Warehouse Management

The Oracle Warehouse Management system (WMS) is a component of Oracle’s Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing solution. It spans the areas of warehouse resource management, warehouse configuration, task management, advanced pick methodologies, and value added services.


Warehouse Activities

Receiving:
Receive Materials and finished goods
Put away: Put away materials and finished goods you receive
Storage: Store Items within the warehouse
Picking: Pick orders for manufacturing and shipping
Packing: Pack orders for shipping
Shipping: Ship order to customers
Value Added Services: Printing
Comparison of the modules


In comparison to Inventory, WMS provides the following advantages
1.1 Rules - Operation Plan, Putaway, Cost Group, Task Type,  Picking and Label Printing
1.2 Material Management-LPNs
1.3 Task Management
1.4 Labor Management

2.1 In bound logic
2.2 Out bound Logic
2.3 Cross docking
2.4 Cartonization, Consolidation, and Packing
2.5 Shipping

3.1. Cost Group
3.2 Label Printing & RFID

Inbound Logistics



Oracle WMS inbound logistics refers to receiving, inspection, and put away processes within the warehouse. The major inbound features of Oracle WMS include the following:

  • Support for handling Advanced Shipment Notices (ASNs).
  • The WMS system supports suppliers sending ASNs that might include item, quantity, lot, and serial information, project number and task (with Oracle Project Manufacturing,) as well as the LPNs into which the material is packed. You can receive ASNs through a standard ASN receipt, where LPN contents are verified by the receiver, or through an Express ASN receipt, where the LPN contents do not need to be verified.

  • Functionality to receive material directly into unique license plate numbers (LPNs).
  • All material received through Oracle WMS is associated with a unique LPN. This enables material to be easily tracked and transacted throughout the warehouse, without scanning the item, quantities, lots, or serials.

  • Features that enable you to specify and capture lot and serial information at receipt.
  • With standard Oracle Purchasing, at the time of receipt, you are not allowed to enter lot and serial numbers. With Oracle WMS, however, you can enter lot and serial numbers immediately, at the time of receipt. You can also enter related material statues or attributes that might apply to the lot or to the serial just received.

  • Functionality to automate the matching of material received to expected material.
  • Automatically Matching Material Received to Expected Material Oracle WMS matches the item and quantity received to the document that the material was received against. This means that the receiver does not need to manually select lines or shipments individually. However, Oracle WMS does not show the expected quantity to be received, rather, the system requires the receiver to enter the actual quantity received, and then through a background process, the system matches the actual quantity against the expected quantity.
    Instead of having to spend time reviewing the related purchasing documentation, a the time of receipt, automatically matching the received material also enables operators to efficiently process inbound material.

  • Support for Oracle Quality.
  • System suggested put away locations.
  • Opportunistic Cross Docking for backordered sales order lines.
  • Support for N step material movement path.
Complete In bound Process

1.    Receiving
prior to 11.5.10 Material is always received to an LPN. In 11.5.10 the concept of receiving sub inventory and locator is introduced. Now you can receive the material in an LPN and can physically locate the receiving sub inventory and locator where it resides .
Note: Run Receiving Transaction Processor if transaction mode is not online.

If pre generate is enabled then system‘ll create a task after the receiving else task are created after loading the material.

2.   Inspect the material
If the receipt routing is inspection then inspect the material by navigating into Inbound -> Inspect.       
Remember you inspect the LPN that is already being received into the receiving location.

3.  Put away (Load & Drop)
After inspection LPNs resides in receiving dock.  User who wants to move the material to inventory scans the LPN to load it.
To Load the material, navigate to Task -> Manual Task-> Manual Load
System creates a task as per the task type assignment.
An operation plan is assigned to the task as per the operation plan assignment rule.
After loading the material the status of the task remains as loaded.

Drop
To drop the material navigate to Task -> Directed Task -> Directed Move -> Move any LPN.
Enter the LPN number and press Drop.
As per the operation plan, system would suggest To Sub inventory (SI1) and To Locator (L1). Once drop is completed and RTP is run, system‘ll change the status of the task to completed.
In Receiving transaction summary you can verify that the receipt/delivery status of the material .

If the above task is generated for an operation seq. with one drop /or the last drop of an operation plan then the above process completes the inbound process, else system would generate another task (planned task – pending & plan in progress) as per the operation plan to move the material from L1-SI1 to another location.
Once you load the new task, system‘ll change the status of the planned task to loaded (plan task won’t be there any more) and finally you need to drop that LPN into the final destination location.

Inbound Setup

1. Receiving area layout
1.1 Segregate inventory and receiving in warehouse
http://www.oracleug.com/user-guide/oracle-inventory/receiving-sub-inventory
1.2 Subdivide receiving area into functional zone
http://www.oracleug.com/user-guide/warehouse-management/locator-zones
1.3 Subdivide zones into locators and assign locator types
http://www.oracleug.com/user-guide/oracle-inventory/5-define-locators

2. Inbound material flow
2.1 Route the material in the physical warehouse lay out
http://www.oracleug.com/user-guide/warehouse-management/set-operation-plans
2.2 Define the rules & strategies

Organization Parameter


Put Away Rules
Put away rules enable the system to direct operators to put newly received material into the most appropriate location.

The follow is a list of possible uses for put away rules:
  • Direct operators to put an item away in the same locator where the item is already stored
  • Prohibit commingling of different items or different lots of the same item in a single locator
  • Avoid lot commingling in a locator
  • Base the put away location on inspection results, the type of purchase order, or item category
  • Direct operators to put away items based on refrigeration restrictions.
For example, if your implementation has items that require a storage temperature of 32 degrees or below, you can create a put away rule to put away those items into a refrigerated subinventory and locator.

An operator can override put away rule suggestions. For example, if the system suggests a put away location, the operator can instead put the material into any locator and override the suggestion. If the operator chooses to override a suggestion, then they must also enter a reason code for the override. If necessary, you can setup an Oracle Workflow to send a notification of the override to the appropriate personnel, or to trigger an appropriate action, such as a cycle count.

You first define the put away rule. Next, you build a put away strategy and include your rule in that strategy. After you set up the strategy, you associate the strategy to an object in the Rules Workbench.

Define Rules

1. In the Quantity Function field, use the list of values to select the equation that you want the system to use to determine the capacity of the potential locators for this put away rule.
2. In the Object field, use the list of values to select the first business object for the rule.
3. In the parameter field, enter the value associated with the business object.
4. In the Operator field, select the mathematical operator that supports the rule conditions, for example equals or greater than.
5. If you want the system to sort the locator’s that will be returned by the rule, enter the sort criteria on the Sort Criteria tab, by selecting the object, parameter, and ascending/descending specification.

After you finish defining all of your rule restrictions and have specified the appropriate sort criteria, return to the Restrictions tab and select the Enabled check box if you want to enable the rule. Select the Common to All Orgs check box if you want the rule to be available for all organizations.

WMS Strategies
A strategy is a list of rules to apply, in sequence, until the put away is complete.

Assign strategy to item


Receiving Parameters

Receiving parameters represent the options that you want to govern how your organization handles receipts in your system. You set up receiving options in the Receiving Options window.

Receiving options are set up at the Organization-level. However, most of the options that you set in the Receiving Options window can be overridden for specific suppliers, items, and purchase orders fore details check

http://www.oracleug.com/user-guide/purchasing-overview/defining-receiving-options

WMS Inbound Features

The WMS system also supports the following:

Optional inbound material inspections: The system supports an inbound inspection flow that includes a receipt step, an inspection step, and a put-away step. The system does not increment on-hand balances until the inspection and put away are complete. Inspections can be performed using standard Oracle Purchasing Inspection or using the optional module of Oracle Quality. Commingling of accepted and rejected material into the same LPN is not prevented by the system. It should be done operationally. If WMS is enabled in a Project Manufacturing organization, Oracle Quality can be set up to trigger collection plans based on project and task numbers.

System assigned cost groups: At the time of receipt, the system will assign a cost group–providing that you have set them up–to the inbound material. WMS separates physical inventory accounting from standard cost group accounting. This enables you to assign split portions of an LPN different cost groups.

System suggested put-away locations: Using the WMS Rules Engine, the system will suggest an optimal put away location for inbound material. Put away suggestions are not enforced by the system and therefore, you can override them at the time of put away.

Workflow enabled discrepancy actions: If you override a put away suggestion at the time of put away, then you must provide a reason for the change. You can optionally build workflow notifications and corrective actions that are triggered on put away override reasons.

System suggested opportunistic cross-docking: If you enable cross docking for your warehouse, then before suggesting a put away location, the WMS will attempt to cross-dock inbound material directly to an outbound staging area to fulfill backordered sales order lines.

Monitor and track inbound material using receiving locators: The inbound area can be defined as a receiving subinventory and segmented into locators. The inbound material can be received in receiving locators in order to monitor and  track movement within the inbound area.

Describing Receiving Documents
The WMS supports the following receiving documents:

  • Purchase orders, with or without ASNs
  • Return material authorizations (RMAs)
  • Inter-org intransit shipment documents
  • Internal requisitions
  • Blanket purchase orders
Oracle WMS supports two modes of receiving: Express and Confirm. To enter receipts using Express mode, you need only enter the document number, and optionally the LPN. For Confirm mode, you need to enter all of the information about the material being received.

Describing Receiving Methods
Oracle WMS supports receiving material according to the same three routings that are used in standard Oracle Purchasing: Standard Routing, Inspection Required, and Direct Delivery.

Direct Delivery includes the following steps:
■ Material receipt
■ Material put away (optional in this routing, because on-hand inventory has already been incremented)


This routing should be used when it is important that material show up in the on-hand balance immediately after it is received into the warehouse, or whenever the receiver will be receiving the material directly into its inventory
storage location.
With WMS, you can receive material directly into an on-hand storage location. That material can optionally be put away from that storage location into a final storage location. Direct delivery can be effectively used to model a receiving staging lane, where material is initially received into the warehouse and it is important that on-hand balances are incremented at the time of receipt. Later, the material can be put away from the temporary staging lane to a final storage location.

Standard routing includes the following steps:
■ Receiving the material
■ Later putting the material away
You should use this routing when the material needs to be received (checked-in) initially and then, at some later point, put away into an inventory storage location. You can assign receiving locators to items with a purchase order.

Receiving locators have infinite capacity. You can enter a capacity, but it has no influence on putaway rules. With Standard Routing, the system does not increment the on-hand balance, until the put away task has been completed.

Inspection Required includes the following steps:
■ Material receipt
■ Material inspection
■ Material put away


You should use Inspection Required when the material that you are receiving requires inspection. You can accept or reject material during the inspection, and put away to separate locations, based on the inspection result. The system does not increment the on-hand balance until the put away step task been completed. You can assign receiving locators to inspected items that have a purchase order. Receiving locators have infinite capacity. You can enter a capacity, but it has no influence on putaway rules.


Performing Receipts



To start the standard receipt process an operator scans the incoming document, or enters the document number. Next the operator scans the LPN if it exists. If an LPN does not exist, the operator can create a new LPN. The operator then scans or enters the item numbers, quantity, lot number and serial numbers if applicable. The system then matches the material to the document shipping lines according to the matching algorithm. The operator then enters the receipt header information and finally puts away the material. The system does not increment the on hand balance for the material until the operator transfers the material from a receiving subinventory in to a storage subinventory.

Standard Receipt Flow

The direct receiving flow is very similar to the standard receipt flow. An operator scans the incoming document or enters the document number to start the receiving process. Next, the operator scans the LPN if it exists. If an LPN does not exist, the operator can create a new LPN. Next the operator can scan or enter the item numbers, quantity, lot number and serial number if applicable. Finally the operator scans or enters an inbound staging lane or stock
locator for the material. The system then matches the material entered to the document shipment lines according to the matching algorithm. The system increments the on hand  balance for this material as soon as the operator completes the receipt.
 
An operator can optionally choose to perform a put away to enable the rules engine to suggest a storage location, but if the operator received the material directly in an appropriate storage location no further transactions are necessary.

Receipts Using the Receiving Common Interface
Businesses need to be able to perform receipts without knowing the document types they are receiving against. The single receiving common user interface allows receipts against all inbound document types. Document types include Purchase Orders, Return Material Authorizations, Intransit Shipments, ASN, and Internal Requisitions. If your business does not need to use one common user interface to perform all the receipts, it is advisable to use the different menu entries for each of the types of receipts. This will increase the performance while validating the list of values.

1. Navigate to the Receipts screen by selecting All from the Receiving menu. The Receipts screen displays the document field where you can enter the document number without knowing the document type you are receiving against.

 

2. The Document field is an LOV that includes all the open purchase orders, return material authorizations, intransit shipments, and internal requisitions against which the material can be received. Warehouse Management will determine the document type, displaying a list of values if there are multiple matches.

3. Based on the document type, once you exit the Document field, the user interface changes to look exactly as if you would have performed the receipt for that document type after initiating it directly from the menu. For example, if the scanned document is a purchase order, the Supplier and Line Num fields would display on the user interface. Also based on the document type selected, the prompt for the Document field changes. In this example it changes to PO Num so you understand you are performing a PO receipt.

WMS Rules Engine

The Oracle Warehouse Management (WMS) rules engine provides a repository for restrictions and business policies related to your warehouse. You define and implement rules, directly from standard Oracle Applications forms, without having to write custom code. Instead, you can compose rules, by selecting various elements from lists of values. Special security features have been included in the rules engine to prevent modification of rules that are currently in use.

Rules Engine Capabilities and Rule Types

Based on the restrictions that you define, the WMS rules engine performs the following activities:
  • Enables directed picking - Directed picking
  • Enables directed put away - Directed put away
  • Assigns cost groups to received material - Cost group assignment
  • Assigns tasks to a resource with the appropriate training and equipment - Task type assignment
  • Determines which operation plan will be used for consolidation - Operation plan selection
  • Ensures customer compliant labeling - Label format assignment
Put Away Rules
Put away rules directs operators to put newly received material into the most appropriate location. You can base the rule on virtually any business process, and the rules engine provides intelligent suggestions for put away locations for the material. Some typical processes that put away rules are capable of modeling include the following:
• Direct an operator to put away an item in the same locator where other quantity of the item already resides. This minimizes item fragmentation.
• Prohibit commingling of different items or different lots of the same item in a single locator
• Avoid lot commingling in a locator
• Base the put away location on inspection results, the type of purchase order, or item category
You can also use the rules engine to suggest locations to put away any item anywhere within the warehouse.

Picking Rules
Directed picking creates material allocations and directs operators to pick material from specific locations. To ensure proper stock rotation, you can set up picking rules to allocate material using FIFO (First In, First Out) or FEFO (First Expired, First Out). You can also set up the rules engine to meet customer requirements, such as stock conditionor quality. Furthermore, you can set up different rules to deplete a locator to free up additional warehouse space, or to pick by cost group ownership for particular customers.

Task Type Assignment Rules
Based on user-defined criteria, such as the source subinventory, locator, or item attributes, the rules engine can identify the task type for each task that is generated by the system.

Task type assignment captures the skill sets and equipment required for a warehouse task, ensures the system assigns the task to the appropriate operator . An operator can sign onto a mobile radio frequency (RF) device, and optionally specify the equipment they are using. Based on the operator skill set, the equipment requirements, and the equipment capacity, the rules engine can then assign tasks to the operator. In some cases, the system assigns tasks based on the subinventory in which the task occurs.
For example, the rules engine assigns hazardous tasks to personnel who have completed hazardous material handling training. Another task assignment example, might include limiting put aways to top racks to those operators who signed on to a high-reach forklift.

Cost Group Rules
Cost groups capture the material valuation accounts necessary for tracking inventory value. For example, you might set up different accounts for refurbished versus new goods, or for consigned goods that might have cost groups that are tied to the owning company. When material is received into the warehouse, the rules engine can automatically determine the owning cost group.
The rules engine automates cost group assignment decisions, thus removing the complexity of making this decision from the warehouse floor. For example, the rules engine can make a cost group assignment based on sales channel by assigning different cost groups to internet orders and in-store orders. The rules engine can also make a cost group assignment based on inspection results. It can assign an item that fails inspection to a "Hold" cost group. The rules engine can also assign cost groups by vendor site, item category, item. If you do not assign a cost group rule for a particular item, then the system uses the default cost group of the storage subinventory where the item resides.

Label Format Assignment Rules
The rules engine selects the appropriate label format and content for the business need. With the compliance labeling feature, labels with the required information, bar-code symbols, and layout can be generated for each item and container.

Operation Plan Selection Rules
Consolidation is the process of bringing material from various parts of the warehouse together. Operation plan selection rules correspond to the three modes of consolidation:
LPN, Locator, and LPN and Locator. There are three types of operation plans, inbound, crossdock, and outbound. You use these plans to build the operation plan selection rules. You also use operation plan selection rules to determine if you can consolidate material across outbound deliveries. Oracle Warehouse Management allows you to create inbound and crossdock operation plans.

You cannot create outbound operation plans. Oracle Warehouse Management is seeded with the following outbound operation plans:
• LPN based consolidation in staging lane within delivery
• Direct consolidation in staging lane across deliveries

Rules & Strategies


You use a series of Oracle Warehouse Management rule types to set up various rules for your warehouse. Although you use the same windows to set up all rules, the setup that is required for Cost Group, Picking, and Put Away rules differ from the setup that is required for Task Type, Label Format, and Operation Plan Selection rules. You do not
assign task type, label format, and operation plan selection rules to strategies. Rather, the rules engine automatically links these types of rules directly to the organization when you enable the rule . The search order is determined by a weight applied. The larger the number, the higher the weight. You can assign weights only to task type assignment, label rormat, and operation plan selection rules.

Use the following windows to set up rules:

  1. Rules window
  2. Strategies window
  3. Rules Workbench
Rules



A rule is one or more restrictions that must be fulfilled to satisfy a business or customer requirement. For picking and put away rules, you assign a sort criteria that determines in which order the system uses a rule to suggest an allocation. Picking and put away rules also have a quantity function, that specifies the quantity considerations used to determine the material available for picking, or the space available for put away. Cost group, task type, label assignment, and operation plan selection rules have a return value, that returns a value, based on the type of rule that you define.

If all of the restrictions are met for a particular cost group, task type, label assignment, or operation plan selection rule, then the return value provides the name of the task type, label format, cost group, or operation plan.


Examples of Quantity Functions
• Picking rule: available to reserve
• Put away based on locator weight capacity only
• Put away: use a custom function to determine the destination locator capacity

Examples of Return Values

Return values are used in cost group, task type, label format, and operation plan selection rules. If the rule restrictions are met, then the rules engine returns the value specified. For example, if an item has a HAZMAT code, then the return value for a task type might be Hazardous. In this case, the system assigns the task to an operator who is qualified to handle hazardous materials.

Strategies
A strategy is an ordered sequence of rules that the system uses to fulfill complex business demands. The system selects the rules of a strategy in sequence until it fully allocates a picking or put away task, or until it finds a cost group that meets restrictions.

When you define strategies, you also specify the date or range of dates on which the strategy is effective. When setting up strategies, you also specify whether you want the system to use a rule if it can only allocate some of the material or space required by that allocation.

Note: Strategies are not used for task type, label format, and operation plan selection rules.

Strategy Example

The following figure provides a graphical example of a simple strategy that includes two rules: a rule that specifies to put the item away to an empty refrigerated location, and a rule to put away to any refrigerated location.

Objects
Objects are the entities that you use within a rule. They correspond to tables and their  attributes (or columns). Oracle Warehouse Management also includes two objects you can use to specify constant values: Constant Character and Constant Number.

You select constant character or constant number when you want to specify a specific parameter value for an object. For example, you might set the parameter item number equal to the constant number, 23454. In this case, the constant value would be 23454, and represents the item number.

Storage and Facility Management



LPN Management: Warehouse Management enables operators to track the contents of any container in receiving, WIP, inventory, shipping, and in-transit.

In Oracle Warehouse Management, a license plate number (LPN) is any object that holds items. Although LPNs are associated with containers, they do not need to represent a physical entity, such as a box. Thus, you can define an LPN as a collection of items. Oracle Warehouse Management enables you to track, transact, and nest LPNs.
Advanced Lot and Serial Control: Warehouse Management enables operators to split, merge, and rename lots.

Material Status Control: Material status control enables operators to control the eligibility of material for various transactions.
Material Status control restricts the movement and usage of portions of on-hand inventory. Using material status control enables you to control whether you can pick or ship an internal order or sales order, or issue material for a work order. You can also specify whether material needs to be quarantined until you inspect it. In addition, you
can determine whether products with a particular status can be reserved, included in available to promise calculations, or netted in production planning. You assign material statuses at four levels: subinventory, locator, lot, and serial.

Inventory Features: Warehouse Management facilitates the movement of goods in to, out of, and within the warehouse.

Counting: operators can perform cycle counts and physical inventory counts.

Replenishment: Warehouse Management enables managers to manage inventory levels using any combination of planning and replenishment features, including: min-max planning, reorder point planning, or kanban replenishment. You can use Inventory and MRP replenishment planning, dynamic replenishment, and  replenishment direct from receiving.

Kanban Management:
Warehouse Management supports both internal and external supplier kanbans. Kanban is a means of supporting pull–based replenishment in manufacturing systems.

Workflow Based Exception Management: You can configure real-time alerts and workflow based notifications of supply chain events to improve the efficiency of business operations. For example, when an operator picks less than the required amount for an order, workflow sends a notification to the operator to count the locator.

Material Management



LPN Management: Warehouse Management enables operators to track the contents of any container in receiving, WIP, inventory, shipping, and in-transit.

In Oracle Warehouse Management, a license plate number (LPN) is any object that holds items. Although LPNs are associated with containers, they do not need to represent a physical entity, such as a box. Thus, you can define an LPN as a collection of items. Oracle Warehouse Management enables you to track, transact, and nest LPNs.
Advanced Lot and Serial Control: Warehouse Management enables operators to split, merge, and rename lots.

Material Status Control: Material status control enables operators to control the eligibility of material for various transactions.
Material Status control restricts the movement and usage of portions of on-hand inventory. Using material status control enables you to control whether you can pick or ship an internal order or sales order, or issue material for a work order. You can also specify whether material needs to be quarantined until you inspect it. In addition, you
can determine whether products with a particular status can be reserved, included in available to promise calculations, or netted in production planning. You assign material statuses at four levels: subinventory, locator, lot, and serial.

Inventory Features: Warehouse Management facilitates the movement of goods in to, out of, and within the warehouse.

Counting: operators can perform cycle counts and physical inventory counts.

Replenishment: Warehouse Management enables managers to manage inventory levels using any combination of planning and replenishment features, including: min-max planning, reorder point planning, or kanban replenishment. You can use Inventory and MRP replenishment planning, dynamic replenishment, and  replenishment direct from receiving.

Kanban Management:
Warehouse Management supports both internal and external supplier kanbans. Kanban is a means of supporting pull–based replenishment in manufacturing systems.

Workflow Based Exception Management: You can configure real-time alerts and workflow based notifications of supply chain events to improve the efficiency of business operations. For example, when an operator picks less than the required amount for an order, workflow sends a notification to the operator to count the locator.

Storage and Facility Management



LPN Management: Warehouse Management enables operators to track the contents of any container in receiving, WIP, inventory, shipping, and in-transit.

In Oracle Warehouse Management, a license plate number (LPN) is any object that holds items. Although LPNs are associated with containers, they do not need to represent a physical entity, such as a box. Thus, you can define an LPN as a collection of items. Oracle Warehouse Management enables you to track, transact, and nest LPNs.
Advanced Lot and Serial Control: Warehouse Management enables operators to split, merge, and rename lots.

Material Status Control: Material status control enables operators to control the eligibility of material for various transactions.
Material Status control restricts the movement and usage of portions of on-hand inventory. Using material status control enables you to control whether you can pick or ship an internal order or sales order, or issue material for a work order. You can also specify whether material needs to be quarantined until you inspect it. In addition, you
can determine whether products with a particular status can be reserved, included in available to promise calculations, or netted in production planning. You assign material statuses at four levels: subinventory, locator, lot, and serial.

Inventory Features: Warehouse Management facilitates the movement of goods in to, out of, and within the warehouse.

Counting: operators can perform cycle counts and physical inventory counts.

Replenishment: Warehouse Management enables managers to manage inventory levels using any combination of planning and replenishment features, including: min-max planning, reorder point planning, or kanban replenishment. You can use Inventory and MRP replenishment planning, dynamic replenishment, and  replenishment direct from receiving.

Kanban Management:
Warehouse Management supports both internal and external supplier kanbans. Kanban is a means of supporting pull–based replenishment in manufacturing systems.

Workflow Based Exception Management: You can configure real-time alerts and workflow based notifications of supply chain events to improve the efficiency of business operations. For example, when an operator picks less than the required amount for an order, workflow sends a notification to the operator to count the locator.

Material Management



LPN Management: Warehouse Management enables operators to track the contents of any container in receiving, WIP, inventory, shipping, and in-transit.

In Oracle Warehouse Management, a license plate number (LPN) is any object that holds items. Although LPNs are associated with containers, they do not need to represent a physical entity, such as a box. Thus, you can define an LPN as a collection of items. Oracle Warehouse Management enables you to track, transact, and nest LPNs.
Advanced Lot and Serial Control: Warehouse Management enables operators to split, merge, and rename lots.

Material Status Control: Material status control enables operators to control the eligibility of material for various transactions.
Material Status control restricts the movement and usage of portions of on-hand inventory. Using material status control enables you to control whether you can pick or ship an internal order or sales order, or issue material for a work order. You can also specify whether material needs to be quarantined until you inspect it. In addition, you
can determine whether products with a particular status can be reserved, included in available to promise calculations, or netted in production planning. You assign material statuses at four levels: subinventory, locator, lot, and serial.

Inventory Features: Warehouse Management facilitates the movement of goods in to, out of, and within the warehouse.

Counting: operators can perform cycle counts and physical inventory counts.

Replenishment: Warehouse Management enables managers to manage inventory levels using any combination of planning and replenishment features, including: min-max planning, reorder point planning, or kanban replenishment. You can use Inventory and MRP replenishment planning, dynamic replenishment, and  replenishment direct from receiving.

Kanban Management:
Warehouse Management supports both internal and external supplier kanbans. Kanban is a means of supporting pull–based replenishment in manufacturing systems.

Workflow Based Exception Management: You can configure real-time alerts and workflow based notifications of supply chain events to improve the efficiency of business operations. For example, when an operator picks less than the required amount for an order, workflow sends a notification to the operator to count the locator.

License Plate Numbers (LPNs)

In Oracle Warehouse Management, a license plate number (LPN) is any object that holds items. Although LPNs are associated with containers, they do not need to represent a physical entity, such as a box. Thus, you can define an LPN as a collection of items.


A single LPN contain many quantities of the same item and or/ differnt item

Ex:
LPN L001 contains the item 001
LPN L002 contains 10 quantities of item 001
LPN L003 contains 10 quantities of item 001 and 1 qty of item 002
LPN L004 contains 10 quantities of item 001, item 002 and item 003

Oracle Warehouse Management enables you to track, transact, and nest LPNs.


You can use LPNs in the following ways:
  1. Store information about an LPN such as item, revision, lot, serial, organization, subinventory, or locator
  2. Track contents of any container in receiving, inventory, or in-transit
  3. Receive, store, and pick material by LPN
  4. View on hand balances by LPN
  5. Move multiple items in a transaction by LPN
  6. Transfer LPN contents
  7. Pack, unpack, consolidate, split, and update LPNs
  8. Print labels and reports for referencing container contents
  9. Track nested LPNs Oracle Internal & OAI Use OnlyOracle Only
  10. Reuse empty LPNs
  11. Receive and send LPN information on an ASN
Nesting License Plate Numbers



Oracle Warehouse Management enables you to nest LPNs. For example, pallet LPN P5555 contains three nested LPNs: LPN P5552, LPN P5553, and LPN P5554. In the system, you would see LPN P5555 as the top-level LPN, and each of the of the three box LPNs would fall under LPN P5555.

You can nest LPNs within other LPNs. In the above example, item A is packed in LPN 2, and LPN1, LPN2, and LPN3 are nested within LPN4. When you transact LPN4, all of the LPNs nested within it are transacted.

Note: If Oracle Warehouse Management is enabled in an Oracle Project Manufacturing organization, co-mingling of project and task material is not allowed in an LPN at any level of nesting. Also, project and task material cannot be mixed with non-project and task material in an LPN.

Generating License Plate Numbers

You can generate LPNs using one of the following methods:

  1. Automatically by submitting a concurrent request
  2. Manually by generating LPNs using a mobile device

You can submit a concurrent request to generate multiple LPNs.
1> These LPNs might be associated with a particular container item, or they could be simply labels with no physical container association.

2> Those LPNs can be generated at the subinventory and locator, or they could have no location until they are packed.
For example, assume that you want to assign LPNs to large boxes that will be stored in a particular subinventory and locator. In this case, you can submit a request to direct the system to generate the number of LPNs that you need, based on the parameters that you specify in the concurrent request. In another example, a warehouse manager might pregenerate hundreds of LPN labels and distribute these preprinted labels to the warehouse operators. This way, whenever an operator needs a new LPN, he or she can peel off the next label and use it, rather than having to print a label with each new transaction.

Submitting a concurrent request



To submit the LPN generation request, you must select the Generate License Plates option from the Oracle Warehouse Management Navigator. Next, select Generate LPN as the request that you want to submit, and then indicate the appropriate LPN generation parameters in the Parameters window

Using a Mobile Device to Generate LPNs


LPNs can be generated at their point of use in mobile receipt and task forms. When the cursor is in the LPN field, press Generate to automatically generate the LPN.

The system default shortcut key, for Generate is [CTRL]+[G].

This can be customized for each mobile device. The actual key mapping is stored in the default.ini file





Viewing LPNs

You can use the Material Workbench or the mobile user interface to view the contents of an LPN.



In the Material Workbench, you can view the attributes of a particular LPN. Use the following instructions to view the contents of an LPN.
1. Navigate to the Material Workbench window
2. In the View By field, select LPN from the list of values.
3. Expand the Organizations folder to display a list of LPNs for the organization.
4. Select the LPN that you want to view.
The system displays the contents of the LPN in the right panel of the window. You can also expand an LPN in the left column to view its specific contents. Continue expanding the LPN to see increasing levels of detail.
5. When you are finished, close the Material Workbench to return to the navigator.

LPN Context


Warehouse Management defines a context for each LPN to denote the current state. You can use these contexts to define specialized picking and put away rules. You can also query by context in the material workbench.


1.1 Pre-generated
Pre-generated LPNs exist in the system, but, are not associated with any physical material.

1.2 Defined but not Used
This context refers to a defined LPN that does not contain material. An example is a reusable tote an operator can use to pick orders.

2.1 Resides at Vendor Site
When a vendor sends an Advanced Shipment Notice (ASN) ASN, Warehouse Management generates an LPN and associates it with the material information on the ASN. Warehouse Management does not recognize material associated with LPNs of this context as on hand or costed.

2.2 Resides in Receiving
An LPN with this context indicates material associated with this LPN was received using a standard routing or inspection routing receipt, but still resides at the receiving dock. The material does not reside in inventory and is not costed.

2.3 Resides in Inventory
An LPN with this context indicates material associated with this LPN is costed and accounted for in inventory. an operator cannot this context when receiving material against a standard or inspection routed receipt, but can use it for a direct delivery routed receipt. operators can perform outbound transactions on LPNs with this context.

3.1 Pre-Pack for WIP

LPNs that reside in WIP, and are associated with material pre-packed in WIP, receive this context. This context is used after Warehouse Management associates the LPN with the material, but the material is not physically packed in the LPN.

3.2 Resides in WIP
An LPN with this context indicates material associated with this LPN is currently part of a WIP operation. The material does not reside in inventory, and is not costed.

4.1 Picked

Picked LPNs receive this context. They are in-transit within the warehouse.

4.2 Packing
The system uses this context internally as an intermediary during picking, put away or packing. Do not use it anywhere, including the setup of picking or put away rules.

4.3 Loaded for Shipment
This context refers to material loaded for shipment onto a carrier that is ready to leave the warehouse. Once the carrier leaves the dock, the LPN context changes to resides in in-transit, or issued out of stores.

4.4 Issued out of Stores

LPNs with this context do not reside in the warehouse. However, the system retains the LPN transaction history. LPNs shipped out of inventory receive this context and cannot be received again.

5. Resides in In-transit

An LPN with this context indicates material is moving from one location to another. For example, when an LPN moves from one organization to another. LPNs in this context are in an intermediary state, but are accounted for in the system. This context is used only for inter-org transit or internal sales orders where an indirect shipping network is defined between the organizations.

Maintaining LPNs

Updating LPNs


You can update the attributes of a LPN including:

  1. Weight UOM
  2. Volume UOM
  3. Volume content
  4. Container item
Use the following instructions to update a LPN.
1. Log onto the mobile device.

2. Navigate to Warehousing -> LPN Transactions -> LPN Update.

3. In the LPN field, enter or select the LPN whose attributes you want to update.

4. Update each of the following optional fields as appropriate:
• Weight: This is the weight of the LPN. It defaults to the current weight of the LPN.
• Wt UOM: This is the unit of measure for the weight. It defaults to the current weight unit of measure of the LPN.
• Volume: This is the total volume of the LPN. It defaults to the current volume of the LPN, which is the maximum of the content volume and the container item volume–if one is available.
• Vol UOM: This is the unit of measure for the volume. It defaults to the current volume unit of measure of the LPN.
• Container: This is the container item that is associated with this LPN. It defaults to the current container associated with the LPN. Thus, you could not associate an LPN to a container item, if there are none of that item in the location, or if there are containers but they are all already associated to other container items.
After a LPN has been associated with a container item, it cannot be disassociated or changed.

5. After you update the attributes of this LPN, select <Update LPN> to save your changes to the LPN's attributes.

Reusing Empty LPNs
It is possible to reuse empty LPNs in a warehouse. All empty LPNs will be updated to a state of Defined But Not Used. This allows the LPN to be used from any mobile page as a new LPN for any transaction.

LPNs that have been used for picking but later split so that they are empty will be updated using the Shipping API to unassign them from the original delivery they were picked for. The API will be used to unassign them from the delivery as well as reset all the information on the delivery detail record that pertains to the original Sales Order
(Customer, Ship-To, Ship Method).

Lot Transactions

Lot and Serial Attributes


Lot and serial attributes track the characteristics of items based on lot or serial numbers.Descriptive flexfields enable you to configure lot and serial attribute flexfields to capture additional information. You can define required or optional attributes, or track information at the item or item category level. Sample lot and serial attribute values include grade, cycles since new, and best buy date.
To setup attributes and attribute value sets, you associate them with a flexfield segment. The difference between lot and serial attributes and common flexfields is, once you define a set of attributes ( a context) you can assign the set to an item or category. When an operator creates a lot or serial, the system prompt the operator for the category attributes. For example, you can set up a value set for the Grade segment. The Grade value set includes three grades: Excellent, Average, and Poor.

Using Lot and Serial Attributes
You can build pick and put away rules based on lot and serial attributes.

Read the basics of LOT @

http://www.oracleug.com/user-guide/oracle-inventory/lot-control

Oracle Warehouse Management enables you to split, merge, and translate lots. You can split a single lot into multiple lots, and merge multiple lots into a single resulting lot. You can also translate a lot into a new lot.
Note: You can use the Inventory open interface to split, merge, and translate items under both lot and serial control.

Lot Splitting
Lot splitting enables you to split a parent lot into multiple child lots. This is useful when a portion of the lot does not have the same lot attributes or material status as the rest of the lot. After you split the lot, you can change the attributes or status of the resulting lots.
You can also split a lot when a portion of the lot characteristics differs from the rest of the lot. For example, if you store a lot in multiple locations, and damage occurs to one of the lots, then you can split the lot and assign new characteristics to the new lot that contains the damaged quantity.

Lot Merging
Lot merging enables you to merge multiple lots into a single lot instance. For example, you can merge lots if you store them in a single vat or silo.

Lot Translate
Lot Translate enables you to either change the name of an inventory lot to another name, or to convert one product to another product. For example, you can change the lot name, item revision, or subinventory of an existing lot, and move it to another assembly.

Restricting Lot Transactions
You should not perform lot transactions on some items. When you split a lot, the resulting lot inherits the attributes from the parent lot; however, you can update the lot attributes before you save the new lot. When you merge a lot, the resulting lot inherits the attributes of the largest merged lot. If you merge lots with identical quantities, then
the system uses the attributes of the first lot that you enter on the transactions page.

When you translate a lot into the same item, the resulting lot inherits the attributes of the starting lot; however, you can update the lot attributes before you save the new lot. When you translate a lot into a new item, and the lot attribute context of the resulting item is the same as the lot attribute context of the starting item, then the system derives the lot attributes from the starting lot. If the contexts of the lot attributes differ, then the system uses the default attribute values.
Note: A reserved lot cannot be merged or split.

Oracle Warehouse Management has the following levels at which you can restrict lot splitting, merging, and translating:
• Item level control
• Lot level control


Item-Level Lot Restrictions
You must enable the lot attributes Lot Split Enabled, Lot Translate Enabled, and Lot Merge Enabled on the Item Master in Inventory to perform lot transactions on a lot controlled item.

Lot-Level Restrictions
Lot split, lot merge, and lot translate are transaction types. You can disallow lot transactions for material statuses that you create. For example, if you assign a material status that disallows lot split to the lot, locator, or subinventory in which the lot resides, then the system cannot split the lot. Similarly, if the lot, locator, or subinventory in
which the lot resides has a material status that disallows lot merge or lot translate, then the system cannot merge or translate the lot.

Full Versus Partial Lot Split
A full lot split consists of splitting the entire quantity of a starting lot into resulting lots. A partial split consists of splitting only a portion of the starting lot into resulting lots, and leaves remaining quantity in the starting lot.

Child Lot Splitting and Merging
A child is a lot that has a subordinate relationship to another lot, known as the parent lot. When the system splits or merges a lot, it stores the parent-child relationship between the two lots. The parent-child sublot architecture supports an unlimited number of parent-child levels; therefore, you can split a lot numerous times.

When you split a lot with a parent-child relationship you can enter the parent lot as a new value, the parent lot of the parent lot, or the child lot.

LPN Lot Support
Oracle Warehouse Management supports splitting, merging, and translating for both loose and packed material. It can split lots within an LPN, or it can pack the split lots into new LPNs. You can also perform a subinventory transfer when you perform a lot split, merge, or translate.

Manual and Automatic Lot Splits
When the system splits a lot into a small number of resulting lots, you can manually specify the resulting lot numbers and lot quantities. When a lot is split into a large number of resulting lots, you can specify the number of resulting lots or the appropriate quantity of the resulting lot that you want the system to automatically create. For
example, you might specify that a batch of 100 pallets be split into 100 sublots of 1 pallet per sublot. In this case, the system automatically creates a new lot and the resultant lot quantity, and then uses the parent lot attributes as the default attributes for the resulting lot.

Lot-Specific Conversions
You can create lot-specific conversions if you set the parameter Auto Create Lot UOM Conversion to Yes on the Organization Parameters window. See Defining Revision, Lot, Serial, LPN Parameters, Oracle Inventory User's Guide for more information. This parameter determines whether the system creates lot-specific conversion based on the resulting lot quantities. The conversion is not inherited from the source lot. The system creates conversions only if the item is under dual UOM control, and the UOMs are in different classes. If you set the parameter to user confirmation, then the system prompts you to create the lot conversion. If you select <Save Conv>, you can save the newly created conversion.
Note: You cannot automatically create lot UOM conversions for lots that are created in Oracle Work in Process.

Merging Indivisible Lots
You can merge part of an indivisible lot. This is essentially a miscellaneous issue from one lot and a miscellaneous receipt into another lot. An exception occurs if a reservation exists against the resulting lot. You cannot merge into a lot that has an existing reservation

Warehouse Management Setup

This section provides an overview of the setup requirements for Oracle Warehouse Management system (WMS).Setting up Oracle WMS includes setting up related Oracle applications, such as Oracle Inventory and Oracle Bills of Material. Therefore, you might only need to make WMS modifications specific to existing data, like existing items. Check with your
implementation team to determine which setup requirements have already been fulfilled.

Oracle Warehouse Management system requires that Oracle Inventory, Oracle Purchasing (Receiving), and Oracle Order Management (Shipping) are installed and set up.

This chapter covers the following topics:

  1. Overview of Oracle Warehouse Management Setup
  2. Warehouse Organization Setup
  3. Set Up Subinventory Parameters
  4. Set Up Locator Parameters
  5. Setting Up Locator Zones
  6. Material Setup
  7. Defining Shipping Parameters
  8. Implementing Profile Options

Locator Zones


A zone is a logical grouping of locators. A zone may represent a specific work area(s) such as a Packing station(s) or it may just indicate an area where material movement occurs. The locators for a zone may span one or more subinventories You can specify a zone for an operation when you define the operation plan. This association determines the candidate set of locators where the particular operation is performed. You can use zones to define the path that material takes in the course of completing an activity. Defining zones is not mandatory especially if the warehouse is small and the operations are not complex where subinventories and / or locators could suffice.

You can also use zones for workload balancing and optimization. Users can optionally sign-on to zones and consequently can only perform tasks that originate within the zone.


1. Navigate to the Zone Summary window.
2. Enter the name of the zone in the Name field.
3. Optionally, enter a description of the zone in the Description field.
4. Optionally, select a Disable Date from the list of values. If you enter a date in this field, the zone is disabled on this date.
5. Choose the Enabled Flag to enable the zone.
6. Save your work.
7. Choose View/Modify to open the View Modify Locators window

Task Management



Task planning is the release of work to the warehouse floor in order to optimally run the day-to-day warehousing operations. Once multiple tasks are created from the various task creation sources, they are placed in one single pool and released appropriately to the warehouse floor for optimal operation of the warehouse. Optimization is performed by task interleaving and resource-workload balancing.
Tasks are comprised of

  1. Demand pick tasks for sales orders, work orders, and replenishment.
  2. Inbound receiving and put away tasks
  3. Inbound-outbound hybrid cross-docking tasks.
  4. Inventory transfer tasks
  5. Inventory control related cycle counting tasks
Warehouse Management creates and dispatches tasks based on a configurable set of rules you define and maintain. You create task type assignment rules in the same way you create other rules. Task management optimizes the sequencing of tasks based on task priority, locator pick sequence, approximate distance between the locator x-y coordinates and the current location of the warehouse operator currently signed on to the equipment. Using task management decreases the number of operator trips and distance traveled, and increases operator efficiency and productivity.

You need to be able to plan the release of tasks in the warehouse on a day-to-day basis so that you can run operations optimally to minimize cost and maximize productivity. To do this, you need a single workbench that enables you to view the entire workload for one or more days. Using the Warehouse Control Board, you can query tasks based on multiple criteria, re-prioritize and interleave them, and release them to the warehouse floor in the form of task waves.

Task Types

Each task the system generates requires a System Task Type. Warehouse Management contains pre-defined system task types grouped by similar sets of features. When Warehouse Management creates a task, it assigns the System Task Type. You cannot edit a system task type for an existing task. The rules engine can use User Task Types to further classify System Task Types. The System Task Types are:

 
  1. Pick
  2. Put away
  3. Move order issue
  4. Move order transfer
  5. Replenishment
  6. Cycle count

You use the BOM Standard Operations window to define User Task Types. You must create a User Task Type for each task that requires a unique combination of human and equipment type resources.

You must set up at least one pick, one move order issue, and one replenishment task type. You can also define one cycle count task type if you want to dispatch cycle counts as tasks. Do not define more than one cycle count task type for the organization.

Task Type Rules
The Oracle Warehouse Management Rules Engine enables the system to assign task types to tasks. Like the picking and put away rules, task type assignment rules can be based on a variety of data, including the following:

• Unit of measure (UOM) defined for the pick line: for example, if the pallets need to be picked, the Task Type Assignment engine can dispatch tasks to the pallet pickers.

• Ownership of the material: for example, if the item belongs to XYZ company, and XYZ requires that their hazardous material be handled by a resource that has hazardous material handling skills, then the Task Type Assignment engine will dispatch tasks associated with XYZ's hazardous material handling requirements.

• Type of material being handled: for example, the Task Type Assignment engine might handle refrigerated material different than hazardous material Task type assignment rules are prioritized, based on their respective weights that you specify. For example, you might assign different weights for two rules to handle a specific tasks. In this case, the Task Type Assignment engine will execute the rule with the higher weight first.

Task Dispatch Engine


Whenever a new task is requested by the operator, the task dispatch engine handles the actual execution of a task. The task dispatch engine dispatches an appropriate tasks to a qualified operator. The task dispatch engine also handles exception management, and automatically triggers corrective actions whenever a discrepancy is recorded.
The task dispatch engine also performs the following functions:
• Identifies resource and equipment requirements for a particular task
• Evaluates skill sets
• Filters appropriate tasks to resources

The Task Dispatch engine also includes a set of predefined exception messages and transaction reasons that handle all of the generic exceptions during task dispatching, and will trigger a set of actions and workflows, based on these exceptions.

Task Setup Steps


Task planning is the release of work to the warehouse floor in order to optimally run the day-to-day warehousing operations. Tasks are comprised of demand pick tasks for sales orders, work orders, and replenishment. Tasks are also comprised of inbound receiving and put away tasks, slotting inventory transfer tasks, inventory control related cycle counting tasks, and inbound-outbound hybrid crossdocking tasks. Once multiple tasks are created from the various task creation sources, they are placed in one single pool and released appropriately to the warehouse floor for optimal operation of the warehouse. Optimization is performed by task interleaving and resource-workload balancing.

Wave planning in warehousing plans the allocation and release of material to the warehouse floor in the form of work/tasks in order to fulfill the various kinds of material demand. It plans the release of material to fulfill sales orders, work orders, and replenishments.

You need to be able to plan the release of tasks in the warehouse on a day-to-day basis so that you can run operations optimally to minimize cost and maximize productivity. To do this, you need a single workbench that enables you to view the entire workload for one or more days. Using the Warehouse Control Board, you can query tasks based on multiple criteria, re-prioritize and interleave them, and release them to the warehouse floor in the form of task waves.

Equipment & Employee

WMS -> Set up -> Resources -> Equipment


Rules Window



Use the Oracle Warehouse Management Rules window to set up any of the six rules types: Picking, Put away, Cost group, Task type, Labeling, Operation plan selection

1. Setup for picking and put away rules differs from the setup for cost group, task type, label assignment, and operation plan selection rules. Picking and put away rules require a quantity function and use an optional sort criteria, while the assignment-type rules require a return value. Picking rules also have optional consistency requirements as well as the choice of allocation modes.

2. In the header section of the Oracle Warehouse Management Rules window, you select the type of rule to define. You also specify a name and description for the rule, and the quantity function or return value. If you are creating a picking rule, you also specify the allocation mode for the rule.

3. You must also enable the rule, if you want the system to consider it for use in a strategy. After you enable it, the system also checks the rule for proper syntax.
Note: After you enable a rule, you cannot change it. Furthermore, rules that you assign to a strategy cannot be disabled. To modify a rule already assigned to a strategy, you must disable the strategy and then disable the related rule. If an enabled rule has not been assigned to a strategy and you need to modify it, clear the Enabled check box.

4. You can optionally make the rule available to all of the organizations in your company. If you enable a picking or put away rule in all organizations, then other organizations can include it in strategies. If you make a task type, label format, and operation plan selection rules available to all organizations, then all organizations will use the rule, because there are no strategy assignments for these types of rules.

5. The rules engine comes seeded with several basic rules. For seeded rules, the User Defined check box is clear. You cannot edit seeded rules, but you can use the rule copy function on the Tools menu to copy a rule.

Restrictions Tab
You specify the business objects, their related parameters, and the restrictions of the rule. Each line in corresponds to a restriction on the Restrictions tab. You use the AND and OR operators to join multiple lines of restrictions. You use the open and close parenthesis to create complex compound statements. The Sequence Number field in this window, enables you to specify the sequence in which the restrictions are linked together.
Note: When you set up restriction sequence numbers, consider a numbering scheme, such as 10, 20, 30. This enables you to easily add more restriction lines, if necessary.

Strategies Window



After you define your rules, you must set up a strategy and then associate the applicable rules. After you assign rules to a strategy, the rules engine can execute the strategies on any objects to which the strategy applies. The rules engine executes each subsequent rule in your strategy until an allocation is completely filled.

After the rules engine finds a strategy, it will not continue to another strategy if the task cannot be fulfilled based on the first strategy. Therefore, unless you want the strategy to fail if specific restrictions are not met, the last rule in your rule strategies should be a default rule that includes no restrictions. You set up strategies in the Oracle Warehouse Management Strategies Window.

When you define strategies, verify that the User Defined check box is selected; for seeded strategies, the User Defined check box is clear. You cannot modify system defined strategies, however you can copy them using the strategy copy function located in the window's tool bar.

Make sure you enable the strategies so that the strategies can later be assigned in the Rules Workbench. To add rules strategy, you specify a sequence number in which you want the rule to be considered (within the strategy) and then use the list of values in the Rule Name field to select the rule that you want to add.

The Partial Success Allowed check box enables the system to only partially fulfill the requirements of a rule's allocation, and then move onto the next rule in the strategy.
Note: Enabled strategies cannot be modified. To modify a strategy, you must disable the strategy by clearing the Strategy Enabled check box

Rules Workbench


The Rules Workbench enables you to assign strategies, rules, and cost group values directly to any number of objects in an assignment matrix.
The Rules Workbench provides you with the following functionality:
• Add, update, or delete strategies, rules, and cost group values in the selection criteria
• Enable and disable selection criteria in the assignment matrix
• Hide and show columns of the strategy selection matrix based on user preferences
• Query where a rule, strategy, or cost group value is assigned
• Assign crossdock criteria to business objects for planned and opportunistic

The Rules Workbench is comprised of two regions:


Rules Workbench Tree
Rules Workbench tree displays a view of all the rules and strategies that are available in the organization.
In the Rules Workbench, a rule type to view to assign The Rules Workbench contains the following rule types:

  • Picking
  • Putaway
  • Cost group
  • Planned crossdock
  • Opportunistic crossdock
Expand the Rule Type node in the tree to see a list of all valid rules and strategies you can use in the organization. The strategies can then be expanded to see the rules that are used for that strategy.
You can hide the tree from view so that a greater area of the window is available to make the return type assignments.
  • Rules Workbench Matrix
You assign rules to business objects in the rules workbench matrix. You identify the return type, which is a strategy, rule, or value and the name of the strategy, rule, or value.
You enter the specific strategy to execute, date effectivity, and sequence. The rules workbench uses the other columns to indicate under what conditions each assignment is applicable. You can also make assignments based on supplier, item, item category, transaction type, user, unit of measure, project, and many other objects. The values in each field are restricted to valid values for the organization.

The organization column always defaults to the current organization and cannot be changed because all rule assignments are organization specific.

Rules Engine Behavior
The Rules Engine evaluates the assignments in the Rules Workbench, after filtering out any assignments that are not enabled or not currently effective. The remaining assignments are evaluated in the user-defined sequence, and the system returns the first return type in which all the values in the assignment match the attributes of the record
in the Rules Engine.

If the Rules Engine returns a strategy instead of a rule, then the system evaluates the rules in the strategy in sequence. If after the Rules Engine evaluates all the picking or putaway rules in a strategy, and the allocation is not wholly allocated, then the remaining quantity remains unallocated. If the system cannot find a cost group rule in
the strategy, then the system uses the default cost group for the subinventory. The Rules Engine never attempts to retrieve a second strategy from the Rules Workbench. If it cannot find a match then the system uses the default picking and put away rules for the organization, and the default cost group for the subinventory.

Inventory Transactions with LPNs


You can use Oracle Warehouse Management to pack LPNs with any grouping of material into a locator. You can then enter the LPN to transact the material. The system transacts all contents of the LPN, including the contents of any LPN nested within the LPN. You can associate LPNs with the following inventory transactions:

  • Miscellaneous issues
  • Subinventory transfers
  • Direct inter-organization transfers
  • Move order transactions
You use a mobile device to perform LPN inventory transactions. When you enable Oracle Warehouse Management, you can enter the LPN or the item information for each transaction. If you enter the LPN, then the system transacts all the contents of the LPN. If you do not enter an LPN, then you can enter the item, quantity, source locations, and all necessary revision, lot, and serial information.
Note: You must use the mobile user interfaces to transact material in LPNs. The desktop transaction windows do not include LPN fields. Furthermore, the availability value in the forms reflect unpacked quantities.

All inventory transactions update the weight, volume, and units stored in locators. The Oracle Warehouse Management Rules Engine uses these values to determine locator for put away suggestions. The weight and volume of a container item assigned to an LPN is also used to update the weight and volume of the locator. The locator is updated by the gross weight of the LPN, which is the net (weight of contents) plus tare (weight of container). The volume of the LPN is approximated by the maximum of the volume of the contents and the volume of the LPN defined on the container item.

You can use the mobile device to perform miscellaneous issues for an LPN. The following figure provides an example of what occurs when you perform a miscellaneous LPN issue. In this example, assume that LPN L2679A contains five items. When you perform a miscellaneous issue for the LPN, the system allocates all of the items in the LPN. Thus, this transaction includes issuing the five items included in the LPN.


Note: Because only Oracle Warehouse Management enabled organizations use LPNs, organization transfers can only be performed using LPNs if the destination organization is also Oracle Warehouse Management enabled. If the destination is not Oracle Warehouse Management enabled, the LPN must be unpacked, and the individual contents must be transferred.

Locator Alias



A locator alias is an alternative identifier that corresponds to a physical locator. It can be a check digit, a unique identifier, or a non-unique identifier. For example, you can use the check digit 13 as the locator alias for the locator 06-06-01. The system does not suggest a locator alias to you during a transaction, it suggests the actual locator.

Locator aliases ensure the presence of a user at the physical location. You can use a barcode to represent the locator alias. This ensures that when the alias is scanned, a user must be present at the physical location.

Locator Alias Setup
You enable locator aliases when you setup your organization. You must also enable locator aliases for individual subinventories. When you create you locators, you also create locator aliases.
If you enable locator aliases for a subinventory, then you must enter a locator alias for all transactions in and out of the subinventory. If the subinventory is under dynamic locator control you cannot create a locator during a mobile transaction. The only way you can generate a locator for this type of subinventory is during a desktop transaction.

Locator Alias Uniqueness
There are three uniqueness options for locator alias: no uniqueness constraints, unique within a subinventory, and unique within an organization. For example, if you set the Enforce Locator Alias Uniqueness parameter at the organization level, and you create the locator alias 12 for locator C1.1.1 in organization W1, then you cannot use that locator alias anywhere else in the organization; however, you can use locator alias organization W2. If you set the Enforce Locator Alias Uniqueness Parameter at the organization level, then the subinventory level parameter is disabled.

You can also use the same locator aliases for more than one subinventory or within the same subinventory if you set no uniqueness constraints. For example, you can use check digit 13 as the locator alias for locators 06-06-01 and 06-06-02 in subinventory FGI.

You define locator alias uniqueness in the Locators Maintenance window. You define the organization-level uniqueness in the Organization Parameters window.You define the subinventory-level uniqueness in the Subinventories window.

Locator Alias Behavior
For user and system directed pages, the locator alias behavior depends upon locator uniqueness. During a transaction, the system prompts you to enter the locator alias when you navigate to the locator field on that page. If the locator alias is unique, then the locator segments appear, and you can navigate to the next field. If you enter an incorrect alias, then the system displays an error message, and prompts you to enter the correct alias. If the locator alias is not unique, then after you enter the locator alias you must also enter the locator segments that correspond to the locator alias.

Set up Operation Plans



Operation plans define the material movement path and the sequence of operations to perform to complete an activity
. You can use both inbound and outbound operation plans. You can create inbound Operation plans using the following inbound operation plan types:

  • Standard: Standard operation plans apply to any move order lines that does not require inspection, or was not crossdocked. A standard operation plan can end in a receiving or inventory locator. It can also traverse multiple receiving and inventory locators. You cannot follow a drop to an inventory locator by a drop to a receiving locator, because once you drop material to an inventory locator, it is delivered to inventory.
  • Inspect: Inspect operations plans apply to move order lines that have the Inspect Required flag set. The inspect step is the last step in the operation plan. Inspect operation plans do not allow drops to inventory locators.
  • Crossdock: Crossdock operation plans apply to crossdocked move order lines. The crossdock step is the last step in the operation plan. The crossdock step implies a load and a drop to a staging locator. The drop operation before a crossdock operation does not happen in inventory.
Before you can put your operation plans into effect, you must complete the following setups:
  1. Set up Zones: If you choose to segregate your material by zones, you must create zones.
  2. Set up Operation Plan Assignment Rules: You must set up operation rules in the Rules window to tie your operation plans to your system rules.
To set up Operation Plans, Navigate to the Operations Plans window

1.1 Select a Plan Type from the list of values. You choices are Standard, Inspection, or Crossdocking.
1.2 Enter a name for the operation plan in the Name field. Optionally, enter a description for the operation plan in the Description field.
1.3 Select the Crossdock to WIP check box to use this operation plan to crossdock items to WIP instead of for outbound shipment.

2.1 Enter the first sequence number in the Sequence field. The operations performed within an operation plan follow the ascending sequence in which you define the operations.
2.2 Select Load from the Operation list of values. The first operation in all operation plans must be Load. The next sequence number defaults in the sequence field and Drop automatically populates in the Operations field.

3.1 Optionally, select the in Inventory check box. You can select this check box only if your operation plan type is Standard. Selecting this check box transfers the material to inventory at this step in the operation plan. All subsequent steps have this check box checked by default.

3.2  Locator determination method: 
This is a mandatory field and you can set it for Drop operations only.
Select the determination method. You are required to enter a locator determination method, and optionally can enter a zone, subinventory, or Into LPN method. The determination methods are as follows:
• Prespecified: If you choose prespecified, you can enter the subinventory,  locator, and zone where you would like to drop the material. This is the only determination method for subinventories and zones.
• Standard API- Standard API- If you choose Standard API as the locator determination method, you invoke an API that determines the locator. If you choose Standard API for locator, you must enter a pre-specified subinventory
or zone. You can also choose Standard API as the LPN determination method.
• Custom API- If you choose Custom API as the locator or LPN determination method, you provide the PL/SQL API. The API needs to conform to the signature as the seeded standard API and registered via Register custom API
concurrent program.

3.3 If you selected Standard API as the locator determination method, select a Locator Material Grouping method from the list of values. The available choices are as follows:
• Operation Plan Type: If you select Operation Plan type, the system derives the locator grouping method from the operation plan type such as inspection, Standard, or Crossdocking.
• Destination Subinventory: This is the final inventory destination subinventory the putaways rule suggests.
• Destination Locator: This is the final inventory destination locator the putaway rule suggests.

3.4 If you selected Standard API or Custom API as the locator determination method,
enter a PL / SQL procedure. The available choices for Standard API are as follows:
• Locator Determination with Item
• Locator Determination without Item

3.5 If you selected an LPN Determination method, select an LPN Material grouping method from the list of values. The available choices are:
• Operation Plan Type: If you select Operation Plan type, then the system derives the locator grouping method from the operation plan such as inspection, Standard, or Crossdocking.
• Destination Subinventory: This is the final inventory destination subinventory the putaway rule suggests.
• Destination Locator: This is the final inventory destination locator the putaway rule suggests.

3.6 If you selected an LPN Determination method enter a PL / SQL procedure in the Into LPN fields. The available choices for Standard API are as follows:
• Locator Determination with Item
• Locator Determination without Item

4.1 Select the Zone / Subinventory / Locator Tab.

4.2 Optionally, if your plan type is Inspect, or Crossdocking, enter the Inspect or Crossdocking sequence. In an Inspect or Crossdocking plan, this is the last operation.

4.3 If you entered crossdock in the previous step, select a Crossdock Method to link the crossdock operation plan to an outbound operation plan. The choices are:
• LPN based consolidation in staging lane within deliveries
• Locator based consolidation in consolidation locator within deliveries
• LPN based consolidation locator within deliveries
• Direct consolidation in staging lane within delivery
• LPN based consolidation in staging lane across deliveries
• Direct consolidation in staging lane across deliveries
• LPN based consolidation in consolidation locator across deliveries
• Locator based consolidation in consolidation locator across deliveries

4.4 Select Enabled to enable the operation plan.

Outbound operation plans

Eight seeded outbound operation plans are available, they are:
  1.  Direct consolidation in staging lane across deliveries
  2.  Direct consolidation in staging lane within delivery
  3.  LPN based consolidation in staging lane within delivery
  4.  LPN based consolidation in staging lane across deliveries
  5.  LPN based consolidation in consolidation locator, across deliveries in staging lane
  6.  LPN based consolidation in consolidation locator within delivery in staging lane
  7.  Locator based consolidation in consolidation locator, across deliveries in staging lane
  8.  Locator based consolidation in consolidation locator within delivery in staging lane.

Setup Task Filters



The task filter window enables you to determine which tasks the picking page can perform. If you include a task type, then the picking page can perform the task type. You can use task filters to control the types of tasks the system dispatches to operators.
For example, you can create task filters so an operator receives internal order pick tasks, but not replenishment tasks.



1.Navigate to the Task Filters window.

2.Enter the filter name in the Name field.

3.Enter a brief description of the filter in the User Name field.

4.Enter a long description in the Description field.

5.In the Task Source alternative region, select the Include check box to include the associated task source. That task sources are as follows:
• Internal Orders
• Move Order Issues
• Move Order Transfers
• Replenishments
• Sales Orders
• Work Orders
• Cycle Counting

6.Save your work.

Task Dispatch and Assignment

The above figure shows the picking task processes.

First, the system evaluates the picking rules to come up with a material allocation.

Next, the system evaluates the task type assignment rules in the sequence indicated by the rule weight, and then assigns the task type of the first rule where the restrictions are met. In this example, the rules have been set up based solely on the subinventory of the task, resulting in the task type assignments indicated above.

Now the task will be split based on equipment capacity.

Finally, after performing the material allocation, task type assignment, and task splitting, the Task Dispatch engine dispatches the tasks to each operator's mobile device, based on their equipment and task type assignment. When the operator completes the task and requests the next task, the system dispatches the next closest task that the operator is qualified to perform with the equipment that is currently available.

Note: The previous example provides a detailed view of picking tasks. However, the Oracle Warehouse Management performs replenishment tasks using an identical process.

Task Management Setup

Setting up task type assignment and dispatch includes setting up the following:
Resources
Equipment items
Equipment resources
Departments
Setting up task type assignment rules

Task Type assignment Rules
The Oracle Warehouse Management Rules Engine enables the system to assign task types to tasks. Like the picking and put away rules, task type assignment rules can be based on a variety of data, including the following:

Unit of measure (UOM) defined for the pick line: for example, if the pallets need to be picked, the Task Type Assignment engine can dispatch tasks to the pallet pickers

Ownership of the material: for example, if the item belongs to XYZ company, and XYZ requires that their hazardous material be handled by a resource that has hazardous material handling skills, then the Task Type Assignment engine will dispatch tasks associated with XYZ's hazardous material handling requirements

Task Type Assignment and Dispatch
Assume that your warehouse has the following human resources, each assigned to the roles and equipment shown in the following table.

Each task type requires the appropriate set of skills and equipment. For example, case picking tasks require a cart and an operator that can pick up the required cases. Alternatively, cold pick tasks require a forklift and a picker who can operate the forklift. Based on the information provided above, task type assignment rules would need to be
set up that assign the appropriate task type whenever the task has certain attributes.

For example, picks of refrigerated items should be assigned the CDPK task type, while case picks should be assigned the CSPK task type.

Performing Task


Explaining Task Unloading

A task that has been loaded can be unloaded at any point prior to the task drop.
Unloading a task enables you to reverse the task load, returning the material, or full LPN, to the same locator from which it was picked. If the material requirement that has created that task has been cancelled, then the task will be cancelled when it is unloaded.

This is particularly for change management of sales orders and work orders.

You can use the Manual Unload page to unload tasks loaded using advanced pick load.

To unload a task:
1. Navigate to the Manual Unload page.
2. Enter the task to unload in the Current Task field.
3. Choose <Unload> to unload the task, or <Cancel> to cancel the task unload.
4. If you choose <Unload>the Unload page appears. The unload page displays the From LPN, From Subinventory, From Locator, Item, UOM and Qty, or displays the Subinventory and Locator information if you are unloading the entire LPN.
5. Choose <Unload> to unload the task, or choose <Cancel> to cancel the unload.

Explaining Task Skipping
An operator may be unable to perform a task that has been dispatched to them due to conditions outside their control, and do not warrant another type of task exception. For example, the aisle to which he or she was directed may be temporarily blocked. The operator may skip the task it is returned to the pool of pending tasks and dispatched again.

Task Exceptions
If at any point during the pick process the user reports a discrepancy, warehouse manage can initiate a corrective action workflow. Discrepancies might include any of the following:

  • Picking a different quantity than the quantity suggested by the system
  • Dropping material into a different staging lane than the staging lane suggested by the system. If a discrepancy is reported, the system immediately directs the user to an audit screen, where he or she is prompted to indicate a reason for the mismatch.
Each reason has an associated corrective action workflow, which will be initiated immediately after an exception occurs. For example, a corrective action workflow might notify the warehouse supervisor, through pager, mail, or other alert mechanism, that an exception has occurred. Corrective actions can also notify customer service that a
potential backordered situation exists on a sales order.

Corrective actions can also place a location on hold so that subsequent material allocations do not source material from that locator. These actions can also request a cycle count for a particular locator, or re-release the balance of the sales order line so that it can be sourced from another location.

When you enter an exception during the picking process, you can enter a reason for the exception. You setup the exception reasons in Oracle inventory.

Warehouse Control Board

Oracle Warehouse Management creates tasks such as picks, put away, moves, and replenishments and dispatches pending tasks on demand to mobile radio frequency devices.

The Warehouse Control Board is a tool that Oracle Warehouse Management and supervisors use to monitor, plan, control, and execute various warehouse operations, including the following:
• Effectively use resources
• Query tasks

• Plan tasks
• Release tasks to the warehouse floor
• Assign, reassign, and prioritize the progress of tasks
• Perform manual scheduling
• Cancel crossdock tasks
The Warehouse Control Board enables you to view workloads across the entire warehouse, manage exceptions, and review, release, reassign, and re-prioritize tasks.

Specifically, the Control Board enables you to do the following:
• View tasks: including unreleased, pending, queued, dispatched, active, loaded, completed, and exception tasks
Note: At the time of pick release (Sales Order or WIP), you can specify whether or not to plan the release of tasks. If planning is opted, pick tasks are created with a status of Unreleased so that you cannot perform or execute them immediately. If you do not want to plan the tasks, pick tasks are created with a status of Pending.

• Manage task assignments: including mass selection/refinement through add, remove and filtering features, the mass change/update of task status, priority, resource assignments and sorting on various fields, for the resultant task record set view

• View task exceptions: including a description of the cause for failure You can also view the status of each task, including the time in which it was dispatched, the time it was picked up, and the time it was dropped into a staging lane. If any errors occurred in processing the task, you have full view of the error reported, and the task in question's current status.

Task Status
The task status is the current task state. Task statuses are as follows:
Unreleased: The task was created, but is not eligible for dispatch. Managers use this status to control when the task is released. Managers can update tasks in this status to Pending, (eligible for dispatching), or Queued.

Pending: The task was created and can be sent to any available operator. Pending tasks are dispatched to operators in sequence of priority, subinventory picking order, and locator picking order in relation to the operator’s last known position. Warehouse Management filters tasks by task type, current operator equipment, and subinventory. It dispatches a task in Pending status only when there are no more Queued and Dispatched
tasks assigned to the operator.

Queued: Managers use this task type to manually assign a task to a particular operator in the warehouse control board.

Dispatched: The task is dispatched to an operator, but the operator has not started the task. Note: Dispatched behaves like queued except the system assigns the operator to the task based on pick methodology instead of by a manager in the control board.

Active: The task the operator is performing. The system dispatched the task to the mobile device, but the user has not loaded or dropped the task. The status of the task changes, as soon as either the task is loaded or dropped. The operator assigned to the task also displays in the WMS Control Board.

Loaded: The task is loaded; however, no material transaction has posted. To complete the task, the operator must drop the task.

Completed: The task has been completely transacted.

Outbound Logistics





Pick release is the process of selecting orders for release to the warehouse for picking and shipping.
After the orders are released, Oracle Warehouse Management uses the Rules Engine to determine the appropriate material allocations. After the system completes the allocations, the Task Type Assignment engine assigns the appropriate
task types, and the system can then suggest packing configurations.

At this point, the task is now ready for dispatching to an operator. The operator can then log onto the system, optionally sign onto a material handling device, and accept pick tasks. Optionally, the operator can accept all pick tasks for a specific task grouping as a bundled set of tasks. Oracle Warehouse Management enables the operator to pick multiple partial LPNs, full LPNs, and loose picks for a single task. Loose material and material packed in an LPN can be picked in any sequence for a given task. Operators can continue to load material as long as there is capacity on the equipment. After the material is loaded, it can be dropped into staging lanes for further packing and labeling before shipment. This completes the material picking process. At this time, order lines are also split or merged based on equipment capacity defined for the equipment and pick methodology defined by pick slip grouping rules.

Outbound logistics enables operators to pick, pack, and ship orders to customers. Outbound logistics contains the following components:
1.1 Pick Release
1.2 Rules (Release rule, release seq rule and picking rule)
1.3 Tasks/Task Type Assignment

2.1 WMS Control Board
2.2 Load
2.3 Drop

3.1 Consolidation/Packing
3.2 Dock Door Appointments
3.3 Shipping

1.1 Pick Release

The picking process enables operators to pick material to fulfill orders. Warehouse Management supports three types of picking: order picking, replenishment picking, and WIP picking. The system distributes picks to operators as tasks.

1.2 Rules
During implementation, you can create rules to fulfill orders in the most efficient manner. The following rules support the picking process:
• Release Rules: The picking criteria of order lines for pick release.
• Release Sequence Rules: The order the system releases delivery lines for picking.
• Pick Slip Group Rules: How the system groups tasks on a move order pick slip report for picking.

1.3 Tasks
Warehouse Management creates and dispatches tasks to qualified operators based on rules you configure.

2.1 WMS Control Board
The WMS Control Board provides managers with a real-time snap shot of the warehouse, and enables them to redistribute tasks as needed. They can monitor the progress of tasks as well as manually dispatch tasks to operators.

3.1 Consolidation

Warehouse Management enables operators to consolidate partially filled containers in to fewer and better-optimized containers.

Packing
Warehouse Management enables operators to pack containers with multiple levels of nesting, and sends notifications if an order contains special packing instructions. Operators can perform packing during picking or as an independent process.

3.2 Dock Appointments for Trips
Managers can use Warehouse Management to schedule outbound carrier appointments, dock door availability, and staging lane usage within the warehouse.

3.3 Shipment Verification and Close
Once an operator picks and loads an order, Warehouse Management automatically determines the items and quantities to deduct from inventory.

Overview of Picking



Picking enables operators to pick material to fulfill orders. Warehouse Management supports three types of picking: order picking, replenishment picking, and WIP picking. Warehouse Management dispatches picks to operators as tasks. Managers can perform manual pick release, or you can create a series of rules to automate the process during implementation.

Please read the pick release basics @
http://www.oracleug.com/user-guide/order-management/pick-release

Warehouse Management uses the following rules to release orders: pick release rules, release sequence rules, picking rule and pick slip grouping rules.

Pick release rules determine how the system to selects sales orders for release. If trips are not scheduled for dock doors, then pick release rules also determine the appropriate staging lane for sales orders. After the system determines the sales orders to release, it can use release sequence rules to determine the sequence delivery lines are released for picking, based on sales order number, outstanding invoice value, scheduled date, departure date, and shipment priority. Pick slip grouping rules establish how tasks are grouped on a move order pick slip.

picking rule in inventory determine the order in which revisions, lots, subinventories, and locators are picked for sales orders. Picking rule in WMS is used for directed picking creates material allocations and directs operators to pick material from specific locations.



They workin conjunction with the different pick methodologies. Pick methodologies refer to the different method an operator performs picking tasks. For example, an operator may select to pick an order by itself, or to pick multiple orders at the same time.

The system generates picking tasks and dispatches them to qualified operators based on rules. After picking is complete, the system provides operators with the appropriate number and size of containers the order requires for shipping.

Explaining Pick Release
The pick release process selects sales order lines to release to the floor for picking and shipping. A pick release rule stores the criteria that will be used to select sales orders for release. If trips are not scheduled for dock doors, then the release rule also determines the staging lane to which the material should be delivered.

Replenishment Picking

Warehouse Management dispatches replenishment tasks to qualified operators to replenish forward picking areas.

WIP Picking
Warehouse Management dispatches WIP picking tasks to qualified operators to pick material to fulfill work order requirements based on rules you define. Operators can pick the following supply types: push, assembly pull, and operation pull.

Note: Operators deliver all picks to a subinventory and locator except for WIP picks. Operators can optionally drop WIP picks directly to a job. This enables operators to perform the pick and the issue in one step. This capability is enabled for push components where the supply subinventory and locator are blank on the BOM.

Explaining the Pick Allocation Process
After orders have been selected for release and prioritized for allocation, the rules engine makes the material allocations. Recall that material allocations might be based on characteristics such as, customer requirements, organization-wide business directives, stock rotation policies, item handling restrictions, item category, or by some other business attribute. The rules engine can also divide the allocations by pick unit of measure.

The output of the pick allocation is a task that includes the subinventory and locator from which to pick, and if applicable, the revision and lot to be picked. After the system performs allocations, it must determine the task type so that the job to pick the allocated material can be dispatched to an appropriately trained user.

Explaining the Picking Process
Operators can accept a picking task, or a set of tasks, directly from the mobile device. The system dispatches tasks through the mobile user interface. Through this user interface, the picker can view the item, quantity, subinventory, and locator from which they can pick the load. If the item were revision or lot controlled, the system would also display those details.

The picking tasks assigned by the system to a user might include any of the following:
  • Pick loose items into an LPN
  • Pick whole LPNs
  • Pick multiple LPNs, for example, pick 5 boxes of 10 each to fulfill a task to pick 50
  • Pick from LPNs, for example, pick 5 items out of a box of 10
  • Pick multiple partial LPNs, full LPNs, and loose picks for a single task
  • Build larger LPNs
  • View cartonization suggestion
The user can confirm a pick by scanning one or more LPNs to load. If the material in the storage locator is not identified with an LPN, then the user must confirm the item, quantity, and the storage subinventory, and locator to confirm the pick.

The user can also unpack an LPN to fulfill the pick, however if the pick units of measure are appropriately established during system setup, unpacking an LPN to fulfil a pick, should not be necessary. The user can also pick the items or the whole LPN into another larger LPN (like a pallet or carton), thus building a package that can be shipped during the picking process. If Cartonization is enabled, the user will also see the container suggestion in his or her task queue.

Auto Pick Confirm
You can select Auto Pick Confirm in a Oracle Warehouse Management enabled organization. In this case, even if Oracle Warehouse Management Pick Rules specify LPN allocation, no LPNs will be picked. Only loose material will be moved to staging. It is imperative the inventory be available loose (not packed in LPNs). The system does
not perform this check before running auto pick confirm. You must enforce that when using auto pick confirm, material is picked from Non LPN Controlled Subinventories.

Pick Task Grouping
Oracle Warehouse Management enables users to perform all pick tasks, for a specific task grouping, as a bundled set of tasks. This functionality is only available through a mobile RF device and is not available through the desktop windows.

Upon Pick Release, pick tasks can be generated and grouped by a number of Pick Slip Grouping Rules, for example Order Picking. Typically, this grouping represents a discrete bundle of work to be performed by a single user.

All functionality of the pick task screen remains unchanged, except that when the task has been completed (either dropped or loaded), a determination will be made whether more tasks remain in the current grouping. If so, the Pick Load screen is presented for the next task in the grouping, with a message indicating that the pick has been
completed. If no more tasks remain for the grouping, the Task Menu is presented, with a message indicating that the last pick for the grouping has been completed.

Pick Methodologies



Pick methodologies refer to the different ways in which you might select to perform picking tasks. For example, you might select to pick an order by itself, or to pick multiple orders at the same time. The type of picking methodology that a warehouse uses depends on the kinds of operations that they run. For example may opt to use
cluster picking in order to pick multiple orders in one pass.

Oracle Warehouse Management supports the following pick methodologies:

Discrete picking: The system dispatches discrete groups of tasks, grouped by pick slip grouping rules.

Order picking: The system assigns picks for one order or job/schedule at a time to a user. Thus, when a user accepts a task for the first line of a job/schedule or sales order, all other picking tasks associated with that job/schedule or order are automatically assigned to the user as well, regardless of the task type or subinventory.

Wave picking: The system dispatches tasks line by line, regardless of the subinventories where those tasks are picked from, or to whom other lines on the order have been dispatched.

Bulk picking: The system groups tasks to pick the same items that are sourced from the same locator so you only see one task that might represent picks for several order lines. Deconsolidation of order lines occur at pick drop. Oracle Warehouse Management automatically splits bulk tasks based on equipment constraints during the pick release process. You can choose to bulk pick items at pick release via the pick slip grouping rules, or choose to use the concurrent program to bulk pick across pick waves after pick release. You can also bulk pick within a delivery or
across deliveries.
The following bulk pick exceptions apply:
• The system does not allow bulk picking for cartonized items
• The bulk picked item must be the same revision.

Zone Picking: Zone picking enables you to utilize all of the picking methodologies but restricts to a specific subinventory. You designate the subinventory before you begin your picking tasks.

Cluster picking: A specified number of clusters is dispatched to a single user at once. A cluster is defined as all the tasks related to a sales order delivery, or a manufacturing job or schedule. The number of clusters can be set for the organization, or controlled by each user individually. Cluster picking offers significant levels of optimization by enabling a user to pick multiple orders at a time by interleaving the pick tasks for various orders and sequencing them in ascending locator/optimal travel sequence. This enables the user to pick orders in its entirety before proceeding to pick more orders.

Pick and pass/label picking: LPNs are generated by the system during cartonization and the labels are printed prior to picking. To pick, the user scans the LPN and is dispatched the picking task associated with that LPN. The user can then "pass" the LPN to the next user or continue picking all material for the LPN and will not be
prompted to drop the LPN in the staging lane, until all the lines have been picked.
Note: If you select order picking as the pick release methodology, and specify an order picking rule type at pick release, the system bypasses all bulk picking checks at the subinventory and the item and does not bulk pick any material as part of that pick release.

Paper-based picking: Users pick according to a paper pick slip that is printed at pick release. This enables a user to dispatch tasks to themselves when working in a paper-assisted environment.

User-defined pick grouping

Performing Picks


1. Bulk picking reduces the number of times goods are processed and returned to a user. After pick release occurs for both outbound sales orders and internal orders, or for manufacturing component picks, Oracle Warehouse Management consolidates tasks of similar characteristics into a single bulk task. This process can be initiated either at the time of pick release, or through a concurrent program separate from the pick release process.

An advantage to bulk picking is that a typical warehouse operation will benefit from a reduced replenishment effort once bulk picking is employed. Replenishment is the process by which material from a packed or overstock bulk location refills the forward or fast picking area for high velocity items.

2. Paper based pick

Task Loading and Dropping



Task loading and dropping includes the following and completes the Oracle Warehouse Management picking task process.

  • Loading material onto equipment
  • Dropping material directly into a staging lane or consolidation locator
After the operator picks the load, they can either drop it directly into a staging lane, or load it on to their equipment. They can then proceed to the next pick location. The operator can view the current LPNs at any time, including information on the customer and the destination address, on the equipment that are waiting to be dropped.

When the operator is ready to drop the material into a staging lane, the system directs the operator to an appropriate staging lane (as determined by the dock appointment or pick release rule). The operator confirms the drop by scanning the staging lane.

If an LPN for the same delivery has already been dropped into the staging lane, the operator will be shown that LPN as a suggested drop LPN. The operator can select another LPN in that lane, if multiple LPNs have been staged for the same delivery.

Alternatively, the operator can enter a new LPN to drop into, or drop without packing the LPN from the task into another LPN. The final pack can also be competed as a user-initiated packing transaction.

Task dropping completes the Oracle Warehouse Management picking task process.

SO to Pick Confirm - Complete Process

1. Create a sales order


2.  Lunch the pick release with below parameters
Auto Pick Confirm = NO (Ensure that require pick confirm is enabled in organization parameter if you want to pick loose material instead of LPN)
Auto Allocate =YES
Plan task =YES
Use an LPN controlled sub inventory as pick from sub inventory.


3.  Navigate to Ware House Manager - > Inquiry -> Warehouse Control Borad  and query with the sales order number.
Verify the task created in unreleased status and note down the pick id.


4. Navigate to  asks->Manual Tasks->Paper Based Pick->Enter Pick ID of Unreleased Task and complete the picking task.



Verify the task status

5.  Navigate to  asks->Directed Tasks->Directed Move->Drop Loaded LPNs -> Enter the LPN
Complete the picking task by droping the item.

Receiving Options (Mobile & Desktop)



Mobile Receiving Options
Receiving Substitutes
Operators can use the mobile device to receive substitutes if Allow Substitutes is enabled on the shipment line, and substitutes are defined for the item.

Receive Expense Items
Operators can use the mobile device to receive expense items, but the expense items cannot be traced in the warehouse after receipt.

Receive Vendor Item
Operators can use the mobile device to receive vendor items by the vendor item number. However, vendor items are traced through the original item number in the warehouse.

Receive by GTIN Number
Operators can use the mobile device to receive numbers by GTIN number instead of the internal item number.

Enable Shortage Notification Messages
The system can generate shortage notifications after receipt when material shortage is enabled
for items and a backordered sales order or WIP job exists.

Unavailable Mobile Receiving Options
Warehouse Management does not support the following receiving options:
Blind receipts- Warehouse management does not support blind receipts.

Receipts without a document or item- Operators cannot use the mobile device to receiving material if they do not have the document information or the item information.

Unordered receipts- Operators cannot use the mobile device to receive unordered material in to the warehouse.

Receipt Corrections- Operators cannot use the mobile device to make receipt corrections.

LPN Receipts

Receiving LPNs Using a Mobile Device
Using the mobile device for receipts helps operators to track material in the warehouse.
Operators can reuse defined but not in use LPNs, and nest an LPN for a normal receipt.
The system requires LPNs for receipts except in the following cases:

  • Expense items
  • Direct receipts
Desktop Receiving
Operators cannot use the desktop application to receive LPNs. The system receives the material as loose, and does not retain the nesting information for ASNs, internal requisitions, inter-organization transfers, and in-transit receipts

Lot and Serial Receiving
Operators can use a configurable hot key on the mobile device to dynamically generate LPN, lot, or serial numbers. The default key is ctrl-g. Warehouse Management generates a number according to the sequencing rules set up for the business object. Operators can map the hot key to any available button on the mobile device. As an implementer, you can also set up multiple configurations in the same warehouse depending on the device type, or the job function.

Upon receipt of lot or serialized material, the system prompts the operator to enter a material status code for the lot, serial number or user-defined attributes for the lot or serial number. The operator can accept the default values or modify them if necessary. This page does not appear if the inbound material is not lot or serial controlled, is not material status enabled, or has no attributes defined.

Cross Docking



Crossdocking is the use of inbound receipts to satisfy outbound demands. You can use crossdocking to match outbound shipments to scheduled receipts in advance. This enables you to achieve faster flow-through times and optimize warehouse resources.

Before system uses the rules engine to determine a put away suggestion, Warehouse Management checks for backordered sales order lines or WIP jobs that incoming material can fulfill if you enable cross docking for the organization. If Warehouse Management finds an eligible line, it prompts operator to put away the incoming material directly to an outbound staging lane or issue it to the WIP job. This flow avoids the unnecessary material handling and material processing.

If only a portion of the incoming material is needed to fulfill the requirement, the system directs the operator to cross dock the material needed to fulfill requirement. The system then uses the rules engine to find an optimal storage location for the remaining quantity. The system checks for cross docking opportunities before it suggests storage put away locations, if you enable cross docking for the organization.

Cross docking is available only for standard and inspection routing receipts. Depending on the parameter setting for the organization, the system may prioritize WIP demand before or after sales order demand.

Crossdock planning horizon/window
Crossdocking occurs during a period of time known as the crossdock planning horizon. The crossdock planning horizon is the time period within which the system considers demands with a schedule shipment date for  crossdocking.

The earliest crossdock time is the beginning of the crossdock planning horizon. This is the maximum time difference that a scheduled receipt can lag with respect to the scheduled shipment time. For example, if the earliest crossdock time is four hours, and a demand exists with a scheduled shipment time of 6:00 p.m., then the system does not consider material with a scheduled receipt time that is earlier than 2:00 p.m.

The latest crossdock time is the end of the crossdock planning horizon. This is the minimum time difference that a scheduled receipt can lag with respect to the scheduled shipment time. For example, if the latest crossdock time is one hour, and a demand exists with a scheduled shipment time of 6:00 p.m., then the system does not consider material with a scheduled receipt time that is later than 5:00 p.m.

The crossdock window is the difference between the earliest and latest crossdock time. For example, if the earliest crossdock time is four hours, and the latest crossdock time is one hour, then the crossdock window is three hours.

Example :
Let, Earliest cross dock time = 7 hours
Latest cross dock time = 2 hours
A SO is scheduled to be shipped @ 10PM
Then cross dock window is (7 – 2) = 5 hours
And cross dock horizon starts @ (10 – 7) 3 PM and ends (10 -2) 8 PM

Cross Docking Types
Oracle Warehouse Management supports two types of crossdocking, planned crossdocking and opportunistic crossdocking. Planned crossdocking matches expected receipts to a demand source, and opportunistic crossdocking matches demands to received supply.

In case of Planned crossdocking the pre-allocation is done during Pick Release. In opportunistic crossdocking dynamic allocation is done during material putaway.

You use planned crossdocking and opportunistic crossdocking for different scenarios. Planned crossdocking works best when you know your supply in advance. It enables you to control the throughput of your warehouse and matches known demand with expected supplies. Opportunistic crossdocking helps with uncertainties. It uses the rules
engine to match newly arriving supply to existing demands. This helps in cases in which a supply or demand source is changed, modified, or cancelled.

Crossdocking Setup



You use the Cross dock Criteria window to determine the eligible supply and demand sources for crossdocking. After you create a crossdock criterion, you enable it in the rules workbench /or else can default it from organization parameter for opportunistic cross docking.

To Create a Crossdock Criterion, navigate to the Crossdock Criteria window.

1.1 Enter a name and a description for the crossdock criteria.
1.2 Select the Criterion Type. Planned crossdocking attempts to select a supply from among eligible supply sources and matches it to a given demand source.
Opportunistic crossdocking selects from eligible demand sources, and matches it to a given supply source.

2.1 Enter the time bucket for which the system considers documents for crossdocking. You can enter a crossdock window in days, hours, or minutes.
2.2 Enter the Order Processing Time. This is the time required to process the order. If you do not enter a value in this field, then the system automatically assumes the value is zero. You can enter an order processing time in hours, days, or minutes.
2.3 Enter a Buffer Time. This is the time required to safely fulfill an order. The system uses the order processing time and the buffer time to trigger exceptions. The system does not consider supply and demand that occur within the buffer zone for crossdocking. If you do not enter a value in this field, then the system automatically assumes the value is zero. You can enter a buffer time in hours, days or minutes.
2.4 Enter a Past Due Supply Cut-Off. This is the offset time the system uses to determine the past due supply cut off time fence. This parameter is used for planned crossdocking. The system does not consider any supply that occurs beyond this time fence for crossdocking.

Example
The following demand exists for which crossdocking needs to be planned at 8:00 a.m. The order processing time is two hours, the buffer time is one hour, and the crossdock window is four hours. Shipment 1 has a shipment time of 3:00 p.m. and Shipment 2 has a scheduled ship time of 4:00 p.m. The time fences for the demand sources are:


For Shipment 1, the system considers supply sources with a scheduled receipt time later than 12:00 p.m. or earlier than 8:00 a.m. ineligible for crossdocking. The system automatically excludes any supply more than one hour late from crossdock planning.

2.5 Enter the Crossdocking Goal. You can choose to maximize crossdock, minimize wait, or create custom crossdocking logic.

3.1 Check Prioritize Documents if you want the rules engine to consider document priority during crossdocking.
3.2 Check the Integer Quantities only check box. You use this option if your receiving Unit of measure is different from the demand unit of measure, and you want to ensure that you crossdock the received units as a whole.

4.1 Check the Schedule Demand anytime on Shipment Date check box if the demand does not have a dock door appointment. This enables the system to assume the sales order is scheduled anytime during a one-day window.

4.2 Check the Schedule Supply anytime on Promise Date check box if an inbound dock schedule does not exist for incoming supply. This enables the system to assume the purchase order is scheduled anytime during one-day window.
Note: This parameter is available only for planned crossdocking.

4.3
For documents with dock door appointments, select the demand and supply schedule for crossdock. The choices are:
• Earliest Appointment Time: If an appointment is from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the system recognizes 2:00 p.m. as the scheduled receipt or shipment time for crossdock.
• Mean Appointment Time: If an appointment is from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the system recognizes 3:00 p.m. as the scheduled receipt or shipment time for crossdock.
• Latest Appointment Time: If an appointment is from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the system recognizes 4:00 p.m. as the scheduled receipt or shipment time for crossdock.

5. Select the Supply tab to enter supply sources for planned crossdocking, or select the Demand tab to enter demand sources for opportunistic crossdocking.

Select an available supply source for planned crossdocking from the Available Supply Sources region. Click the greater than button to make the supply source eligible. You can click the button with two greater than symbols to make all supply sources eligible for planned crossdocking. The available supply sources are:
  1. Approved PO
  2. ASN
  3. Internal Requisition
  4. Intransit Shipments
  5. Material in Receiving
6.  Enter Demand Sources

Select an available demand source for opportunistic crossdocking from the available Demand Sources region. Click the greater than button to make the demand source eligible. You can click the button with two greater than symbols to make all demand sources eligible for crossdocking. The available demand sources are:
  • Sales Order (Scheduled)
  • Sales Order (Backordered)
  • Internal Order (Scheduled)
  • Internal Order (Backordered)
  • WIP Component Demand (Backordered )

Planned Crossdocking


Planned crossdocking occurs during pick release. Oracle Warehouse Management uses release sequence rules to sequence demand sources, and fulfills the demand based on the allocation method that you specify during pick release. When you run pick release, the system uses the allocation method to determine whether crossdock should be planned. If crossdock should be planned, then the system uses the crossdock criteria that you specified to determine the eligible supply. If you did not define the crossdock criteria during pick release, then the system uses the rules workbench to determine the appropriate planned crossdock criteria to use for the demand.

If the system identifies a supply source other than inventory for fulfillment, then it determines the scheduled ship time for the delivery lines, and assigns the scheduled ship date and times to delivery lines as follows:
• If an outbound trip exists, then the system bases the departure time on the dock schedule.
• If the sales order is associated with a delivery, then the system checks to see whether a carrier exists. If a carrier exists, then the system bases the departure dated on the carrier time and dock door appointment.

If multiple dock door appointments for the carrier exist, then the system selects the dock door and appointment that is closest to the scheduled ship date and time.
• If the sales order has a specified ship method, then the system determines the carrier and the exact time for the carrier if the carrier has a dock door appointment for the same day. If multiple appointments exist, then the system selects the appointment that is closest to the scheduled ship time and date.
• If none of these conditions apply, then the system uses the departure time as the scheduled ship time for the order; however, if the crossdock criteria allow scheduling flexibility, then the system assumes the order can ship anytime during the day.

To perform planned crossdocking Oracle Warehouse Management:

  1. Determines supply eligibility
  2. Performs pegging
  3. Creates delivery
  4. Links reservation to supply and demand
  5. Assigns crossdock operation plan
  6. Changes delivery line status to Planned for Crossdock
Supply Eligibility
The available supply sources for planned crossdocking are approved PO, ASN, internal requisition, intransit shipments, and material in receiving. You can peg material in receiving only if the material is not associated with a putaway suggestion. To peg material in receiving, you must turn off the organization parameter Pregenerate after
Receipt

When the system identifies the eligible supply lines, it performs the following checks:
• The supply and demand items must be the same. You cannot use a substitute item.
• If a delivery line is associated with a project and task, then the system does not allow fulfillment across projects and tasks. It considers only material that belongs to the same project and task, or common stock.
Note: If the organization allows fulfillment across projects and tasks, then crossdock planning ignores the project and task information on supply and demand sources.
• The scheduled receipt time of the supply must be within the crossdock window.
The system automatically assumes that all past-due supply lines are available for crossdocking if they satisfy the past-due supply cutoff. The system assigns scheduled receipt lines a receipt date and time as follows:
• If an inbound trip exists, then the system assigns the arrival time based on the dock appointment.
• If an ASN exists, then the system assigns the arrival time based on the ASN.
• If neither condition applies, then the system assigns the receipt date and time based on the PO promise date. If the crossdock criteria are flexible, then the system assumes the receipt can occur anytime during the day.

Pegging
After Oracle Warehouse Management creates the eligible supply list, it runs the crossdocking algorithm to perform pegging. It then selects one or more supply sources for crossdocking. If you select the prioritize document on the Crossdock Criteria window, then the system considers the document with the highest priority first.

If a demand is already pegged to a supply, then the system considers only the reserved supply for crossdocking. It uses the crossdock criteria to check whether the supply is eligible for crossdocking and whether the scheduled receipt date occurs within the crossdock window. If the supply meets the criteria, then the system considers the prior reservation and modifies the reservation record to enable crossdocking.

Reservation Linking
Oracle Warehouse Management creates a reservation that links the supply to an existing demand.

Create Delivery
If the delivery lines are linked to a delivery or crossdock planning run, Oracle Warehouse Management does not create a delivery. If no link exists, then it merges the delivery lines with the outbound crossdock delivery if it occurs within the crossdock window. If the delivery does not occur within the crossdock window, then it creates a new delivery for the crossdocked lines.

Assign Operation Plan
After Oracle Warehouse Management creates the delivery, it assigns the appropriate operation plan to the material

Change Delivery Line Status
After Oracle Warehouse Management pegs the supply, creates the reservation and delivery, and assigns and operation plan, it changes the status of the crossdock lines to Planned for Crossdock. It ignores these lines in future pick releases and planned crossdocking runs.

Plan CrossDocking Example


Planned Crossdock is demand driven and prior to arrival of the material, demand is planned to be fulfilled using incoming supply.

There are 5 different setups that need to be done for planned cross docking. In the below example we are creating a planned cross dock criteria by the name ‘MI_Planned Cross Dock’. After defining the criteria, we'll attach to it the organization in rules work bench. The next step is to create an operation plan for planned cross docking. Rests of the setups are OM related.

Crossdocking Time fences - Identify eligible supply sources (for planned crossdocking) or eligible demand sources (for opportunistic crossdocking)
  • Crossdock Window : Wait Time, Time during which cross docking takes place
  • Order Processing Time (OPT) : The time required to complete the shipping process;Load/unload/move Time
  • Buffer Time (BT) : Extra time provided for Safety margin
  • Past Due Supply Cut-off (PDS) : To exclude uncertain supplies; Any supply before this time is ignored by the system.Suppose current time is 10AM and PDS is 30 mins then system would ignore any supply before 9.30 AM
Crossdocking Goal - Choose one or more supply (or demand) sources from the pool of eligible supply (or demand) sources
  • Maximize Crossdock (FIFO)
  • Minimize Wait (LIFO)
  • Custom
Determine expected arrival time for supply
Dock appointment time
Planned arrival date
Expected receipt date
Shipped date + Transit time
Promise date
Need by date

Determine expected departure time for demand
Dock appointment time
Planned departure date
Schedule ship date
Promise date

Planned Crossdock – Backward scheduling
Current Time - 11:00
Scheduled Ship time for demand – 16:00
Order Processing Time = 1 Hr
Buffer Time = 1 Hr
Crossdock Window = 2 Hrs
Past Due Supply Cutoff = 0.5 Hrs
Latest arrival time for a supply to be crossdocked = Scheduled Ship time for demand – ( Order Processing Time + Buffer Time) = 16:00 – (1+1) = 14:00
Earliest arrival time for a supply to be crossdocked = Latest arrival time for a supply to be crossdocked - Crossdock Window = 14:00 – 2 = 12:00



2. Crossdock criteria assignment

Two new Rule Types are introduced in R12. Planned Crossdock & Opportunistic Crossdock. In out planned cross dock test we will select Planned Crossdock type. We create a new assignment with a sequence number. Lower the sequence higher the precedence.
Note: Always remember to run ‘Generate All Rules’ Concurrent program after you have defined any new rule or made changes to existing rule.

3. Crossdock Operation Plan
On operation select Cross dock. In cross dock method select appropriate cross dock method. In our example we select ‘(Default) LPN based consolidation in staging lane within delivery’.
The other options are:
  • Locator based consolidation in consolidation locator, within delivery in staging lane
  • LPN based consolidation in consolidation locator, within delivery in staging lane
  • Direct consolidation in staging lane within delivery
  • LPN based consolidation in staging lane across deliveries
  • Direct consolidation in staging lane across deliveries
  • LPN based consolidation in consolidation locator, across deliveries in staging lane
  • Locator based consolidation in consolidation locator, across deliveries in staging lane
4. OM System Parameters

Set a value of ‘0’ for “Reservation Time Fence” parameter.
Note: This setting will ensure that no high level reservations are created when the sales orders are booked. This is necessary because system will not try to crossdock for the demand lines with any reservations.

Planned Crossdocking Setup


Planned Crossdock is demand driven and prior to arrival of the material, demand is planned to be fulfilled using incoming supply.

There are 5 different setups that need to be done for planned cross docking. In the below example we are creating a planned cross dock criteria by the name ‘MI_Planned Cross Dock’. After defining the criteria, we'll attach to it the organization in rules work bench. The next step is to create an operation plan for planned cross docking. Rests of the setups are OM related.

Crossdocking Time fences - Identify eligible supply sources (for planned crossdocking) or eligible demand sources (for opportunistic crossdocking)
  • Crossdock Window : Wait Time, Time during which cross docking takes place
  • Order Processing Time (OPT) : The time required to complete the shipping process;Load/unload/move Time
  • Buffer Time (BT) : Extra time provided for Safety margin
  • Past Due Supply Cut-off (PDS) : To exclude uncertain supplies; Any supply before this time is ignored by the system.Suppose current time is 10AM and PDS is 30 mins then system would ignore any supply before 9.30 AM
Crossdocking Goal - Choose one or more supply (or demand) sources from the pool of eligible supply (or demand) sources
  • Maximize Crossdock (FIFO)
  • Minimize Wait (LIFO)
  • Custom
Determine expected arrival time for supply
Dock appointment time
Planned arrival date
Expected receipt date
Shipped date + Transit time
Promise date
Need by date

Determine expected departure time for demand
Dock appointment time
Planned departure date
Schedule ship date
Promise date

Planned Crossdock – Backward scheduling
Current Time - 11:00
Scheduled Ship time for demand – 16:00
Order Processing Time = 1 Hr
Buffer Time = 1 Hr
Crossdock Window = 2 Hrs
Past Due Supply Cutoff = 0.5 Hrs
Latest arrival time for a supply to be crossdocked = Scheduled Ship time for demand – ( Order Processing Time + Buffer Time) = 16:00 – (1+1) = 14:00
Earliest arrival time for a supply to be crossdocked = Latest arrival time for a supply to be crossdocked - Crossdock Window = 14:00 – 2 = 12:00



2. Crossdock criteria assignment

Two new Rule Types are introduced in R12. Planned Crossdock & Opportunistic Crossdock. In out planned cross dock test we will select Planned Crossdock type. We create a new assignment with a sequence number. Lower the sequence higher the precedence.
Note: Always remember to run ‘Generate All Rules’ Concurrent program after you have defined any new rule or made changes to existing rule.

3. Crossdock Operation Plan
On operation select Cross dock. In cross dock method select appropriate cross dock method. In our example we select ‘(Default) LPN based consolidation in staging lane within delivery’.
The other options are:
  • Locator based consolidation in consolidation locator, within delivery in staging lane
  • LPN based consolidation in consolidation locator, within delivery in staging lane
  • Direct consolidation in staging lane within delivery
  • LPN based consolidation in staging lane across deliveries
  • Direct consolidation in staging lane across deliveries
  • LPN based consolidation in consolidation locator, across deliveries in staging lane
  • Locator based consolidation in consolidation locator, across deliveries in staging lane
4. OM System Parameters

Set a value of ‘0’ for “Reservation Time Fence” parameter.
Note: This setting will ensure that no high level reservations are created when the sales orders are booked. This is necessary because system will not try to crossdock for the demand lines with any reservations.

Opportunistic Crossdock



Opportunistic cross docking is supply initiated. When you receive materials against a PO, Warehouse Management System can use those newly receiving material to fulfill an existing demand like a SO (scheduled or backordered), an Internal order (scheduled or backordered),  a WIP Component demand(backordered),  if you enable Opportunistic Cross docking on the Organization Parameters window.

Warehouse Management uses the rules workbench to determine the appropriate crossdock criterion to use for supply. Depending on the eligible demand sources, crossdocking goal, and time fences that you specify in the opportunistic crossdock criteria, the system determines to which demand to crossdock the supply. It then stamps and operation plan on the material. To perform opportunistic crossdocking, the system:

  1. Validates supply source
  2. Determines eligibility pool
  3. Performs pegging
  4. Creates reservations
  5. Creates delivery
1. Validates supply source
When you receive material, WMS first checks if opportunistic cross dock is enabled or not for the organization. If it’s enabled then system picks up the relevant cross dock criteria to check if there is any available demand for which you can cross dock the received material.

2. Determines eligibility pool
If you can crossdock the supply, then the system identifies the eligible delivery lines for crossdocking based on the crossdock criteria. The available demand sources are scheduled sales orders, backordered sales orders, scheduled internal orders, backordered internal orders, and backordered WIP component demand.

Warehouse Management performs the following checks to determine eligible demand:
• The delivery line item and the received line item are the same.
• The crossdock criteria allow the demand document type.
• If the received items are associated with a project and task, and the organization does not allow fulfillment across project and tasks, then only demand that belongs to the same project and task, or common demand, is eligible for crossdocking.
Note: If the organization allows fulfillment across project and task, then Oracle Warehouse Management ignores the project and task on supply and demand sources for crossdocking.

3. Pegging
After the system creates a list of eligible delivery lines, then the crossdocking algorithm performs pegging and selects one more demands sources for crossdocking. If you select the Document Priority check box, then the system considers the document type with the highest demand first.

4. Reservation Linking
Oracle Warehouse Management creates a reservation that links the demand to incoming supply.

5. Create Delivery
The system merges the delivery lines with an existing delivery if the outbound delivery is within the crossdock window. If no delivery is within the crossdock window, then the system creates a new delivery for the crossdocked items.

6. Opportunistic Crossdock Receipt Validations Crossdocking execution performs the following validations upon receipt:
• Verifies whether supply source is already planned for crossdocking: If the supply source is already planned for crossdocking and has a valid demand source, then the system chooses an operation plan for the item.
• Supply source is ineligible for crossdocking or crossdocking is not allowed: If the supply source is ineligible, or crossdocking is not allowed for the organization, then the system directs you to put away the material.
• Supply source is reserved to a demand source and opportunistic crossdocking is enabled: The system uses the crossdock criteria to validate the supply and demand sources. If both are eligible for crossdocking, then the system identifies the received material for crossdocking, and assigns an operation plan.
• Supply source is not reserved and opportunistic crossdocking is enabled: The system uses the crossdocking criteria to validate the supply source. If the supply source can be crossdocked, then the system identifies the appropriate demand source. The system then uses the crossdocking algorithm to identify the exact demand source.

Cartonization, Consolidation and Packing


Warehouse Management uses cartonization to suggest the best packaging configuration for a group of items. The system presents packaging suggestions to operators in the following ways: automatically generating LPNs, printing container and shipping labels, and during tasks.

Cartonization can segregate items by categories you identify during implementation based on different packaging requirements. For instance, refrigerated goods may require a particular type of insulated cooler, while miscellaneous goods can be packed into any standard corrugated cardboard box. In addition, the warehouse may use several sizes of each type of container. You can also set minimum fill percentages for containers, below which, the system suggests a smaller container.

You can create multiple levels of packaging, along with the requisite labels, so operators can generate labels in a single operation, for inner cartons, outer cartons, and pallets. Operators can halt packing with a hierarchy of containers midway, and then continue again at a later point. Operators can pack material in a storage container during receipt, and pack it again during sales order picking into a final shipping container.

All these considerations, in addition to the item dimensions, weight, and volume in comparison to the physical attributes of the container, are made when the system selects the container type and quantity to use.

How it works
Suppose there are 2 products – Mobile and Digital Camera which needs different kind of packaging. For mobile create an item category MOBILE with the ‘Cartonization groups’ as the item category structure. Next attach the item category MOBILE to both the container item and contained item category sets.
Create a mobile item MOB01 and attached it with the category set contained item & category MOBILE.
Similarly create a mobile container item CONTAINER_MOB01 and attached it with the category set container item & category MOBILE.

Now when system does the Cartonization for the item MOB01, it ‘ll consider CONTAINER_MOB01 as the packaging material.

You can do the similar kind setups for Digital camera products.

Consolidation enables multiple operators to drop material assigned to a delivery in to the same locator or LPN prior to placing the consolidated load in a staging lane.
Note: If necessary, operators can ship material directly from the consolidation location.

Packing Material
Packing involves transferring of loose items or LPNS into an LPN. Operators can pack items either on receipt, while they reside in inventory, or during outbound shipment to customers. Operators can use both the desktop and the mobile device to pack material. While desktop packing allows packing for inbound and outbound material, mobile packing allows packing for outbound material only. The benefits of packing include:
• Consolidation of items into suitable containers based on criteria such as item, delivery, sales order, or warehouse location
• Confirmation and record the contents of containers while packing
• Transaction by container
• Protection of packed items from damage

LPN Put Away Process



In addition to supporting LPN put away from a Standard Routing, Oracle Warehouse Management enables you to initiate a put away by scanning an LPN anywhere in the warehouse.

After you scan an LPN, you have the option of loading that LPN onto your current equipment, or dropping the LPN immediately. If you load the LPN, you can scan additional LPNs onto their equipment then begin dropping LPNs whenever they are at the appropriate locations to be dropped.

Note: Putaway transactions must be carried out using the manual load, directed drop, drop an LPN, or manual drop pages.

Manual Loads

A manual load is a put away task that you create.
You can use the Manual Load page to fully load the contents of one LPN into another LPN to put away the outer LPN.
You can also transfer the contents of one LPN into another LPN in order to put away the second LPN. Finally, you can use the Manual Load page to select items from an LPN and put away only those items. For efficient warehouse operations, you sometimes need to put away individual contents of an LPN and then consolidate the content at various warehouse storage locations. To accomplish this, you load an entire LPN and then specify which items of the LPN to put away at the various storage locations.

To perform a manual load, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Manual Load Page.
2. Enter or scan the LPN to load.
3. Enter the Into LPN to nest the LPN.
4. Select <Load Full LPN> to nest the loaded LPN in the to LPN, select <Transfer Contents> to transfer the contents from one LPN to another LPN, or choose <Select Contents> to open the Item Load page and select loose content from the loaded LPN.
5. If you selected <Load Full LPN> or <Transfer Contents> repeat the previous steps to load or transfer additional LPNs. If you selected <Select Contents>, complete the following steps.
6. Enter the item number to load.
7. Enter the revision information if required.
8. Confirm the quantity to load in the Confirm field. If the item is under dual unit of measure control, the system displays the secondary unit of measure, and secondary quantity.

Manual Drops
You can use the manual drop page to drop items loaded using the Manual Load.

Directed Drops
Directed drops allow you to drop any LPN loaded by the manual load page and the pick load page. For a directed drop, the system selects the drop location using the Oracle Warehouse Management Rules Engine put away rules.

Move any LPN
You can use Move any LPN to drop any loaded LPNs or perform an implicit load followed by a drop. This is applicable only to inbound LPNs.

Drop All LPNs
You can drop multiple loaded LPNs and the system directs you to drop the LPNs in the optimal drop sequence.

Label Printing



WMS labeling features helps you to move inventory more efficiently through the warehouse. Supplier labeling speeds-up the receiving process by enabling bar code scanning of inbound purchase orders, that results in less receipt processing time, immediate recognition of available materials, and higher receiving accuracy.

Labeling also enables you to comply with customer requirements for barcoding. You can produce customer-specific labels on demand for each shipment and for advanced shipment notices (ASNs).

You can also use labeling in flow manufacturing. Each step in the manufacturing flow can use labeling.
Customer Labeling Requirements Customer labels are typically centered on the following major requirements:

  1. Label format
  2. Label data
  3. Bar code specifications
  4. Symbol content
Oracle Warehouse Management labeling features enable all of these requirements to work together to meet customer guidelines. It supports the following label types:
  • Materials label: Provides information about an item, including the item's lot information, if applicable.
  • Serial label: Provides information that is specific to a serial of an item.
  • LPN label: Provides information about the License Plate Number (LPN). This label does not contain content information. You typically use the LPN label to identify LPNs as they travel throughout the warehouse.
  • LPN Contents label: Provides information about the LPN contents. You typically use this label to identify LPNs as they travel throughout the warehouse.
  • LPN Summary label: Provides information about the LPN and a summary view of the LPN contents. If an LPN contains multiple LPNs, then all of the contents of all the nested LPNs are summed by item, revision, and lot.
  • Location label: Provides information about specific warehouse locators.
  • Shipping label: Provides information for an outbound shipment. It does not include information about the contents of the shipment. It includes only addresses and  information that is pertinent to the shipment itself.
  • Shipping Contents label: Provides information about outbound shipment. It includes information about all of the contents that are part of the shipment.
  • WIP Content label: Provides information about the WIP components that are picked for a WIP job. It includes component number, serial, lot, job number, assembly number, and start date.
Electronic Product Code
If you selected LPN, LPN Contents, or LPN Summary as the label type, you can create Electronic Product Code (EPC) information for the label. Some retailers require EPC information from their supplier. Oracle Warehouse Management models EPCs after LPNs. You can generate EPCs while LPNs are completed, packed, or staged.

Defining Custom Label Fields



You can create custom label fields and associate them with label formats. This enables you to have additional control over the values that are listed on a label. You can write a custom SQL statement to create the custom label field.

For example, if you have a requirement to show the carrier PRO number, and the system does not seed this field,  then you can write a custom SQL statement that creates this field.

The custom label field that you create appears in the Define Label Fields window along with the seeded values. You should restrict this window from certain responsibilities; only users with knowledge of SQL should have access to this window. You can use any field that you create on this window in a label. To define custom label fields:

1. Navigate to the Define Custom Labels window.
2. Select the label type. This associates the fields with the appropriate label type.
3. Enter the field name, description, and SQL query statement.
4. Save your work.

Associating Label Types to Business Flows




After you set up label formats, you must associate them with the specific warehouse business flow where you want to use them. This association enables the label type to be printed automatically as part of that business flow.

You can also print the same label type from different business flows with a different format used at each flow. For example, many times a package is labeled with a carton label when it is picked (Shipping Contents label type at Pick Load business flow), but is then labeled with a shipping label when it is shipped (Shipping Contents label type at
Ship Confirm Business flow.) This enables you to set up a label format selection rule that is based on the business flow that the label print request was generated from.

The following table provides a list of the various business flows and the types of labels that you can associate with each flow. The horizontal header row of the table lists the various label types that are available. The far left vertical column lists the warehouse-related business flow. The number in parentheses ( ) indicates the business flow code number that is needed when you are defining Rules Engine format based rules. Yes indicates that the system can generate the label type for that business flow.
No means that the system does not generate that label type for the business flow.

Label Format Assignment Rules


Label format assignment rules associate a label to a business object based on parameters and restrictions you specify. After you define label formats and associate them to the appropriate business flows, you can define label format assignment rules.
The figure in the slide provides an example of the type of rule you could create to generate an LPN Content label for hazardous items. If the material meets all of the restrictions when the rules engine executes the rule, then Warehouse Management generates the hazardous item LPN Contents label.

Creating label format rules is an optional step. Some implementations require only a single label format for each label type. In this case, the Warehouse Management uses the default label format for each type. It also uses the default if there are no applicable rules. If the implementation requires more than one label format for a label type, you must create label format rules.

Printing Modes



Oracle WMS provides 3 different ways to integrate third party printing software with WMS.
1.    Asynchronous mode
2.    Synchronous Mode - Generic
3.    Synchronous Mode – TCP/IP
The profile option WMS: Label Print Mode determines the printing mode.
Asynchronous Mode

In Asynchronous Mode, Warehouse Management creates an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file and transfers it to a directory the third party software monitors. You cannot use Warehouse Management to monitor the status of the print request after creation of the XML file.
Note: The profile option WMS: Label output directory determines the output directory.

Asynchronous mode of architecture is simplest to set up and debug, as there is a
clear external record of the label request. Disadvantages of asynchronous printing include latency, possible security issues to FTP files across servers if print server running on different platform, and no possibility for response.

1. Oracle WMS places the XML file in a specified Directory.
2. Print Server / Other tool monitors the specified directory and picks up the XML.
3. Print server / Other tool modifies the XML.
4. Print server maps the XML to the label format and generates print stream in printers proprietary language.
5. Printer prints the label

Synchronous Mode – Generic

In Synchronous mode of integration, Oracle WMS generates a label XML and sends it directly to the partner via one of two synchronous methods. In the first method, the integration is via an API implemented by the third party application that replaces an empty stub provided by Oracle. Third party software processes this XML and prints the XML. You need to set the profiles - ‘WMS Label Print Mode’ to ‘Synchronous – Generic’.

1. Oracle WMS calls Synchronous API and pushes the XML to print server / other tool.
2. Print server / Other tool modifies the XML.
3. Print server maps the XML to the label format and generates print stream in printers proprietary
language.
4. Print Server prints the label at the specified printer.

Synchronous Mode TCP/IP


Synchronous Mode TCP/IP is a real-time integration mode between Warehouse Management and third party software that is handled through a standard ethernet TCP/IP connection. Warehouse Management ensures the printer or print server is listening to the IP and port and successfully receives the XML string, but does not receive the status the detailed status of the print request.

Label Printing Strategies



Oracle WMS and MSCA have robust label printing capabilities built into the product to easily produce compliance labels at any point in the business process and with any data. Oracle works with two types of label printing partners – direct to- printer, and print server – to provide the full end-to-end solution, and each of these partners have different strengths.

Oracle WMS produces label XML files as part of a transaction or event, such as a purchase order receipt, pick confirmation, work order completion, or license plate generation.

To print the Oracle generated label XML, you will always need the actual label printers, as well as a label design application (LDA) to define the graphical layout of the variable and boilerplate data. These strategies differ, however, on the basis of the integration of the XML to that format occurs within the printer firmware with no other middleware, or in a separate print server application.

Direct-to-print label printers
that natively understand Oracle’s XML allow you to directly print the Oracle generated label XML without any middleware or print server. 
The print servers, on other hand, add an intermediary layer between Oracle Applications and actual label printer. Although the print servers introduce an additional partner and added implementation cost, they also provides significant value in the areas of print management, label configuration and manipulation, error management and Internet printing.

Oracle supports two types of label printing configurations:
1. Printing using a third party label software and a print server
2. Printing using XML enabled Direct Label Printers.


The printing strategy selection depends on several factors – ROI, real time latency, need for compliance labeling, printer models in current use, volume of labels to be printed, network infrastructure et al. To reiterate, each additional layer between Oracle WMS and the printer gives you additional flexibility, while also generally  also meaning additional complexity and cost.

PRINT SERVER SOLUTIONS

This strategy require s you to have a configuration of Oracle WMS, third party label printing software, print server and a network of printers. The LDA allows you to define the different label formats that need to be printed, as well as manage the library of formats for an enterprise printing solution. The print server manages the print queue, comes with necessary printer drivers and the printer parameters associated with them. Finally, the label printer actually prints the label. The label printer can be from any vendor supported by the print server. Typically, the LDA and print server come same the vendor.

This strategy is recommended when you have a high volume of labels to print from each printer, and also is often simpler to maintain when the label formats change frequently. The LDA or related application sometimes enables you to configure the label with the content being derived from many sources, where the Oracle XML forms just one such source. A print server partner is usually recommended when the Oracle XML needs to be manipulated beyond the capabilities of standard Oracle functionality prior to printing, such as to pull in additional data elements, split an individual label request into multiple labels, or control the destination printer beyond Oracle’s basic rules. Many of the third party label software will allow you to custom program a label in these – and other – ways. Third party label print software will use Oracle XML as the primary data sources for the label fields, executing additional logic or ODBC calls as required.

Another use of these extended capabilities from the print server partners is to compensate for the fact that Oracle MSCA lacks an inbuilt rules engine like Oracle WMS to determine the label to be printed. However, some label printing software help you to configure rules to determine the label to be printed and manipulation of the label.

This strategy is also recommended when you have printers from multiple manufacturers in a single site that all need to print a single format, as only some of the printers in your facility may be able to support XML directly, and furthermore, each of the Direct-to-Printer partners uses different LDAs that produce different pre-compiled output that may need to be loaded to the printers in different ways and using different tools. Additionally, the advanced queuing / print job management capabilities make this a preferred option when more than two or three  users need to concurrently print large batches of labels from a single printer. While the print server partners may require an additional investment in software licenses and implementation costs, when you have characteristics such as those above that require the features of these partners, your total cost of ownership will actually be lower than trying to use the simpler architecture of the Direct-to-XML printers

Print server sloution works with all the three printing modes :  Synchronous TCP/IP,  Synchronous Generic & Asynchronous.

XML DIRECT PRINTER
In this strategy Oracle WMS sends the XML directly to the printer. The label printer is capable of receiving XML that meets Oracle’s label specification and merges with pre-defined label formats to print a label.

This strategy can be easily deployed when the Oracle XML does not need any manipulation to produce the label desired. The volume of printing and the number of users that would need to print concurrently to a single printer is also a factor.  For instance, when more than three or four users may trigger simultaneous requests to print to a single printer, the number of available connections on some of the printers may be exceeded, or for large jobs, the buffers may overflow. While Oracle provides multiple mechanisms for reprinting so that the jobs are not lost, these volume and concurrency considerations should be included in evaluating the XML Direct printers against each other, and against a print server partner.

With some XML Direct partners, XML-enabled printers are only supported on their flagship printer models, so that you may pay a premium for this capability.  On the other hand, all XML Direct printers to date are capable of running both modes, whereby they can parse both XML from Oracle and the print stream in their proprietary language, typically without any change in configuration, and typically, also simultaneously, so the same printer can be used in multiple ways, and you can easily change to a print server as your requirements grow.

The XML Direct strategy calls for pre-loading the printers with label formats. Since there is no centralized print server, every time you add a printer to the network, you need to load the required label formats, and every time you add a format, you need to add it to all the printers. Some  partners have printer management software to aid in this decentralized approach.

XML direct printers work with both Synchronous TCP/IP and Synchronous Generic mode of printing. To enable to print in TCP/IP mode, you need to set ‘WMS Label Print Mode’ to ‘Synchronous – TCP/IP’ and define the TCP/IP IP
address and port number for each printer in the network.

Cartonization



Cartonization is the process that suggests a container to pack items based on constraints such as cubic volume of items and container volume. Oracle Warehouse Management uses cartonization to suggest the best packaging configuration for a group of items. The system can present the packaging suggestion to you in one of many ways, including automatically generating license plates, printing container and shipping labels, and presenting the suggestion to you as part of a task.

You can create multiple levels of packaging, along with the requisite labels, so you can generate in a single operation, labels for inner cartons, packed inside outer cartons, and placed on a pallet. You can halt packing with a hierarchy of containers midway, and  then continue again at a later point, so you can pack material in a storage container when it is first received or completed, and then pack it again during sales order picking into a final shipping container.

All these considerations, in addition to the item dimensions, weight, and volume in comparison to the physical attributes of the container, are made when the system selects the container type and quantity to use.

Cartonization Uses

Oracle Warehouse Management uses cartonization in three places:

  1. Sales order and manufacturing picking
  2. Prepack for manufacturing completion
  3. Inventory bulk pack
Cartonization at Pick Release
Cartonization is automatically performed when sales order or manufacturing jobs / schedules are released for picking, if you enable the option on for the organization and subinventory. After the lines are allocated using the Rules Engine, sales order lines are grouped by delivery, or by the delivery grouping rule if no deliveries are created prior to or at pick release. Manufacturing allocations are grouped by job or schedule.

Cartonization is then performed on each grouping. You may use this to suggest the carton to pick into, or the box to place on the conveyor belt if you perform conveyor-based picking.

Prepack for Manufacturing Completion
You can use the Container Prepack concurrent request, Container Prepack, to pre-print labels in preparation for a manufacturing completion. You can then perform the completion in an LPN triggered mode, minimizing further data entry during the completion.

Inventory Bulk Pack
You can use bulk packing of loose material to suggest the containers to pack material that already resides in inventory. You can use bulk pack for both loose and packed material. If you pack loose material, you can pack multiple items in a single operation. You can pack material into additional levels of packaging if you set up multi-level packaging, automatically creating the LPNs and labels for scenarios where inner cartons should be packed into outer cartons.

Cartonization Rules
Starting from Release 12.1.1, customers have the ability to choose and create robust rules that automatically determine the best container during the release process. Automatic rule engine runs and based on rule selected, chooses optimal packing materials.
  1. Single Item – An item is always matched to the same container based on the static relationship you setup in the item/container relationship window.
  2. Mixed Item – Uses the contained-container item capacity and dimension restrictions defined on the master item window and checks it against the category and category set setup as well.
  3. Pick Slip Grouping – Generate an LPN for all items that belong to the same pick slip.
  4. Customer Algorithm – Uses a stub API to interface with customer-defined cartonization rules.

Cartonization Process


The cartonization algorithm Oracle Warehouse Management uses minimizes the number of containers used at each level in the packaging hierarchy, subject to volume, weight, and minimum percent fill settings of the containers. The algorithm also verifies the dimensions of the packed material can fit inside the dimensions of the container.

If you defined multi-level hierarchy after all the material is packed at the first level, the  algorithm repeats itself with the new containers. The process continues until the top of the packaging hierarchy has been reached, the packaging process has completed the indicated number of levels, or no additional containers are available due to minimum
percent fill, dimensions, or other physical attributes.

The following two examples illustrate how cartonization works on a single and a multiple level cartonization hierarchy. Although labels are generated at all levels in the cartonization process, LPNs are only created for the outermost level for each request.

Single Level Cartonization


Single level packaging hierarchies are most commonly used during sales order pick release for Pick by Label functionality, or to select the right packing container. You may also use it for packing material in inventory and generating labels prior to manufacturing completion if the labeling requirements are simple.

Steps
1. Define an item and assigned contained category group. Define a container and assign the container category.
2. Create a SO and Run pick release with Auto Confirm – No, Create Delivery – Yes, Auto Allocation – Yes, Plan task – Yes.
3. Navigate to Load
Enter the pick id (transaction number on warehouse control board)
4. System‘ll show the container number as per the setup.

Multi Level Cartonization


Use multi level packaging hierarchies when you require labeling for more complex packaging configurations, such as when you need to pack inner boxes into outer boxes, that are placed on a pallet. The multiple levels can be packed all at once, or when using the mobile Bulk Pack page, can be broken up into several intermediate steps. Labels can be generated for each of the many levels of the hierarchy.

Packaging vs. LPN
Only the outermost level created at each level of cartonization is defined as a license plate. License plates are not generated for intermediate levels. You can only calculate material availability at the innermost license plate level, and the rules engine cannot allocate nested LPNs and you cannot pick them in a single transaction. The way you
create license plates and packaging entities impacts how labels print and on-hand balance maintenance.

Content and Summary Labels
Labels generate for each level in the packaging hierarchy regardless of whether you create a license plate or record the level as packaging.

LPN Summary labels are printed at every level during the cartonization process. These multi-record labels include all the items contained at or below the current cartonization.

LPN Content labels print at every level that contains loose material. For levels that license plates are not generated, the innermost packaging level contains loose material and a LPN Content label may be printed. Because material availability calculations do not have visibility to packaging levels that do not have license plates, the system also
prints an LPN Content label for the innermost license plate even if there are other levels of packaging inside the license plate.

You can identify all levels created by cartonization with a unique number. If a license plate exists, the number is the license plate number. If a license plate does not exist, the number is a packaging identifier that can be included on the label. You can print the identifier (packaging or LPN), as well as the immediate parent of the level on every
content and summary label. Thus an LPN Summary label may be identified by a package ID and a parent license plate number, or by a license plate number and a parent package identifier. These relationships help you pack the material as determined by the defined packaging hierarchies.

Setting up Cartonization



You must perform several setups steps before you can use cartonization. For items that always require a specific container, use the container load relationship. For other items packed into containers in a container group, you must create categories to group the container types and the items. You must then assign the corresponding items to the
categories, and assign the physical characteristics such as volume and weight. Finally, you must define the containers the, designate physical characteristics, and assign them to the corresponding categories. You must enable sales order cartonization at the subinventory and organization levels if necessary.

1.1 Subinventory and Organization Setup


You must setup cartonization for subinventories and organizations when you use cartonization during pick release if cartonization for sales orders or manufacturing is appropriate for your business process. Some subinventories may store items in LPNs that are already packed, such as a case or a pallet area.

Parameters on the Warehouse tab of the Organization Parameters window control the cartonization level, and the cartonization processes to use. The "Enable Cartonization" flag has three options:
  1. You can turn on cartonization, in which case pick released lines are cartonized regardless of the allocation subinventory.
  2. You can turn off cartonization in which case no pick released lines are cartonized.
  3. You can configure cartonization at the subinventory level. The system first checks the cartonization flag on the subinventory definition before cartonization.
In addition, there are two flags that independently control whether cartonization is performed during sales order pick release or manufacturing component pick release.

The cartonization flag on the subinventory has only two options: enabled or disabled.  This flag is used if you set the "Enable Cartonization" to "Controlled at Subinventory" on the Organization Parameters window.

Define Cartonization Groups



A flexfield structure, called Cartonization Groups, is seeded with the system. Therefore, to define cartonization groups, you need only to select the Cartonization Groups flexfield structure and then set up a category code and description for each group.

1.3 Assign Cartonization Groups to Cartonization Category Sets
After you set up the appropriate cartonization groups (also known as category codes), you assign the groups to category sets. You must assign cartonization groups to the following two category sets:

  1. Contained item, which represents items that are packed
  2. Container item, which represents the actual container, such as a box, or pallet into which items are packed.
Both the Contained Item and Container Item have been seeded with the Oracle Warehouse Management. You should assign each category code that you define to both the Contained Item and Container Item category sets.

Containers and Contained Items


After you set up the appropriate category codes and category sets, you must define the containers and cartons into which you will later pack items. Because containers represent another type of item, you use the Master Items form to set them up.

Note: You must define container items and contained item with the same unit of measure class. For example, if you have an item defined in inches, and a container defined in centimeters, the system will make the conversion from inches to centimeters (or centimeters to inches), because both units of measure are of the UOM class, Length

Defining Contained Item


After you set up appropriate category codes and category sets, you must modify or update the attributes of the items for which you want the system to suggest containers.
For cartonization to work properly, you must update the following item attributes:

  • Item's category set from the Contained Item category set
  • Physical dimensions of the item: weight, volume, and dimension
Note: Optionally, you may specify a weight, volume, and dimension, and corresponding UOMs for items in which you want the system to suggest cartonization, otherwise, cartonization will assume that the item has 0 weight, volume, and dimension for the case of contents, or infinite capacity in the case of containers.

Container Load Relationships



Some items require specific containers. These items have container load relationships, which are direct relationships between a container item and a contained item. The relationship specifies how many of the contained item can fit into one container. You set up container load relationships in the Container Item Relationship window.

Although you can establish multiple relationships for a single contained item, the cartonization process uses only the preferred relationship. There can be only one preferred relationship for each content item.

Prior to setting up these relationships, the container items must be properly setup. Any container item setup using the steps above will is a valid container item for a direct relationship. Alternatively, to setup items just for direct container load relationships, the only required step is to check the container flag in the container object group. No other
physical attributes of the contained item or container item need to be entered.

more details @
http://www.oracleug.com/user-guide/order-management/managing-packingcontainerslpns

Consolidation



Consolidation is the process of bringing material from various parts of the warehouse together for the purpose of packing and shipping. Consolidation can occur at one or more points during the outbound flow of material. Most warehouses perform consolidation of picked material so it can be packed prior to shipment. Some warehouses perform subsequent consolidations such as building pallets of packed items and then shipping the pallets.

Oracle Warehouse Management allows eight types of system-directed consolidation based on the following key factors:
• Should material be consolidated in a consolidation locator or directly in a staging lane?
• Should consolidation occur at the LPN level?
• Can material from different deliveries be consolidated based on the operation plan while upholding the consolidation rules such as no loose material is allowed in the outermost LPN?

1. LPN Based Consolidation in Staging Lane Within Delivery
This is the default consolidation method. This consolidation method enables you to consolidate material for a single delivery directly to an LPN in a staging lane. The system suggests the last LPN that is dropped off for delivery in the staging lane.

2. Direct Consolidation in Staging Lane Across Deliveries
This consolidation method enables you to consolidate material across deliveries in a staging lane. In this consolidation method, you do not consolidate material in a consolidation LPN within the staging lane. The system does not suggest a drop into LPN for the material.

3. Direct Consolidation in Staging Lane Within Deliveries
This consolidation method enables you to consolidate material for a single delivery directly in a staging lane. The system does not suggest a drop into LPN for the material.

4. LPN Based Consolidation in Consolidation Locator Across Deliveries in Staging Lane
This consolidation method enables you to consolidate material across deliveries into a consolidation LPN in a consolidation locator. After you consolidate the material, you can use the mass move functionality to move all the material to the staging lane.

5. LPN Based Consolidation in Consolidation Locator Within Deliveries in Staging Lane
This consolidation method enables you to consolidate material within a delivery into a consolidation LPN in a consolidation locator. After you consolidate the material, you can use the mass move functionality to move all the material to a staging lane.

6. LPN Based Consolidation in Staging Lane Across Deliveries
This consolidation method enables you to consolidate material across multiple deliveries into a consolidation LPN directly in the staging lane.

7. Locator Based Consolidation in Consolidation Locator Across Deliveries in Staging Lane
This consolidation method enables you to consolidate material for each delivery in a separate consolidation locator and then consolidate material for multiple deliveries in the same staging lane.

8. Locator Based Consolidation in Consolidation Locator Within Delivery in Staging Lane
This consolidation method enables you to consolidate material for a delivery in a consolidation locator and then move the material to a staging lane.

Consolidation Setup



When you perform a Pick Drop, Staging Move, or LPN Mass Consolidate for material consolidated across deliveries, the following conditions apply:
• All lines in the From and To LPN, if the material resides in an existing LPN, must be assigned to a delivery.
• The destination LPN must be in a locator of type Staging.
• The destination LPN must not have any loose material. If LPNs are nested, the nested LPNs can contain loose material.
• All tasks loaded into the From LPN and To LPN must have an operation plan with the consolidation method set to Across Deliveries.

Shipping Validation
Transportation Execution validates material consolidated across deliveries and determines if a valid deconsolidation point exists, and if the ship-from location are the same. After consolidation, and at ship confirm, Shipping Execution automatically
creates a trip for the second leg, from the deconsolidation point to the final ship-to destination as follows:

  • If no trips associated to the deliveries exist for the second leg, Shipping Execution creates a trip for each delivery from the deconsolidation point to the final ship-to destination.
  • If deliveries for the second leg exist, Shipping Execution deletes the delivery from the associated trip, and creates a new trip from the deconsolidation point to the final ship-to destination.


Consolidation Inquiry


Once material is consolidated, it is ready for further processing such as packing, shipping, or loading. It is essential that you know the status of consolidated material so you can make a decision on what material is eligible for further processing.

Consolidation Locators Inquiry
The Consolidation Locators Inquiry page serves as the gateway to view consolidation locators with material in various states so that you can make a determination on what material is ready for further processing.

Complete Locators
The Complete Locators mobile page enables you to view consolidation locators that have completely consolidated material.

Empty Locators
The Empty Locators mobile page enables you to view empty consolidation locators. It displays subinventory and locators that are empty, one locator at a time. The total number of empty locators displays at the bottom of the page.

Non-Empty Locators
The Non-Empty Locators mobile page enables you to view consolidation locators that have at least one staged LPN in it. It includes locators with either completely or partially consolidated material or both.
It displays subinventory and locators that have at least one LPN with a status of Staged. It shows all locators that have material in them regardless of whether material has been completely consolidated or not.

It also has a <Find LPNs> button that invokes the Consolidated LPNs page and displays LPNs that exist in the displayed locator.

Consolidated LPNs Inquiry
The Consolidated LPN Inquiry page serves as the gateway to view consolidated LPNs with deliveries in various states so that you can make a determination on what material is ready for further processing. The Consolidated LPN Inquiry can be performed against any staged LPN, delivery, or order number or any combination of the three.

Material Status Control


Material status control, which is one of the best feature of oracle WMS is now also available in Oracle inventory after release 12. It allows to control what type of transactions can be & cannot be done on onhand quantities. This feature provides similar controls to materials as item status provides to items.

Material Status control restricts the movement and usage of portions of on-hand inventory. Using material status control enables you to control whether you can pick or ship an internal order or sales order, or issue material for a work order. You can also specify whether material needs to be quarantined until you inspect it. In addition, you can determine whether products with a particular status can be reserved, included in available to promise calculations, or netted in production planning. You assign material statuses at four levels: subinventory, locator, lot, and serial.

You assign subinventory and locator statuses in the subinventory and locator windows. The location status applies to the material in the location and not the location itself.

you can choose which transaction types are available for material status control by enabling the check box in transaction type definition form



Material status control @ subinventory & locator



Material status control @ Lot & Serail
Material work bench window