Dispatch Handling

Outcome

An order is released for picking, picked, packed, reported and shipped.

The following tables are updated in this process:

Before you start

• Ensure that an order exists with the order status set to 33–'Completely allocated' or 23–'Partially allocated'.
• The conditions listed in Basic Settings for Dispatch Handling must be met.
• Depending on how the dispatch will be performed (by delivery, by wave, by shipment and whether you will use packing and packaging actions), the conditions listed in the applicable instructions must be met.

Description

Dispatch handling controls the dispatch of all orders that result in a stock issue.

Dispatch handling includes the following steps:

• Picking release
• Picking resource planning
• Picking activities planning
• Printing the picking list
• Picking
• Package-based picking
• Packing
• Packaging actions
• Freight cost management
• Stock issues
• Picking deviation reporting
• Delivery receipt confirmation.

The activities in the dispatch handling process are controlled by the dispatch policy, which among other things, determines these procedures:

• Automatic, semi-automatic or manual handling of the dispatch flow
• Included or excluded packing
• Simple or advanced packing
• Delivery connected to a shipment or disconnected
• Picking resource planning used or not
• Automatic or manual packaging actions
• Activated or deactivated delivery value check
• System-guided picking activities
• Package-based picking
• Freight cost management

The logistic identity during the dispatch flow is the delivery number. The delivery number is created or updated during order line entry.

'Shipment' is a number of delivery numbers connected to one shipment. If shipment is used, the dispatch flow (a number of delivery numbers) will be controlled by the shipment. This is known as transportation management and is described in the Transportation Management documentation.

Follow these steps

The rules governing the following flow are controlled by the dispatch policy, which determines whether and how the included parts of the flow should be performed.

1. To pick a release, open 'Delivery. Open Toolbox' (MWS410).

   In (MWS410), you can also allocate a release, specify a shipment assembly, control freight documents and carry out packaging steps.

2. Optional: To plan picking resources, start 'Picking List. Plan Pickers' (MWS415).
3. To print a picking list, open (MWS415).

   You can also print a picking list from 'Picking List. Report' (MWS420).

4. Optional: Packing can be performed in (MWS420) or in 'Delivery. Connect Packages' (MWS423).
5. Depending on your settings, you can continue your picking reporting in (MWS420). For more details on reporting, see Wave Picking.

Delivery numbers

The delivery number is the unique identity of a delivery and is created or updated automatically when entering order lines in M3.

• Delivery numbers separate the logistical (delivery number) part of an order from the commercial (order numbers) part.
• Use a unique delivery number and not a delivery index. The delivery number is always created/updated online during maintenance of order lines. The primary keys are consignor (warehouse), consignee (receiver), dispatch policy, planned departure time and transportation requirements.
• All further dispatch activities (allocation, picking, packing and shipment assembly) will be controlled by the delivery number instead of the order index.
• The delivery number contains all required data for dispatch handling (consignee, date and time, weight, volume, transport method and term, etc.).

Several orders can be attached to the same delivery number, if the dispatch policy (MWS010) allows for this. When entering new order lines, M3 will reuse an existing delivery number provided that the delivery is:

• Not blocked (when an existing delivery is found with other keys matching)
• Set to the same direction (outbound or inbound transportation)
• From/To the same warehouse/customer/address
• Included in the same dispatch policy
• Included in the same shipment (only applicable if automatic connection to shipment is selected in (MWS010), parameter 330, alternatives 1–8)
• Of the same order category (CO, DO, MO and so on)
• Set to the same planned departure date
• Set to the same planned departure time
• Using the same requested delivery method
• Defined by the same delivery terms
• Of the same delivery note reference category (COs via delivery schedule only)
• Using the same delivery note reference (COs via delivery schedule only)
• Set to the same requested route (CO and DO)
• Set to the same requested route departure (CO and DO).

If you have specified, in (MWS010), that a separate delivery number must be created for each order, M3 will reuse the existing delivery number, only if the order number is identical.

Shipment

'Shipment' is a number of delivery numbers connected to one shipment. If shipment is used, this means that the dispatch flow (a number of delivery numbers) is controlled by the shipment. This is known as transportation management and is described in the Transportation Management documentation.

As the dispatch flow is controlled by the shipment, the functionality in 'Shipment. Open Toolbox' (DRS100) enables the same dispatch handling steps (described in the previous section) for multiple delivery numbers at the same time. Releases will also be controlled by the shipment (instead of individual delivery numbers).

Picking resource planning

Picking resource planning is an optional step in the dispatch flow, which includes these functions:

• Assigning picking teams to stock zones
• Splitting the picking list of one zone according to the equipment required
• Defaulting picking times by various objects such as warehouse, location type, item, distribution technology code, and quantity
• Tracking picking lines and picking time
• Creating user-defined views

Picking list management

This is the purpose of picking list management:

• Stock issue reporting for all order categories
• Logging of stock transactions
• Packing reporting
• Performing reallocations between locations for storage, packing and docking
• Reporting a complete list or a wave (a collection of picking lists)
• Creation of an invoice base for customer orders
• Adding non printed order lines to a picking list

Wave picking list management

This is a picking tool for large volumes.

A wave picking list is created by a combination of warehouse, stock zone, and warehouse equipment.

A wave picking list line has the same item number, location, and lot number.

To enable wave picking, a wave number must exist. This is created in (MWS410) when you release deliveries for picking and have defined the settings on the P panel in (MWS410).

Picking list lines

A picking line is defined as a record in MITALO that is equal to a picking line after being released for picking.

A wave line is defined as the accumulated quantity of several picking lines. A wave line is a combination of wave, item, location, and lot number.

System-guided pick and pack

The purpose of system-guided pick and pack is to guide the user through selected parts of the dispatch flow. This reduces the variability and makes it possible to create a dispatch flow suitable for reporting picking activities in a mobile picking scenario.

Packing and packaging actions

Packing is used for safe shipping and dividing of one or more items on an order into units, placing them into an appropriate container package, and marking and labeling the container or package with shipping destination data of the customer, as well as other required information such as, delivery documents.

Packaging actions are useful for various actions:

• Returnable packaging
• Packaging that should be charged to the customer
• Tracking inventory levels of returnable packaging

Packaging actions can be divided into two parts:

• Creating customer charges for the packaging
• Managing the packaging ledger according to returnable packaging

Simplified pack processing

Simplified pack processing is intended for customers running M3 BE with a simple packing process where the most common scenario is that the delivery is packed in a package and the customers want to state the weight for the packages only. This type of processing can be used when more than one package is created. However, this will require more input during the packing routine.

Simplified pack processing also enables printing of CMR documents directly from the packing process (MWS423) and it enables the use of configurable number to be used to identify a CMR-document or a package label. The configurable number can be connected per route, route departure, customer, customer address, or delivering warehouse by using the transportation services.

Package-based picking

Package-based picking is a process where the picking is performed based on picking of ready-packed packages or of individual items building a package during the picking process.

The customers that require the package-oriented picking process can be divided in two major groups:

• Customers dealing with large volumes of split picks
• Customers dealing with large volumes of full pallet or full package picks

Freight cost management

Freight calculation can be performed upon request at any stage before issuing a delivery or shipment. When a delivery or shipment is issued, an automatic recalculation is performed. The calculation is performed according to the freight agreement and transportation service connected to the delivery or shipment and with the information known at the moment of the calculation. The calculation can be re-run whenever requested before the delivery is issued.

Delivery value check

When the functionality of the delivery value check is activated for a customer order delivery, issue reporting is not allowed unless the delivery has passed the delivery value check or the delivery has been manually approved for issue reporting. The delivery value check is triggered either manually or automatically for a delivery. In both cases, all active picking lists must be moved to a dock location to enable the delivery value check. The automatic delivery value check is triggered, by the auto-start job in (MWS976), when the last active picking list suffix is moved to a dock location.

A prerequisite that must be fulfilled is that the free consolidation fields in the dispatch policy must contain a value for payer (field OAPYNO). The reason for this is that only customer orders with the same payers are allowed when the delivery value check is activated.

A delivery value check is performed by the use of payers credit limit 2 reduced by the outstanding invoiced amount compared to the value of the actual delivery. The purpose of this is to meet the requirements for allowing issue reporting of deliveries of less values, while high value deliveries can be held.

The value of a current delivery is calculated according to same principle as is in use in M3 BE today for the calculation of a pro forma invoice. The value is calculated as the net price on the order line multiplied by the allocated quantity at the dock location. The calculated values are then totaled for all included lines in a delivery.

If the delivery value is higher than the result of credit limit 2 minus the outstanding invoiced amount for the payer, the delivery will fail the delivery value check and the issue reporting will not be allowed. If failed, the delivery value check may be manually re-run in cases where any amounts or quantities used in the calculation have been changed. A delivery can also be manually approved for issue reporting, if the delivery is considered as delivered regardless of the outcome of the delivery value check.

Progress status for the delivery

This status is stored in the MHDISH table and can be displayed in (MWS410).

Outbound deliveries:

00-Not released for auto allocation.

01-Released for auto allocation. Picking lists could exist if blocking point=1 in the dispatch policy (MWS010).

02-Failed due to allocation control. The status will be reset to 01 when an order line is changed or when an allocation is performed.

03-Stopped due to credit check or customer stop. The status is reset to 01 when the customer order stop is changed (OIS120), or when the customer stop is changed in (CRS610). This status is only relevant for customer orders.

05-Allocation control passed, ready to be released for picking.

50-Picking list(s) created, delivery blocked from further additions.

90-Fully reported.

Inbound deliveries:

70-Shipped from consignor.

75-Partly received.

90-Fully received.

Packing status for the delivery

This status is stored in the MHDISH table and can be displayed in (MWS410).

These are the valid alternatives:

00-Packing not used.

10-Packing not started.

20-Packing started but not completed.

30-Packing completed.

Picking status for the picking list

This status is stored in the MHPICH table and can be displayed in (MWH415) and (MWS420).

These are the valid alternatives:

30-Not ready for printing and reporting

40-Ready for reporting

50-All lines reported as moved to pack location

60-All lines reported as moved to dock location

70-All lines in transit, not received (only for distribution orders)

90-All lines reported as issued from inventory

Planning status for the delivery

This status is stored in the MHPICH table and can be displayed in (MWS410).

These are the valid alternatives:

00-Not started

10-Planning 1

20-Planning 2

30-Planning 3

40-Planning 4

60-Firm

80-Aborted

90-Complete

This status can be used to keep track of planning activities. There is no functionality behind this status, and it is therefore available for flexible use. It can be updated at any time manually on (MWS410/F), or using API transaction UpdPlanSts in API MWS410MI. It is integrated with the Transportation Operational Interface MYS450MI so that field values can be sent and updated by an external transport planning program.