Managing Pick-up Deliveries for Customer Returns

Limitations

One limitation that is important is that if pick-up functionality is activated on a customer return header then it’s not possible to enter return lines with different dates. The pick-up delivery must also be confirmed as started before it’s possible to start the receiving or inspection of a return order line.

Outcome

A pick-up delivery created, planned on a shipment and confirmed as started. The pick-up delivery can also be managed without shipment connection.

If the pick-up delivery originates from a customer return the start confirmation will enable normal functionality to receive and inspect goods in the customer return process.

Before you start

Since the entering of a customer return is the first step of creating a pick-up delivery, a customer requirement of returning goods must exists.

Basic settings controlling the functionality are set up in 'Settings – Customer Returns' (OIS399). The following parameters are of major importance to activate the functionality:

• Dispatch policy – if this parameter is left blank, the functionality of pick-up delivery is not activated and it is not possible to use. If a dispatch policy is entered, it will be used to create the outbound pick-up delivery that can be planned together with other outbound deliveries.
• Pick-up delivery – This input controls how a pick-up delivery will be created. Not at all, manually or automatically at exit of customer return line entry in (OIS391). Note that this value is a proposal that will be displayed and changeable when the customer return is created.

Other settings that are needed to run the pick-up delivery functionality for a customer return order are:

• Address ID – The pick-up address must exist in the customer address table as a type 1 (delivery address). This address ID gives information about where the pick-up will be performed, that is, the end-point of the transportation.
• Sending Warehouse – The address of the sending warehouse is the starting point of the transportation.
• Route/Route departure - A route/route departure must be connected to the return order, either automatically via preselection or manually on 'Customer Return. Open' (OIS390/E).

Scenario

In this scenario, a pick-up delivery is created based on a customer return header. Information in the return header controls information on the pick-up delivery such as sending warehouse, loading place, unloading place, confirmed pick-up date and time. One pick-up delivery can only contain lines from one return order header.

One limitation that is important is that if pick-up functionality is activated on a customer return header then it’s not possible to enter return lines with different dates. The pick-up delivery must also be confirmed as started before it is possible to start the receiving or inspection of a return order line.

Pick-up deliveries are stored in table MHDISH (Deliveries) with the key columns 'Direction' (INOU) = 1 (Outbound), 'Reference order category' (RORC) = 3 (Customer order), and 'Stock transaction type' (TTYP) = 30 (Customer return).

Since one customer order return can only be connected to one pick-up delivery and one pick-up delivery can only include one return order header, the key column in table MHDISH that links the both entities together are 'Order number' (OQRIDN). The order number column (OQRIDN) in table MHDISH will contain the 'Receiving number' (OCREPN) from the customer order return header table (OCHEAD).

Follow these steps

The pick-up delivery functionality that origins from a customer return includes following steps:

• Create a customer return with pick-up functionality activated
• Working with customer returns
• Manual or automatic creation of pick-up delivery
• Working with pick-up deliveries
• Goods receipt of customer returns

Since the transportation planning and dispatch process can look very different between implementations, the following steps include more examples of how pick-up deliveries can be managed in the context of the existing outbound process.

At the creation of the return order header in (OIS390), it must be decided if pick-up delivery functionality should be used or not. The following additional information must be entered during the return order creation with pick-up functionality activated.

1. On (OIS390/A), set parameter 'Pick-up delivery' = 1 (Manually creation) or 2 (Automatic creation at exit of return) to activate functionality.
2. If pick-up is activated, the address number must be entered to give information about where the goods should be picked up. The address number must exist as a delivery address connected to the customer.
3. A requested pick-up date and time must also be entered. The definition of this date is when the customer wants the transportation vehicle to be at the pick-up address to pick up the goods. The requested pick-up date and time is expressed in the time zone according to the place of load of the pick-up address.
4. Based on existing information and settings, the system will execute a route preselection when the detailed panel (OIS390/E) is displayed. This results in a selected route, route departure and delivery method. It also results in a calculated confirmed pick-up date and time that is the date and time when the route departure is calculated to be at the place of load of the pick-up address.

   It is possible to manually change route/route departure by using function key F14 to open 'Route Departure. Display Alternate' (DRS146).

   Note: The return date is protected when pick-up functionality activated. The information in the return date originates in this case from the confirmed pick-up date

   On (OIS390/E), the pick-up delivery status is displayed. This status indicates where in the dispatch process the pick-up delivery is.

   00 – Not activated

   10 – To be created

   15 – Manually deleted

   20 – Created and ready for confirm

   80 – Confirmed as started

   90 – Closed

5. On (OIS391/B), the return order lines are created as usual but note the following:
   • Return date is protected since all lines must be on the same pick-up date and time.
   • On (OIS391/E), only the transport notified quantity that is open for changes. Fields for returned quantity and quantity to inspect are protected until the pick-up delivery is confirmed as started.

Since the creation of a pick-up delivery could be a manual step, at a later stage after the return order has been created, the sorting order (8 – Pick-up date) is available on (OIS390/B). This view can be used to select all return orders that is created but do not have a pick-up delivery created yet. From here it is possible to create (21), delete (22) and close (23) a pick-up delivery. It is also possible to select option '43' to start the dispatch process for a specific pick-up delivery in the Delivery toolbox.

The parameter 'Pick-up delivery', set during return header entry, controls how the pick-up delivery is created after the customer return entry is completed.

0 = Pick-up functionality not activated

1 = Activated, manually creation

2 = Activated, automatic creation at exit of return line entry

The manual creation can be done from:

• (OIS390/A) – Option 21='Create Pick-up delivery'
• (OIS390/B) – Option 21='Create Pick-up delivery'
• OIS390MI/CrtPickup

Regardless if the pick-up delivery was created manually or automatically, the result will be a delivery created and visible in 'Delivery. Open Toolbox' (MWS410) with delivery status 50='Picking lists created, delivery blocked for further additions'. The return order header will also be updated since the pick-up delivery status will be raised to 20=Created.

Changes of the return order is not allowed after the pick-up delivery has been created. To be able to add return lines, change quantities or dates, the pick-up delivery must be deleted. This can be done in:

• (OIS390/A )– Option 22='Delete Pick-up delivery'
• (OIS390/B) – Option 22=’Delete Pick-up delivery’
• OIS390MI/DelPickup

This action is only possible if the pick-up delivery is not yet confirmed as started. It will result in a deletion of the pick-up delivery in table MHDISH (Deliveries) and an update of the pick-up delivery status (PUDS) to 15='Manually deleted' in table OCHEAD (Customer return header). It will also enable (OIS391) to make changes like add lines or change advise quantities.

After creation, the pick-up delivery is managed within the outbound process. This means that it can be downloaded to an external TOI system, it can be manually connected to a shipment or it can be confirmed as started directly in (MWS410) if shipments are not used.

The main difference between a pick-up delivery and a normal outbound delivery is that a pick-up delivery is a delivery with no goods to be picked from the stock. That means that. no picking lists will exist and therefore the normal confirmation process with reporting picking lists on the delivery or shipment level will not be applicable for a pick-up delivery. To confirm start of a pick-up delivery, options are available in 'Delivery. Open Toolbox' (MWS410) and 'Shipment. Open Toolbox' (DRS100).

Infor recommends you to use the field 'Stock transaction type' (OQTTYP) in views in (MWS410) if pick-up functionality is used. Fields OQINOU=1 and OQTTYP=30 identiy a customer return pick-up delivery.

The confirmation of a pick-up delivery represents that the actual transportation has started. This will raise the 'Delivery status' (PGRS) on the delivery to 90='Closed' and the 'Pick-up delivery status' (PUDS) on the customer return is raised to 80='Started'.

If shipments are not used, the confirmation of a pick-up delivery can be done in:

• (MWS410/B) – Option 58='Confirm Pick-up delivery'
• MWS410MI/CmfPickup

If shipments are used, the confirmation of a pick-up delivery can also be done in:

• (DRS100/B) – Option 58='Confirm Pick-up deliveries'
• DRS100MI/CmfAllPickup

In 'Shipment. Open Toolbox' (DRS100), these fields can be added to the view to display pick-up information on the shipment.

• &NPUH – Number of connected pick-up deliveries
• &NPUL – Number of connected pick-up delivery lines
• &NPUR – Number of reported pick-up deliveries

Reversing the confirmation of the pick-up delivery is allowed given that nothing has changed on the return order (change of return or credit status, a change of quantities etc). Reverse can be done in:

• (MWS410/B) – Option 59='Reverse Pick-up delivery'
• MWS410MI/RvsPickup
• (DRS100/B) – Option 59='Reverse Pick-up deliveries'
• DRS100MI/RvsAllPickup

When the pick-up delivery is confirmed as started, the normal return flow, with receipt and inspection, can be done as usual.

The close of a pick-up delivery is an optional reporting step to show that the pick-up delivery has been performed and picked up at the customer's site, it can be reported in:

• (OIS390/A) – Option 23='Close Pick-up delivery'
• (OIS390/B) – Option 23='Close Pick-up delivery'
• OIS390MI/ClsPickup

To start receiving and inspecting a customer return, the pick-up delivery must be confirmed as started. That means that the pick-up delivery status must be 80='Started' or 90='Closed'.