Linear product cuts

Many distributors sell products, such as wires, ropes, and hoses, that are cut to a specific length. A linear cut has the length only defined, whereas a dimensional cut has length and width defined. With CloudSuite Distribution, you can track and allocate linear cuts to lot products and perform these tasks:

  • Specify lengths of a product, such as wire, on a sales order
  • Document cuts from lot products for those lengths
  • Assign the cuts to the order
  • Pick and ship the order

You can specify linear cuts to lot products on a sales order in two ways:

  • Configure linear cut lengths as components for a build-on-demand kit with Infor CPQ Enterprise Configurator in Sales Order Entry
  • Specify linear cut lot products directly on the order line in Sales Order Entry
Note: These functions are not applicable to orders received electronically.

In either case, you can review and allocate available lots to fulfill the specified cuts in Sales Order Entry-Advanced Line Entry. When automatic lot assignment is enabled, an existing lot that can fulfill the specified cut lengths is automatically allocated to the outgoing lot product. Logic for linear cut lot products determines lot allocation by lot quantities rather than Product Warehouse Product Setup balances.

After the order is entered, you can find orders that require cuts and document the actual cuts against the lot in Sales Linear Cut Maintenance Entry. In addition, the cut information from the lot cut records is displayed in these functions:

  • Sales Entry Pick Tickets Report
  • Sales Shipping Feedback Entry
  • Sales Entry Invoice Processing Report
  • Purchase Order Inquiry
  • Sales Order Inquiry
  • Warehouse Transfer Inquiry
  • Product Extended Lot Number Setup
  • Product Inquiry-General when you click the Lot button

Creating and updating linear cut records

Use Sales Linear Cut Maintenance Entry to create and update lot product linear cut records. These product cutting tasks can be performed when you click Cut in the toolbar:

  • Find cuts that must be made, based on attributes such as order number, product, warehouse, or rush lines
  • Export and deliver cut information to the personnel responsible for making the cuts
  • Allocate the lot and specify lengths of cuts after they are made
  • Assign cuts to fill a component or line on an order

These lot and cut maintenance tasks can be performed for a specific product and lot number in a specific warehouse when you click Update in the Sales Linear Cut Maintenance Entry toolbar:

  • Split single cut into two cuts
  • Update the length available in a lot
  • Convert to scrap any lengths that cannot be cut or sold
  • Move one or more cut pieces to another lot in the same warehouse
Note: Storeroom warehouses are excluded from the results in Sales Linear Cut Maintenance Entry.

Tracking and allocating in TWL

Data about linear cuts to lot products can be created in CloudSuite Distribution based on receiving, picking, and shipping records in Total Warehouse Logistics.

These CloudSuite Distribution reports accept data from TWL to create and update lot cut records in Product Extended Lot Number Setup:

  • WL Entry Batch Receiving Report
  • WL Entry Batch Shipping Report
  • WL Entry Batch Adjust Inventory Report
  • WL Balance Inventory Report
  • WL Inventory Audit Report

The TWL Web RF interface supports receiving, picking, and shipping linear cut lot products. Users can specify the number and length of cut pieces making up the received quantity. Then, after the receipt transaction (RT) is closed, running the WL Entry Batch Receiving Report updates the product's available quantity and linear cut records in CloudSuite Distribution.

When picking or making a stock adjustment, the user has visibility of the available lengths in each linear cut lot in the Select Products screen. Allocation logic examines the total available amount in the lot, the number of pieces, and the lengths of those pieces to determine a recommendation for the order or adjustment. This information is useful to verify that the allocated lot contains a piece with the necessary length for the order or adjustment.

The WL Audit Inventory Report is used to create adjustments to synchronize quantities between TWL and CloudSuite Distribution. When there are multiple cut pieces available for a lot, the adjustment is applied to the first piece with the necessary length for the adjustment. The WL Balance Inventory Report lot balancing functionality includes lot cut pieces in the Lot Cut Piece Detail report section, giving the user a detailed view of what is and what should be associated with the lot.

See the Infor Distribution SX.e Total Warehouse Logistics User Guide for Receiving and Putting Away, Infor Distribution SX.e Total Warehouse Logistics User Guide for Picking, Packing, Shipping, and Kitting, or Infor Distribution SX.e Total Warehouse Logistics User Guide for Handling, Counting, and Balancing.

Tracking and allocation in Infor WMS

Data about linear cuts to lot products can be created in CloudSuite Distribution based on receiving, picking, and shipping records in Infor WMS. The WL Entry Batch Receiving Report , WL Entry Batch Shipping Report, and WL Entry Batch Adjust Inventory Report accept data from WMS through BODs to create and update lot cut records in Product Extended Lot Number Setup.

When a lot product is received in WMS, you must assign it to a lot and specify the initial length of the piece received. This specified length and the unit associated with the receipt becomes the initial cut piece record in CloudSuite Distribution after the WL Entry Batch Receiving Report runs. Then, you can use Sales Linear Cut Maintenance Entry to create and update lot product linear cut records.

The WL Entry Batch Shipping Report deletes any lot processing that may exist for the line and creates new records based upon the lots selected during the picking process. Logic in the WL Entry Batch Shipping Report determines which existing lot cut record should be assigned to the order line. If more than one cut piece is available for the selected lot, then the piece closest to the length on the order that can fulfill the required length is allocated.

Logic in the WL Entry Batch Adjust Inventory Report determines if an existing lot cut record should be updated with a new length if a stock adjustment from WMS is made for a linear cut lot product.

Prerequisites

Use Product Setup and Product Warehouse Product Setup to define a linear cut lot product or a build-on-demand kit that can be used to fabricate a requested product. The kit is made up of components, which include linear cut lot products of a specific length. When the product to be cut is received in Purchase Receipt of Inventory Entry or Transfer Receipt of Inventory Entry, you must assign it to lots and specify the initial cut length of the piece you received.

To use the CPQ Enterprise Configurator to configure linear cuts in build-on-demand kits, all associated setups in CPQ Enterprise Configurator and Product Setup-Cores & Configurator must be complete. Create and specify a ruleset to be used by Infor CPQ Enterprise Configurator to process the external assembly build-on-demand kit and return the appropriate components to the order.

See more information in the Infor CloudSuite Distribution Integration Guide for CPQ Enterprise Configurator and CPQ Enterprise Quoting.

Operator access to Sales Linear Cut Maintenance Entry is determined by standard functional security in SA Operator Setup.

To enable automatic assignment of lots for linear cut lot products in Sales Order Entry, enable the Allow Auto Assign Lots option in SA Administrator Options-Products-Defaults. This option applies to incoming and outgoing lot products.

To enable replenishment actions for linear cut lot products, specify values in the Cut Replenishment Length, Cut Replenishment Output Type, and Cut Replenishment Output fields in Product Warehouse Product Setup-General. A Replenishment Action Report (RARR) may be generated or the cut-minlength event action may be initiated when the length of an existing, available linear cut lot piece drops below the specified Cut Replenishment Length value. A cut piece length is decreased by being cut or by manual adjustment.

To set up a container, such as a spool or box, in which a linear cut product is sold, create container records in Product Setup-Cut. To associate a linear cut product with those containers, set up records in Product Extended Product Cut Container Setup. The containers are displayed on the Cut Container grid during Sales Order Entry when you add a linear cut product to an order. The recommended container based on the cut product's diameter, quantity ordered, and container capacity is highlighted.

If you're using the CPQ Enterprise Configurator to configure linear cuts in build-on-demand kits, you can add the container component to the ruleset.

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