System-Directed Put-Away

This document explains the concept of system-directed put-away.

The purpose of this method is to increase the efficiency in the warehouse by letting M3 BE search for, find, and suggest the best locations for goods put-away.

Outcome

  • Spreads the stock to minimize congestion and lower the risk associated with equipment breakdown
  • Places reserve stock close to main picking locations
  • Allows for mixes of location types and their automatic filling and allocation:
    • Single pallet
    • Multipurpose floor areas
    • Multi-pallet (such as drive-in or outside).
  • Places high frequency items close to the usage point (such as buffer or packing location) Minimizes put-away time or maximizes space usage according to the chosen strategy
  • Applies consistent location checks to ensure that rules (such as those for maximum weight, volume and fill rate) are obeyed.

The function program used for retrieving put-away locations is called MMRTVPAL.

This method uses a rule-based system to retrieve locations as a suggestion for putting stock away in the warehouse. The location retrieved will be dependent on the put-away strategy being used, the characteristics of the item (such as the ABC frequency class), and the quantity being put away. The same rules are used throughout the system regardless of the type of order being received.

Whenever a put-away location is suggested to a user in M3 BE, that location is found according to the rules of system-directed put-away. If a suitable location cannot be found, the location is left blank and the user must suggest a location, which will then be checked for limitations such as weight, volume and fill rate.

Note: If the quantity being received cannot be put into a single location (such as multiple pallets into a zone containing only single pallet racks), then no location will be suggested by the system. In this case, the user should start the 'Select Location' function, which is available from all stock receipt functions, usually by pressing function key F16.

Before you start

Refer to the settings in Basic Settings for System-Directed Put-Away.

Planning steps for put-away location setup

  • Assign ABC codes to items based on frequency.
  • Code locations according to usage for each ABC class.
  • Classify locations by location type and location zone.
  • Set controls by stock zone for item/warehouse combinations.
  • Specify location weight/volume, fill rate, and cubic limitations.
  • Specify group of specific preferred reserve locations for pick-face.
  • Assign distribution code and transport flow to locations for stock spreading.
  • Set up quantity break tables for the various items and location types.

Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) storage methods

For each item, you can select from these storage methods:

  • Single fixed location for an item
  • Dynamic (multiple) locations for an item
  • Dynamic locations with replenishment for an item.

Methods for selecting put-away location

During put-away, you can select from three different methods to select a put-away location:

  • User-directed put-away
  • System-directed put-away
  • Package- or item-based put-away.

Selection logic

The system goes through five steps when searching for locations. The first two are only used if the quantity being put away is less than a multiple (that is, the normal quantity for the location found).

  1. Try partly empty locations from connected location groups (current fill rate is < 100%). Return only a location if the full quantity or full multiple can be put away.
  2. Try partly empty locations according to the normal location type and stock zone search. Return only a location if the full quantity or full multiple can be put away.
  3. Try empty locations from connected location groups. Return a location according to the rules.

    Locations within each location group are searched by location type according to the setup in 'Item. Connect Stock Location Type' (MMS057).

  4. Try empty locations according to the normal location type and stock zone search. Return a location according to the rules.

    Locations are searched by location type according to the setup in (MMS057)

  5. Try the primary location from MITBAL.

The rules referred to are:

  • Quantity multiple
  • Weight, volume and fill rate limits
  • ABC code restrictions

Selection logic - Suggest empty location(s)

Regardless of the logic used for finding the empty location, this flow describes those criteria that is used to determine suggestions on Empty Location(s).

For more information, see System-Directed Put-Away with Fill Partly Empty.

The use of multiples

Multiples are used during put-away to determine these:

  • How many pallets to spread across each location when suggesting a spread (such as of multiple pallets) in 'Location. Select' (MMS160).
  • Whether a single location can be suggested (such as directly into 'Purchase Order. Receive Goods' (PPS300)), or whether the user must trigger a spread manually in (MMS160).

The methods to find a multiple's quantity

The multiple's quantity is found according to first of these methods that applies:

  1. According to the normal quantity found for the location type in (MMS057)
  2. According to the order multiple for the item/vendor combination (only applies to purchase order receipts)
  3. According to the order multiple on 'Item. Connect Warehouse' (MMS002/F).

Manual override of system-directed put-away

  • Manual override is always possible using (MMS160) or simply by typing in the location you wish to use. In (MMS160), you search for locations when all normal locations are full.
  • Note that even when using a manually specified location, or the item/warehouse default location, the weight volume and fill rate checks are still done if the parameters in 'Stock Zone. Open' (MMS040) are activated for the stock zone.

Examples of system-directed put-away

These are examples of system-directed put-away:

  • Preferred buffer location

    Receive full pallet

  • Use distribution ID

    Receive full pallet

  • Preferred buffer location

    Receive partly filled pallet

    Fill partly empty locations

  • Location type sequences

    Receive partly filled pallet

    Fill partly empty locations

  • Location type sequences

    Receive partly filled pallet

    Minimum quantity on location

    No requirements to fill partly empty locations

  • Use primary (standard) location

    Receive partly filled pallet

    Minimum quantity on put-away location

    No requirements to fill partly empty locations

  • Use primary (standard) location

    Receive full pallet plus partly filled pallet

    No items will need manual put-away.

Settings in M3 - Valid for all the examples

  • 'Item. Connect Location Type' (MMS057) defines 100 as the normal quantity for location type PL, and 20 as the minimum.
  • 'Item. Connect Warehouse' (MMS002) says filling of partly empty locations is allowed.
  • Location 010101 is the item primary location defined in (MMS002).
  • Location 010102 is the preferred buffer location for location 010101, as defined in 'Stock Location. Connect Location Groups' (MMS011).

API MMS160MI

The API MMS160MI contains a set of transactions that can be used by an external system to simulate the system-directed put-away logic.

RtvPutAwayLoc

RtvPutAwayLoc proposes a location that can be used to put away a given item quantity at a given stage of an order-related receiving workflow. The location is retrieved according to the order setup, item setup and system-directed put-away rules. MMS160MI RtvPutAwayLoc mimics the location proposal seen in interactive receiving functions.

Transaction inputs are:

  • Warehouse
  • Qualifier, used to invoke the standard component that will manage the location retrieval. The qualifier relates to the activity being made:
    • 10 for manufacturing order receive (will invoke PMS050BE)
    • 20 for purchase order receipt (will invoke PPS300BE)
    • 21 for purchase order inspection (will invoke PPS310BE)
    • 22 for purchase order put away (will invoke PPS320Fnc)
    • 40 for RO receipt
    • 50 for DO receipt
  • Reference order number, the order number for which the put-away is made
  • Reference order category, deducted from the qualifier
  • Reference order line
  • Reference order line suffix
  • Receiving number. This only applies to qualifier 21 and 22. Receiving number is required to propose the correct location according to the goods receiving method. Message PP31014 'Receiving number is invalid - check your receipt documents' is returned if the qualifier does not match the next activity for the receiving number.
  • Status, when looking for a specific location status. Status 3 will return the default reject location from the purchase settings and is applicable to qualifier 21 only (PO inspection). Status 1 will return default inspection location and is applicable for qualifier 20 only (PO receipt). If the status is not applicable, message WDS0101 'Status proposal is invalid' is returned.
  • Transaction quantity, the quantity to put away
  • Alternate unit of measure. If blank, MMS160MI considers that the quantity is expressed in basic unit. If an alternate unit is used, it must be defined for the item.
  • Item number
    Note: The item number is retrieved from the order line or order head for manufacturing orders.

If one single location cannot be proposed, an error message is returned stating the reason why a location (single) could not be identified. For example, MM_0057 'Qty stored exceeds max for the location found - use MMS160 to spread over multiple locations'. Alternatively, an output with a blank location is returned.

ChkPutAwayLoc

ChkPutAwayLoc is independent of any order, answering the question "Can this item quantity be put away in that location?", according to the rules and limitations defined in 'Item. Connect Location Type' (MMS057).

Transaction inputs are:

  • Warehouse
  • Location
  • Item number
  • Transaction Quantity
  • Alternate units of measure. If blank, MMS160MI considers that the quantity is expressed in basic unit. If an alternate unit is used, it must be defined for the item.

If the location can accept the item quantity, the transaction output will relay the location and some of its properties.

If the location cannot fit the item quantity, an error message is returned stating the reason why not enough space is available. For example, MM90304 'Maximum filling rate exceeded' or XWS0101 'Location is occupied'.

LstPutAwayLocation

LstPutAwayLocation mimics what 'Location Select – Available Locations' (MMS160) would propose when spreading a quantity to put away to several locations. It is not related to any specific order.

The result can be filtered per the location properties: location’s stock zone, type, status proposal, distribution ID, Location ABC class, transportation flow, group.

The item and quantity to put away must be provided.

Status of the balance ID to put away can be provided for a more accurate answer.

Note: If no status (balance ID status (STAS) or location status proposal (DEST)) is provided, the put-away location retrieval logic uses status 2 by default.
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