Allow repeat unknown consumption

An enhanced mode of unknown consumption allows for repeat consumption from an unknown inventory pack.

This mode is not preferable, but it does cater for the situation where inventory received from a supplier is delivered as individual pieces of inventory (such as multiple bags, or boxes) but each piece of inventory is not labeled individually. Instead each piece of inventory has the same lot/batch number from the supplier.

In an example where there are 20 bags of 25kg raw materials, all with the same lot/batch number, ordinarily MES allows the first bag to be scanned (as unknown inventory). However, when the second bag is scanned MES rejects it, because it sees that inventory as fully consumed.

Allowing repeat consumption means that these additional bags with the same quantity are not rejected. Instead, MES creates a new piece of inventory using the unique number and an incremental suffix.

If the inventory number is 560033, it follows that:

• The first pack is received as unknown: 560033
  • The quantity and supplier is entered by the user.
• The second is received as: 560033-1
  • The quantity and supplier are copied from the original pack: 560033
• The third pack, (and all subsequent packs, are treated in the same way as the second pack.

In this mode it is only possible to unload (return) the pack if the operator re-labels it. It is important that the pack is re-labeled with the new unique number (including the suffix) and the return quantity. When it is next scanned to be loaded onto a machine, MES is aware that it is not the original source pack, and therefore loads the correct quantity.