Introduction

This document describes the E-WMS Stock Reservations Table (introduced in product update 403), functionality as available per release 412.

Description

Why a stock reservations table?

When E-WMS calculates a picking advice, or when validating scans on a scanner, or transactions just read back in a control center, the available stock is determined from the Exact Globe Next shelf stock and also from all WMS reservations in all WMS processes. Calculating all WMS reservations is complex because of the number of E-WMS tables involved. This resulted in complex SQL queries.

Especially when warehouse locations and serial/batch numbers are used in larger databases, calculating these reservations would take more time. Introduction of the stock reservation table eliminates the need to calculate reservations from all E-WMS tables. All reservations are up-to-date available in this new table. This can improve performance significant and also reduces the SQL query complexity.

E-WMS stock reservations are visible in the WMS Item/Stock view screen in menu WMS, Reports, Item/stock view and from release 409 in report WMS, Report, WMS stock reservations.

Changes

Following changes were made in product update 403 related to the stock reservations table:

• a new general E-WMS setting 'Use stock reservations table'
• a new WMS menu 'Rebuild stock reservations'
• a new table: 'csPickitStockRes'
• several new SQL database triggers csPickitStockRes* to guarantee deleting WMS stock reservations when parent orders are deleted or unauthorized
• when starting a E-WMS Control Center without running the 'rebuild stock reservations' once, an error message will show

In product update 408, the general setting 'Use stock reservations table' was removed, this table is always used by E-WMS and this is not optional anymore.

In product update 409, a new report was made available for more insight in these stock reservations.

Rules

• The stock reservations are always real-time updated in the stock reservations table:
  • Reservations are created by WMS in control centers (or services), or on scanner;
  • Removing reservations is done by SQL database triggers (for WMS processes, but also by processes directly initiated in Exact Globe Next)
    
• After installing and updating to product update 403 or higher, the stock reservations table has to be rebuild once to get the correct starting point.
  
• When the status of an order changes, causing it to 'disappear' from Control Centers, also the WMS stock reservations for that order are removed.
  The proper way to reset the 'authorized' or e.g. 'printed' status for an order, is to first roll back the order in the WMS Control Center. Then make the changes to the order.

Rebuild stock reservations

Rebuilding has to be done once after updating to Exact Globe Next 403 or higher, from release 402 or earlier. When the rebuild has not been done yet, an error message will show when starting a WMS Control Center with the message "Error: Please run 'Rebuild Stock Reservations' first, from menu WMS/Checks.".

The stock reservations table can be rebuild in new menu WMS, Checks, Rebuild stock reservations.

Note: when this menu is missing: please read How to forcibly update the Exact Globe Next menu.

First, a warning will show indicating that the application, WMS services and WMS IIS server should be stopped. It is important that tables are not in use during this rebuild process.

After choosing OK, a selection screen will show (except when rebuilding is done for the first time):

It is possible to select only one or more specific processes, in that case you would already know that there is a stock position to rebuild for a specific WMS module.

In larger databases, that would also decrease the time required for the rebuild process.

In general it is advised to select all modules.

During rebuilding, a status window will show. When done, the result window will be shown.

Insight in stock reservations

E-WMS stock reservations are not available in standard Exact Globe Next stock information or reports. Therefore E-WMS offers two ways to view these stock reservations:

• Per item in WMS Item/Stock View in menu WMS, Reports, Item/stock view
  
• For all items in report WMS, Report, WMS stock reservations, available from release 409

Technical documentation

This document describes which triggers are used to remove WMS stock reservations, and the generic trigger logic.

Related documents

• Product update 403: WMS introduces stock reservations table to improve performance
• Product update 408: Setting 'Use stock reservations table' removed
• Product update 409: E-WMS stock reservations report
  
• Stock Reservations: used triggers
• WMS Item/Stock View
  
• E-WMS start page