Defining an area

An area is a collection of zones. Each zone can be located in one or more areas. Task Management uses an area as an access control mechanism within a warehouse, assigning those areas according to features such as equipment access, content, or physical location within the facility.

Typical examples of areas include:

  • Cherry Picker Area
  • Left Warehouse
  • Right Warehouse
  • Center Warehouse
  • High-Security Area

To define an area:

  1. Select Configuration > Productivity > Area to open the Area screen.
    Note:  The Import and Export selections are available in the Area list view. In addition to the functionality defined in the Infor WMS Introduction and Navigation User Guide, the import and export features within the Area list view have been expanded.
    • You can click Import to import Microsoft Excel data to either create new records or update existing records. Infor WMS validates the field values before either new records are inserted or existing records are updated. If a validation fails, the import log record indicates the error file.
    • When you click Export, both header and detail data are exported to a Microsoft Excel file. As in other existing areas within Infor WMS, the header and detail values are exported to separate tabs in the Excel file.
  2. Click New to access the Area detail view.
  3. Specify this information:
    Area Key
    Unique code identifying the area. Required.
    Zone
    Zone assigned to the specified area. Required.
    Note: This list consists of records from Configuration > Task Manager Configuration > Zone.
  4. Click the Voice Properties tab and specify this information:
    Voice Properties tab
    Allow Voice Picking
    When set to Yes, voice is turned on in that area.
    Maximum # of Assignments for a picker at one time
    Maximum number of assignments a picker can work on at one time.
    Speak Location and/or Item Description
    Determines what the voice system should say to an operator (the item location, the item description, or both) when the operator is picking an assignment. Options are:
    • Speak Description
    • Speak Description and Location
    • Speak Location
    Spoken Work Identifier:
    Determines whether the voice system says the shipment order number for every pick.
    Type of Delivery Prompt
    Determines the type of delivery prompt for that area. Options are:
    • Prompt Delivery Location - the terminal prompts the operator with the delivery location and waits for the operator to say, Ready.
    • Prompt and Validate Delivery Location - the terminal prompts the operator with the delivery location and waits for the operator to confirm it by saying the delivery location and Ready.
    • None - the terminal does not prompt the operator with delivery information.
    Current Bay Length:
    Portion of the Location name that represents the Bay. This is also part of the Zone setup. If the start of the bay is 1, and the end of the aisle is 3, then this field should have XXX.
    Current Location Length:
    Portion of the Location name that represents the length of the location (slot), which is located in the zone. If the start of the Slot is 4, and the end of the Slot is 6, then this field should have XXX.
    Allow User to Skip Locations:
    Determines whether a picker can skip locations during the picking process.
    Re-pick of Skipped Locations Allowed:
    Determines whether the voice system retrieves the skipped locations at the end of the picking assignment.
    Pick Prompt to Operator:

    Determines how the application gives the pick prompt to the operator.

    • Multiple Prompts means that the terminal gives a location prompt, after which the operator gives the check digits and a quantity-to-pick prompt.
    • Single Prompt means that terminal gives the location and quantity to pick, no matter how many items the operator should pick, before waiting for the operator to give the check digits.
    • Single Prompt, Suppress Quantity 1 means that the terminal gives the location and, if the operator should pick more than one item, the quantity to pick.

    The prompt can include the work identifier as well, depending on the setting in Allow Speaking Work Identifier. The slot identifier can include the slot, description, or both, depending on the setting in Pick by location/description.

    Sign Off Allowed:
    Determines whether an operator can choose to sign off of an assignment before completing and delivering the assignment. The task allows the operator to sign off at many points, but the operator can only sign off at those points if this option is set to Yes
    Verify Quantity Placed into Container
    Determines whether the operator must verify the quantity that they are putting into the container
  5. Click the Location Schema tab and specify this information:
    Location Schema tab
    Voice Check Digit Pattern
    Used to prompt and confirm by voice operator.
    • Default Check Digit - One character check digit that is supported in RF and Voice command.
    • Two Character Check Digit - Two character check digit only supported in Voice command.
    • Three Character Check Digit - Three character check digit only supported in Voice command.

    If the Voice Check Digit pattern is Two or Three Character Check Digit, then the following must happen or an error will occur:

    • If Default Check Digit Selection is set to null, the Voice Check Digit Rotation must be set to Yes.
    • If Default Check Digit Selection is set to a shape, the Voice Check Digit Rotation must be set to No.
    Voice Default Check Digit Pattern
    A rotation pattern selection pattern assigned for equal check digit character mapping.
    Voice Check Digit Rotation
    Turns on rotation functionality when set to Yes.
    Aisle
    Start position and end position.
    Bay
    Start position and end position.
    Slot
    Start position and end position.
  6. Click Save.