. From product update 406, the Autopack and Shipment Builder functionality is available as independent functionality in Exact Globe Next menu Order, Entry, SSCC Shipment Builder. When using SSCC Shipment Builder, other menu paths apply than used for E-WMS. From product update 407, serial/batch items are also supported in this process.
E-WMS Autopack or SSCC Shipment Builder will offer following functionality:
Following terms are used in Autopack:
Following is required to use WMS Autopack or SSCC Shipment Builder:
When downloading and installing Exact Globe Next, all required parts are available, except for BarTender. BarTender is not part of Exact and needs to be purchased and installed separately, and consists of a license service (to be installed once) and the client installations for designing and printing. A BarTender trial version can be downloaded from Seagull Scientific, but using a trial version of BarTender is not supported (though it may work).
When using the BarTender 'server' method, this document applies: setting up hand terminal label printing
You can configure up to 3 different labels: one for inner SSCC's (cases), one for outer SSCC's (pallets), and one for the shipment. Designing these labels with bar codes and texts is not part of this document, but sample labels and SQL views are provided in document BarTender - WMS integration: mandatory fields and samples. You can use these views and labels to get started. Please remember to change in each label lay-out file: server name, database name, SQL login and printer; since these labels are build with a default configuration. In you are using these labels in a network environment, you may save the labels in a shared folder. Following sample lay-outs are provided: eWMSAutopackBox.btw, eWMSAutopackPallet.btw and eWMSAutopackShipment.btw.
When using the BarTender 'client' method (default method for these SSCC labels), then the label lay-outs are based on SQL views. Some field names in these views are mandatory, besides that, you are free to add any fields you need. To access the data in the BarTender labels, you may configure a dedicated SQL user. That way, you do not need to grant rights to each user printing these labels. Following sample SQL views are provided: eWMSAutopackBox.sql, eWMSAutopackPallet.sql and eWMSAutopackShipment.sql.
The labels created in step BarTender labels need to be linked in Exact Globe Next menu System, E-WMS, Labels, for each of the label type you want to use. If you are using labels for each box, pallet and also separate shipment labels you will need to configure all three labels here. If you are using only pallet labels, you only need to configure one label, linked to 'application': "SSCC - Autopack: Pallet". It is possible to configure multiple label lay-outs (with each also possibly a different SQL view) for the same 'application' step, these will all be printed subsequently.
Please see document E-WMS menu: System, E-WMS, Labels for details on how to create a label configuration.
Autopack is enabled in Exact Globe Next menu System, General, Settings, WMS SSCC. Please see document E-WMS settings: WMS SSCC for more details.
The following settings have to be changed:
There are three important factors for an Autopack item:
An item must be enabled as 'Autopack' item before it can be used in Autopack. Use the WMS button in item maintenance, for instance in Exact Globe Next menu Order, Items, Maintain.
When sending sales order lines to be auto packed, the quantities will be fulfilled from the item's default location in the shipping warehouse;
Therefore it is necessary to have sufficient free stock available on this default location, before starting Autopack.
Exact Globe Next menu WMS, Setup, SKU, SKU types allows you to configure your basic SSCC types = pallets or cases, or other logistical units. In SSCC Shipment Builder license (SE1387), this is menu System, E-WMS, SKU types.
These SKU types will be linked to your Autopack item in the next step.
Press New to create a new SKU type:
Exact Globe Next menu WMS, Setup, SKU, SKU per item (or in a SSCC Shipment Builder (SE1387) license: menu System, E-WMS, SKU per item) allows you to configure the structure of an item; how many sales units are in a box, and how many boxes are on a pallet. Based on this structure linked to your item, SSCC numbers (box and pallet numbers) are automatically generated when starting 'Autopack' for a selection of sales orders. One item can only have one active Autopack configuration. A configuration can be just an inner SKU, just an outer SKU, or a combination of both.
Please see document maintenance of SKU per item for more details.
Create one or more sales orders with 'Autopack enabled' items. Authorize and confirm these orders when required.
For E-WMS or E-WMS Lite, start Exact Globe Next menu WMS, To be processed, Order fulfillment, Control Center.
For SSCC Shipment Builder SE1387, start Exact Globe Next menu Order, Entry, SSCC Shipment Builder.
Because Autopack is enabled, this Control Center now shows:
To combine several orders in one shipment, you can select these orders using CTRL- or SHIFT when selecting the orders and then press AutoPack.
A report will show when the Autopack report setting was enabled. In release 406 or earlier, this is a basic report showing only the status 'Autopack generated' per order. From release 407, the report shows the shipment structure on SSCC and item or serial/batch level. You can read more about this report in this document.
After this step, the items have been 'adviced' from their default locations, and Autopack automatically generated SSCC numbers for inner and outer SSCC's, based on the SKU configuration for each item. Also a shipment number has now been assigned to the selected sales order lines. All selected orders have the same shipment number.
The Shipment Builder will now open automatically showing the generated shipping configuration as a tree structure.
The quantities from the sales order lines were automatically assigned to inner and/or outer SSCC's. In this sample, Item 1000K is stacked directly on a pallet (350 units per pallet, 500 to be fulfilled). Item 1000H is stored in cases of 4 sales units, with 25 cases on a pallet.
The shipment tree has following structure:
Using the '+' and '-' indicators in the tree, you can expand or collapse a level.
You can still edit this default shipment structure, SSCC's can be removed or added, and quantities can be 'dragged' to another SSCC or outside the shipment structure. You can use buttons New SSCC, New Inner SSCC and Delete to manage the shipment structure.
The button 'New SSCC' Generates a new outer SSCC number and adds this to the tree. This sample shows a collapsed tree structure, showing only outer SSCC's (pallets), after pressing New SSCC a new pallet number has been added:
Where this new outer SSCC number will be visible, depends on what SSCC number was selected when you pressed 'New SSCC'. When you selected the shipment number, a new SSCC will be added to the tree. When you selected an outer SSCC number, a new (outer) SSCC number would be added in the level under that selected outer SSCC. In that case, you would have to drag the new SSCC to the shipment number, it will then be added to the bottom of the tree structure.
The button 'New inner SSCC' creates a new inner SSCC number and adds it to the tree. When you selected the shipment number while pressing New Inner SSCC, the new SSCC will be added to the bottom of the tree on 'outer SSCC' level. You will have to drag the new inner SSCC to an outer SSCC ('place the box on a pallet'). When you selected an outer SSCC while pressing New Inner SSCC, the inner SSCC will be added in the level under that outer SSCC.
Sample: adding two new boxes to the pallet (..312) just created, pressing New Inner SSCC two times:
All quantities to be fulfilled were automatically assigned to inner and/or outer SKUs. When adding new SSCC's, there would be no item quantities available (unassigned) to use in the new SSCC's. However, after adding new SSCC's you can drag quantities from one SSCC to another. For example, moving 4 units of item 1000H from box ...1511 to box ...1597:
Select the source item and hold the mouse button, then drag this item to the target SSCC and release the mouse button:
Please make sure that you maintain the required structure. When an item has both an outer and inner SKU, make sure the quantities you re-assign are always placed into an inner SKU and not in an outer SKU directly.
You can delete existing SSCC's from the tree structure by using the button Delete. Select the SSCC number to delete and press Delete. Attention: the selected SSCC and all SSCC's within it's sub tree, are deleted without warning.
When deleting a SSCC which holds a quantity, this quantity will be placed outside directly under the shipment number in the tree:
You will still have to create the appropriate SSCC structure for this remaining quantity. As shown above, you can drag this quantity into an existing SSCC.
When you close the Shipment Builder and save your changes, you can re-open the same tree by selecting status 'Validated' in the Control Center, selecting the appropriate sales order and pressing the Shipment Builder button.
Use the button Print labels to start label printing for the entire shipment structure. The printing should start after a few seconds.
In case no labels are printed, please have a look at document WMS SKU Management: troubleshooting label printing, the last step also applies to AutoPack.
For testing, you can use a PDF printer in the label lay-outs or by assigning a PDF printer in the WMS label configuration. Please keep in mind that BarTender licensing is based on used number of printers, when switching printers you may have to manage this situation in the Seagull License Server.