How to Use Soft Allocation

This document explains how you use soft allocation.

Soft allocation is frequently used when there are many lots, and it does not matter which one is picked. It can be performed with or without a check against the allocable balance on warehouse level. Issued balance identities are specified manually when reporting picking lists.

Stock Zone Directed Soft Allocation

Soft allocation can also be specified per item and location type, indirect per stock zone. This is used when you want to divide your order line in several picking lines depending on if the location is, for example, a pick-, and case- or pallet-location.

Outcome

  • An item with the allocation method 'Soft allocation' is issued and hard allocated.
  • The picking status is 90=All lines issued.

Soft allocation is often used when there are many lots, and it does not matter which one is picked.

Soft allocation allocates on the MITBAL level (item/warehouse file).

Hard allocation allocates on the MITLOC level (item/location file).

Before you start

You have created an order. The order is in status 33=Allocated.

In this case the order is only soft allocated because the allocation method 6 or 7 is selected in (MMS002). See 'Parameters to Set'.

Follow these steps

Hard Allocate When You Report the Picking List

This can be done in one of the following ways:

  • You have released an order with soft allocated items for picking (status 44=Picking list printed) and should now report picking.

    1. Start 'Picking List. Report' (MWS420). The B panel should be the opening panel.

    2. Select option 16='Confirm line'. This starts 'Picking List. Report Lines' (MWS422). Select option 11=Allocation. This starts 'Allocation. Perform Detailed' (MMS121).

    3. In the 'Allocated quantity' field(s), enter the quantity for each location you have picked from.

      In the 'Soft allocated quantity' field you can display the number of soft allocated items. The value in the 'Soft allocated quantity' field indicates the available amount that is left to allocate.

    4. Press Enter, and the (MWS422/B) panel is redisplayed.

    5. If you are satisfied, confirm all with function 16=Confirm all.

      If you have reported all lines, the picking status will now be 90=All lines issued.

  • You can combine picking reporting and specifications of the balance ID (item-lot no.-location-quantity) at the same time.

    1. Start 'Picking List. Report' (MWS420). The A panel should be the opening panel.

    2. By filling in the Location and the 'Transaction quantity' fields together with the 'Delivery number' and Option fields, you can report picking and hard allocating at the same time.

      There are also fields for 'Lot number' and Container.

      The same functions also exist on the (MWS422/E) panel.

Hard Allocate One Part of the Ordered Quantity Before Picking and the Rest When You Report the Picking List

You have released an order with soft allocated items. You have not released the delivery for picking (status 33=Allocated). Now you want to hard allocate some of the balance IDs to specific locations, and the others should remain soft allocated.

  1. Start 'Allocation. Perform Detailed' (MMS121). The easiest is to do this is by selecting option 15=Allocate, in the order line program (OIS101, MMS101, PMS101).

  2. Fill in the Quantity field with the location and lot number you want to hard allocate.

  3. Press Enter and F3. The order line is redisplayed.

  4. Release the order for picking in (MWS410) to status 44=To be reported.

  5. Start 'Picking List. Report' (MWS420). Now you must hard allocate the soft allocated items you have picked according to steps in Hard Allocate When You Report the Picking List

Stock Zone Directed Soft Allocation

You have released an order with soft allocated items. You have not released the delivery for picking (status 33=Allocated).

  1. Start 'Allocation. Perform Detailed' (MMS121).

    The easiest is to do this is by selecting option 15=Allocate, in the order line program (OIS101, MMS101, PMS101).

  2. In the 'Soft allocated' field you display the quantity of soft allocated stock for the order line.

  3. Press the 'Display Soft Allocation' button. This starts 'Allocation. Prepare Picking Release' (MWS413). You will here the display soft allocated order lines, divided regarding the settings you have done in (MMS057).

  4. Close (MWS413) and redisplay (MMS121/B).

  5. You can now select to:

    • Release the order line for picking with all the quantity soft allocated
    • Hard allocate one part of the ordered quantity before picking. Enter the quantity to be hard allocated in the 'Allocated quantity' field and press Enter. The result will be that the value in the 'Soft allocated' field has decreased with the same amount as you have hard allocated.

      You can now open (MWS413) and display the rest of the soft allocated quantity, divided regarding the settings you have done in (MMS057).

  6. To continue the dispatch flow you can either follow steps for Hard Allocate When You Report the Picking List or Hard Allocate One Part of the Ordered Quantity Before Picking and the Rest When You Report the Picking List .

Parameters to set

Basic Settings
Program ID/ Panel Field The field indicates …
(MMS002/G) Allocation method

… how allocation is carried out for each item/warehouse combination.

Valid alternatives are:

6= Soft automatic allocation with a check against allocable balance on warehouse level.

7=Soft automatic allocation without balance check.

Note:  You cannot use any secondary allocation method together with soft allocation.
Settings for Stock Zone Directed Soft Allocation
(MMS057/B) Item .. the item these 'soft allocation' settings should be valid for.
(MMS057/B) Minimum quantity

..the minimum permitted quantity that may be put away, or should be picked, in a location which belongs to the specified location type.

This quantity is used as the quantity key when determining which stock location type to use in both put-away and allocation.

If this quantity is 0, then multiples will be ignored during the allocation process, meaning that quantities other than multiples of the normal quantity may be allocated.
(MMS057/E) Location type

…a group of locations based on the characteristics (size etc.).

The information can be used to locate unoccupied locations of the right size in connection with receipt of goods, for example.
(MMS057/E) Normal storage quantity

…the recommended storage quantity for this location type.

During put-away via (MMS160), the quantity to be put away can be divided by this storage quantity and a standard proposal received for put-away at several locations.

The put-away function always divides by the largest quantity if several records exist for the item here.

This field is also used during allocation. If the minimum quantity is not 0 and allocate to empty is not being used, then only multiples (full pallets, containers, etc.) of this quantity will be allocated.
(MMS057/E) Location

.. indicates the location used for soft allocation.

The quantities entered in the Min- and Normal quantity fields determine which stock location to be used for soft allocation. The location defined here is connected to a location type and a stock zone. This means that one using the printer control setting on the dispatch policy ensure that direct full pallet picks are grouped on one pick listed directed to a full pallet stock zone, the carton picks are grouped on a second pick list directed to a carton stock zone etc.

The result can be that an order line, depending on the ordered quantity, can have several soft allocated locations

Note:  This field is only used for Stock Zone Directed Soft Allocation
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