This document describes how you can use E-WMS in a remote warehouse, with the offline 'CAB' E-WMS client.
In a situation where you have a remote warehouse it is still possible to work with E-WMS. The preferred solution would be to offer a wireless internet connection within that remote warehouse; then you would be able to use WMS ASP. This document offers more details for this scenario.
When it is not possible to offer wireless access, you can use the offline E-WMS 'CAB' client. When using this client, stock transactions and picking advices are saved on the hand terminal itself, until docking with a PC and communication the changes back to Exact Globe Next. Using this scenario is not recommended; this CAB client is in maintenance mode since 2009 and does not offer any of new functionality added to E-WMS ASP since then.
For this 'batch' (Activesync) or 'File' communication, the hand terminal has to connect to a Exact Globe Next (EGN) PC using an USB connection. However, EGN will not be installed on a PC in a remote warehouse, but EGN will only be accessible over a terminal server session. In that case, standard it is not possible to pass the local USB connection to that remote connection and read the data from the local hand terminal to the remote EGN session. There are software solutions available that make this possible, but these are not tested by Exact.
On the local PC in the warehouse you will need a tool which can communicate with the USB hand terminal, save the transactions and make these available to an E-WMS Control Center.
File communication In the E-WMS settings in Exact Globe Next, change the communication method to 'File' (or enable 'Ask user'), for all WMS processes you are using. In the E-WMS General settings, configure the 'Communication' and 'Archive' directory to either a shared network folder (accessible directly to the warehouse PC), or to a local folder.
When not using a shared network folder, you will have to copy the WMS data files manually each time, from the warehouse PC to a network location or to a local folder on a EGN PC at the 'head quarters'.
E-WMS communication tool After installing Exact Globe Next on your PC (in the head quarters), the folder C:\Program Files\Exact Software\INSTALL\E-WMS\TOOLS contains the file E-WMSCommToolSetup.msi. This file has to be made available to the local PC in the warehouse and has to be installed there. The tool also requires installation of Microsoft .NET Framework 2 or 3.5. After installation, you will find a file called 'exeaPickITTool.exe.config' in the program installation folder (default: C:\Program Files\Exact Software\Exact WMS communication Tool). This file determines what folders are used when transferring files from and to a hand terminal. ExeaPickITTool.exe.config This file has following default content:
<!-- User application and configured property settings go here.--> <!-- Example: <add key="settingName" value="settingValue"/> --> <add key="ConversionOnly" value="False" /> <!-- Platforms supported : Desktop, HT --> <add key="Platform" value="HT" /> <add key="LocalPath" value="C:\E-WMS" /> <add key="RemotePath" value="program files\E-WMS" /> <add key="language" value="en"/> <!-- en=English, nl=Dutch -->
</appSettings> </configuration>
ConversionOnly False (default): a target file is converted from DAT to XML (or vice versa) and also sent to the hand terminal. True: a target file is converted from DAT to XML (or vice versa) but not communicated, instead stored in the same folder. Platform Please leave configured as HT
LocalPath The path to the communication folder as configured in the WMS General settings. This could be a local folder or a network share.
RemotePath This is the folder where E-WMS is default installed on the hand terminal, and where XML files are read from or copied to. Language This is the language in which the E-WMS Communication Tool will be used. Supported languages are EN (English) and NL (Dutch). File types When using Activesync of File communication, WMS uses two types of files. On the hand terminal, transactions and advice lines are stored as XML files. The Control Center only imports and export files in DAT format. The communication tool performs the conversion between DAT and XML format. When working with Activesync or File communication, you cannot add additional transactions to existing transactions in a file, or on a hand terminal. So when sending new transactions to be picked, first make sure that any previous sent transactions are already communicated to the scanner. When sending transactions to the scanner in the Communication tool, make sure that you first read back in the communication tool, and into the Control Center. When reading back free scanner transactions like transfers or counts, make sure that you read back any previous transactions first into the Control Center, before reading back additional scanner transactions.
Sending transactions to a hand terminal In Exact Globe Next (head quarters or remote session), start the appropriate Control Center, select the orders or items to be picked, and send these picking. The control center creates DAT files in the WMS communication folder and will overwrite any existing files there. Next, these transactions have to be send to the hand terminal by starting the WMS Communication Tool: Connect the hand terminal. Choose the appropriate tab, for example 'Sales order handling' and select the first button ('To' scanner). This will overwrite any existing transactions of the same type on the scanner. Be sure to read back transaction first. Reading transactions from a hand terminal Make sure that any previous read back transactions are already read into the Control Center. Start the Communication Tool and select the appropriate tab, for example 'Stock Transfers' and press the button ('from' scanner). The communication tool will create a DAT file in the communication folder ('LocalPath' in the Config file). Next, start the WMS Control Center to read back this transaction.