Packaging and shipment processes for outbound handling units

Industries require various packaging and shipment processes for efficient delivery of products.

To enhance the packaging and shipment processes, you can use these features:

Fill up handling units

Handling units can be filled up and shipment lines can be consolidated based on the Consolidate Stock Points in one Shipment Line parameter in the Inventory Handling Parameters (whinh0100m000) session.

The prerequisites to fill up handling units within the same handling unit structure:

  • The package definition code of the shipment line must be identical to the package definition of the picked goods.

    Templates are also compared when dealing with the multi-item structure:

    • The number of nodes must be the same.
    • The quantity of packaging items must be the same.
    • The auxiliary packaging must be identical.
    • The quantity of the auxiliary packaging must be the same.
  • The handling units must not be in stock, but they must be generated during the confirm pick process. When the handling units are picked from stock, the Shipment on the picking list is filled. In this situation, the picking list is closed and the contents are transferred to the To Shipment Handling Unit.
  • If used, the single packaging references must match the handling unit template.
  • When filling up, the item that is put in the single handling units must match the picked item.
  • Goods picked and placed within the same shipment are filled up in the handling unit structure, if possible.
Fill-up conditions

When starting the shipment building process, LN checks for existing shipment lines that can be used to ship the goods. When handling units are generated during picking, and the picked goods have no handling unit yet, the package definition of the outbound order line is used. When the package definition is filled, LN searches for existing shipment lines with the same package definition with related handling unit, based on this package definition. When no package definition is defined for the outbound order line, the shipment building process searches for shipment lines without a package definition. When handling units are generated during picking, shipment lines with a related handling unit are also selected and filled up accordingly.

When a shipment line that can be used for the picked goods is identified, these actions are executed:

  • Validate current handling unit structure against the package definition. If the validation fails, a new handling unit structure is created for the picked goods. This happens only when all the shipment line related handling units have the Status set to Staged. In case there are handling units with the Status set to Open, the fill-up is performed without the validation.
  • Add the picked goods to the singles that are not full yet, so contents are added to existing handling units. Related constraints:
    • The item of the single handling unit must be the same as the picked item.
    • Reference, Packaging Reference A and Packaging Reference B must be identical.
  • Add packages on the master handling unit(s) if there is still space available on the master handling unit.

    Constraints for single item:

    • The reference of the master handling unit must match the picked reference when for the master, the Single Reference check box is selected in the Handling Units (whwmd5130m000) session.
    • The Packaging Reference A of the master handling unit must match picked packaging reference A when for the master, the Single Packaging Reference A check box is selected in the Handling Units (whwmd5130m000) session.
    • The Packaging Reference B of the master handling unit must match picked packaging reference A when for the master, the Single Packaging Reference B check box is selected in the Handling Units (whwmd5130m000) session.

    Constraints for multi-item:

    • The Generate Multi-Item Shipment Handling Units check box in the Warehousing Order Types (whinh0110m000) session must be selected for the order type that is related to the picking list that is just picked.
    • The handling unit templates must match (except for the contents within the packaging item) the packaging items.
    • The Reference of the master handling unit must match the picked reference when the Single Reference indicator is selected on the master.
    • The Packaging Reference A of the master handling unit must match the picked packaging reference A when the Single Packaging Reference A check box is selected on the master.
    • The Packaging Reference B of the master handling unit must match the picked packaging reference A when the Single Packaging Reference B check box is selected on the master.
  • Add new master handling unit when the contents cannot be added to the existing masters or the single reference constraints do not match, and there are goods that still require packing.
Validate packaging reference distribution/CINDI

In order to prevent the shipping of incorrect structures, a validation of the structure must be performed before the confirmation of the shipment. For the shipment line that is to be confirmed/frozen, the packaging reference distribution is validated against the handling unit structure. For more information on CINDI, see CINDI process.

Compose handling Unit

When handling units are composed, additional checks must be executed with respect to the references. When moving handling units from one parent to another, LN considers the handling unit building constraints.

Example

The handling unit is defined:

NodePackaging ItemSingle Packaging ReferenceSingle Packaging Reference ASingle Packaging Reference B
1PalletVVX
2BoxVVV

 

The handling unit structure is present:

[...]

For handling unit P1 these references are filled:

  • Reference: REF001
  • Reference A: REFA001
  • Reference B: REFB001

For handling unit P2 these references are filled:

  • Reference: REF001
  • Reference A: REFB001
  • Reference B: REFB001

When the user want to move the handling unit B2 from P1 to P2 the user will get an error message, because the reference A of the parent handling unit (pallet) are not matching. This table indicates when moving of complete boxes is allowed:

[...]
Compose shipment

When a shipment line is moved from one shipment to another, the shipment line reference distribution is also moved into the new shipment line. The reference distribution is copied/ updated. The handling units must be filled-up manually by composing the handling unit structure.

Split shipment line

When shipment lines are split, the packaging reference distribution is also split. When a handling unit is split from the shipment line, the handling unit reference fields are used to determine which part of the shipment line reference distribution must be copied.

However, when there are no handling units and there is a shipment line reference distribution present, the split off quantity inherits a part of the packaging reference distribution assigned. LN prioritizes the highest distribution line till the whole split quantity is assigned.

Shipping documents

Generally, handling units are printed on shipping documents. When a multi-item handling unit structure is present for a shipment, the multi-item level is not printed.

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