Manage Cartonization

Background

Cartonization is a packing method that automatically suggests how to pack while taking several constraints into consideration. The objective is to maximize fill rate and minimize the number of packages created.

Instead of connecting a packaging to an item or group of items in program 'Item. Connect Packaging' (MMS053), you connect a number of possible packaging to the delivery and from the measurement of the items to pack and the measurements on the packaging the system chose the optimum packaging and creates one or several packages. It is possible to pick directly to box. The internal package cartonization algorithm provides a direct link to the new Package Management solution.

These functions exist:

The cartonization parameter on the delivery is activated when the delivery is firm.
Both volume and weight can be used as cartonization measurement, but only one of the criteria at a time.
When the cartonization algorithm is set up, the normal manual advanced packing can be used as been defined in'Item. Connect Packaging' (MMS053). Here, it is also possible to select which warehouses the packing should retrieve the packages from.
Cartonization can be used for packing reporting method 2-'Manual advanced packing', 3-'Automatic advanced packing when picking list is moved to packing location', and 4-'Automatic advanced packing when picking list is created.
The functions to connect an alternative unit of measure in 'Item Connect Location Type' (MMS057) are available. This makes it possible to use a different unit of measure when performing the cartonization.
Dimension checks are available when an item's length, width and height have been defined.

(MMS047) Packaging Group

'Packaging Group. Open' (MMS047) handles packaging groups which is an entity for cartonization. This makes it possible to create a subset, a group, of all packages and make the system use the packages in this subset when cartonization is performed, instead of always use all packages.

To have a package belong to a packaging group, a packaging group is selected on (MMS050/E). A package can only belong to one packaging group.

Packaging

A number of packages can be connected to a packaging group. This way, the packaging information from 'Packaging. Open'(MMS050) is tied to the cartonization functions in 'Cartonization Selection Table. Open' (MWS185). There are fields to specify minimum and maximum fill rate, and capacity in free capacity units of measure. The dimensions can also be checked if the dimension check is enabled. Moreover, it is possible to allow packaging from more than one packaging group.

Connect Location Type

The program 'Item. Connect Location Type' (MWS057) makes it possible to connect an alternate unit of measure to the field Cartonization U/M.

This field can be used in cartonization and makes it possible to use other measurements instead of the measurement per basic U/M for an item when the system calculates the size of the quantity to pack.

When auto-allocation is run, and a record in (MMS057) is found to select with location type to allocate from, and there is a cartonization U/M, then that cartonization U/M will be set on the allocation record. When the system uses the picking list lines (which are records in MITALO), it will pack in quantity in the cartonization U/M and not in the basic U/M.

For this to work, the item number must be known and that means that the cartonization U/M can only be used for group type 1 (item number). Furthermore, the quantity in basic U/M that is allocated based on the record in (MMS057) must be one that “works well” with the quantity in the cartonization U/M in 'Stock Transaction.Display History' (MMS070).

Cartonization Selection Table

'Cartonization Selection table. Open' (MWS185) is a program which is object-control processed using 'Available Object Ctrl Parameters. Open' (CMS016) and 'Generic Object Control Table. Open' (CMS017).

The purpose of the program is to setup the cartonization rules.

Advanced packing – This parameter can be set if there is a need to perform packing as set up in 'Item. Connect Packaging' (MMS053) before the cartonization logic is applied.
Sorting object fields – There are two sorting object fields. They control in which order the system packs the picking list lines. The sorting enables the system to separate the picking list lines into different packages based on item characteristics. For example, items in different item groups may be separated so that they are not packed together when item group is selected as sorting object. Package break must be activated in order for this to take effect. The sorting objects that are available to use are collected in field group MWCZ2 and only those fields can be used.
Package break - This parameter controls whether a new package should be started when the value of the sorting object fields are changed.
Packaging group tells among which packages the system can select from when performing cartonization. In (MMS050), each package may be connected to a packaging group and this is how the system finds the package it may use when packing.
Measurement type – Volume, weight or free capacity U/M can be selected as measurement for the system to use when calculating how much goods fit into a package. Only one of the three measurements may be used at a time, and that means that measurement is the only one considered in cartonization.
Dimension Check
There are three values:
- 0 – No dimension check means that the dimension check is not enabled.
- 1 – Longest against longest means that the longest dimension of the item is compared against the longest dimension of the package, the second longest dimension of the item is compared against the second longest dimension of the package and the shortest dimension of the item is compared against the shortest dimension of the package. If all three dimensions of the package are greater than those of the item the result of the check is OK, otherwise the result is not OK.
- 2 – Longest against shortest means that the longest dimension of the item is compared against the shortest dimension of the package. If the shortest package dimension is greater than the longest item dimension the result of the check is OK, otherwise it is not OK.

Item dimension from 'Item. Open' (MMS001) are used for this check.

The dimensions are checked when the system selects the packaging for a package. A fail in the check means that the packaging is not selected. If there is no packaging with dimensions large enough to pass the check the packaging with the greatest capacity is selected (even that it has too small dimensions).

Warehouse equipment

Warehouse equipment that puts picked goods in a package may pack with less accuracy than a human picker. To reflect this and to be able to adjust for such lower accuracy a pack adjustment factor is available on warehouse equipment.

The packing adjustment factor is multiplied with the maximum fill rate of the package (which is set on the packaging on (MMS050/E)) and the result is an adjusted maximum fill rate for the package.

Example: The maximum fill rate is set to 70% on (MMS050/E) and the packing adjustment factor is set to 80% for the warehouse equipment on the picking list. The adjusted maximum fill rate is then 70/100*80/100=0.56=56%.

A blank value in the packing adjustment factor field on (MWS023/E) means that no adjustment is made to the maximum fill rate.

In the case when package based picking is used where the picking lines are grouped together to form one picking list per package, the printer control parameter on the dispatch policy (parameter 110) must be set so that the picking list is split per stock zone and warehouse equipment. This means that there can only be one warehouse equipment per package and that means that the adjusted maximum fill rate (maximum fill rate from the packaging multiplied with the warehouse equipment packing adjustment factor) is constant for all the packed lines.

When the picking list is not divided per warehouse equipment, there may be different warehouse equipment for different picking list lines on the same picking list. In this case the adjusted maximum fill rate is different depending on different warehouse equipment. This means that the result of how much is packed into a package is dependent on the order in which the picking list lines are packed. A warehouse equipment with a higher packing adjustment factor may add more to a package to which another warehouse equipment with a lower packing adjustment factor has stopped packing.

Dispatch policy

In the program 'Dispatch Policy. Open' (MWS010) the parameter 245 'Cartonization' controls activation of the functionality. This is the default setting on all deliveries with this dispatch policy (on this warehouse, if the dispatch policy is set up for a specific warehouse).

Cartonization can only be activated if parameter 240-'Packing reporting method' is greater than 1 on the dispatch policy.

It may be set per warehouse.

It is possible to activate or deactivate cartonization on the delivery with parameter 'Cartonization' in 'Delivery. Open Toolbox' (MWS410), as long as the packing is not completed. The field 'Cartonization' in (MWS410) also gives the user information that cartonization will be performed by the system when the parameter is checked.

Function program - Manage Delivery Note Data

How the cartonization logic works is by creating and updating packing data in M3. Packages are created and connected to the delivery when executing manual or automatic packing.

In cartonization, the system calculates the size (volume, weight, or number of free capacity units) of the quantity to pack. Based on that size, it then selects the package from the packaging group that is set in the cartonization selection table.

The objective is to create as few packages as possible while considering the set constraints.

The constraints are:

Only packages in the selected packaging group may be used.
Only hard allocation can be used
A package may not be filled more than the capacity adjusted with max fill rate.
A package may not be filled less than the capacity adjusted with the min fill rate.
An item may not be packed in smaller parts that what is set according to the number of decimals on the unit of measure used. When a picking list line is packed in the basic U/M, it is the number of decimals on the item (MITMAS) that is used and when it is packed in the cartonization U/M, it is the number of decimals on the alternate U/M (MITAUN) that is used.
A new package must be started when the value of a sorting object changes if the cartonization settings are specified that way.

The measurement is taken either from the item table MITMAS or from the table of alternative unit of measure MITAUN. The capacity of the packaging is set up in 'Packaging. Open' (MMS050).

Program flow

There are three parts of the cartonization pack process:

Retrieve cartonization settings. The parameters that control which packages may be selected, the sort order of the work file, if new package should be started when a sorting object value changes, and also with measurement to use are retrieved.
If cartonization is activated on the delivery, the cartonization program must be called before any packing is started.
If advanced packing is activated in the cartonization setup (MITCRZ/AVPK = 1) normal advanced packing must be executed before cartonization is performed.
The cartonization settings are passed back to MMMNGDNT through MWRTVCRZDS.
Build workfile. For each picking list line, one record in the cartonization work file is created. Values are retrieved and set.
For each line in MITALO, a record in the cartonization work file, MMWCRZ, is created
Pack. With the cartonization settings fetched and the cartonization work file built, the system starts packing according to the cartonization algorithm.

If the advanced packing parameter (AVPK) is activated, the system will first pack the picking list lines according to the setup in (MMS053). The expected outcome of that is that the quantity to pack is decreased. It is the quantity left to pack that the system will add to the cartonization work file, and that will be packed in cartonization.

When the first sum is calculated, the next step for the system is to find a package that can hold that size. It can select packages from the packaging group set in the cartonization selection table.

The system reads the packaging file sorted by packaging group and capacity (where the capacity to sort on depends on the cartonization measurement set in the cartonization select table). When a package is found that can hold the size, the next step is to check if the capacity adjusted with the maximum fill rate still is large enough to hold the size. If it is large enough, a check will be made to see that the size is not smaller than then the capacity adjusted with the minimum fill rate. If the capacity checks fail, the next package record is read and checked. If all the capacity checks are passed the package is chosen.

If no package is found that can hold the whole size of the sum, the largest package is selected.

If no package is found where the size of the sum is greater than the capacity adjusted with minimum fill rate, no package is selected.