Purpose
This procedure is used to generate Picking Dockets from outstanding Customer Sales Orders & Stock Transfer Orders that are waiting to be picked. This function will allocate available inventory to the order items, select the picking bin(s) needed to fill the order requirements, produce a Picking Docket and update the order status to ‘On Pick’ for each order selected.
There are a number of selection criteria available to assist with choosing the orders to pick including:
- Issue Location
- Delivery Date Required
- Customer
- Order Number
- Back Order Number
- Order Class
- Receiving Location (for transfers)
- Market Segment
There are also certain mandatory system criteria that must be met for an order to be selected, like the order type, the order status, and also orders selected must pass credit limit checks.
Orders matching the system and user entered criteria are selected and displayed for confirmation in the form of a list. The list (or batch) of orders selected can be refined by the user. Items can be excluded if required, before the list is submitted for Pick Docket Processing. Once stock is allocated to the items and the orders are processed for picking, you are able to print the Picking Dockets produced from this batch of orders selected.
Data Input
Step 1 – Select Run
Order Run Processing
Default ‘picking runs’ can be established to allow orders to be processed based on previously entered parameters. This allows users to create saved filters for a variety of picking approaches which can then be reused as the need arises. Having each approach to picking stored for later use provides convenience and cuts down on data entry and mistakes.
For example, you may establish runs by delivery area and name the runs ‘Northern Region’, ‘Eastern Region’ etc. or for different Order Classes i.e Retail, B2B or Market Segments i.e. Trade, Wholesale etc.
Options
New Run Selections
Choose this if you want to create a new run with new parameters
Default Run Selections
When you save run parameters, you have the option to set one run as a default. This run should have the parameters that you use most often. Choose this if you want to use the parameters specified in your default run.
Load Previously Saved Run Selections
If you want to use parameters from a previously saved run, choose this option. A list of available runs is shown and you may select the run that you want to use.
Save this run’s selection
Choose this if you would like to save the parameters you are going to use on the current run for re-use later. With this option selected, you are required to give the run a ‘code’ and a descriptive name. You have an option to set the run as the default run.
Add orders to a previously generated run
When you do a picking run it is allocated a ‘run number’. You may find that after you have created a picking run that some more orders have come in that need to be included. Using this option you can select the previously generated run number, and add more orders under the same run number.
The benefit of consolidating orders for picking under a ‘run number’ is that you can use the run number as a filter in other processes, like Reset Picking Dockets for example, and easily pick up all orders in a run. You may also produce a consolidated pick list for easier, more efficient picking.
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Step 2 – Issuing Location
Issuing Location
Enter the location stock is to be allocated from. Only orders with a matching issuing location will be selected for this processing batch. You must enter an Issuing Location at this prompt in order to proceed.
Delivery Date Required
Delivery Date Required is optional. If you enter a date here, only orders with a date required on or before that date are selected for the run. Whilst the entry of a required date filter is optional, it should be noted as a useful tool to allow warehouse picking to focus on the immediate orders that are required for customers. This enables you to select batches of orders that need to be processed now in order to fill customer expectations, and then focus on other orders with later required dates as a subsequent activity when time permits.
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Step 3 – Delivery Areas
You can restrict the orders selected to the Delivery Areas entered on this list. Leave this list empty if all Delivery Areas are required for picking. The use of Delivery Area can be a powerful way to select orders for picking activity. If you have delivery areas that are only serviced on certain days/times you can include or exclude them from selection based on your needs.
For instance, if a particular regional delivery area/zone is only serviced twice a week, you can do a picking batch on those particular days for that area, focusing only on those orders when required and therefore not having orders sitting in the warehouse waiting to be despatched for days. The additional benefit of this is that you can focus on picking the orders for other delivery areas that you are doing deliveries to on the other days.
Delivery Area Code
Select the delivery area code and Add to the list of areas to be used for selecting orders.
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Step 4 – Customers
You can restrict the orders selected to the Customers entered. Leave the list empty if you want to select orders for all Customers. This feature allows you to focus on one or a list of specified customers so their orders can get picked in a batch. Can be handy if a customer has requested an urgent delivery or if they’ve advised they’re sending someone over to pickup-up orders.
Customer Code
Select the existing customer code and Add to the list. Customer’s that are on Credit Hold, or Unapproved may not be entered here.
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Step 5 – Dockets
You can restrict the orders selected to the Docket Numbers entered. Leave the list empty if you want to select from all outstanding Orders.
Dockets Code
Enter an existing docket (order) number. Upon selecting the docket, Add the docket to the list.
Note that upon input of docket code, the details of the docket are displayed – Customer/ Location Code, Customer/ Location Name and Required Date – for confirmation. You cannot enter orders where the customer is on Credit Hold or has Unapproved Credit, Quotes, orders that are already being picked, or orders that are for another issuing location.
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Step 6 – Back Orders
You can restrict the orders selected to the Back Orders entered. Leave the list empty if you want to select from all Back Orders that are available.
Back Order Number
Enter an existing back order number. Upon selecting the back order, Add the details to the list.
Note that upon input of the back order, the details of the back order are displayed – Customer/ Location Code, Customer/ Location Name, Delivery Code, Product Code, Product Name, Sales Unit and Order Quantity – for confirmation. You cannot enter back orders where the customer is on Credit Hold or has Unapproved Credit status or where the back order is not for the entered issuing location.
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Step 7 – Order Class
You can restrict the orders selected to the Order Classes entered. Leave the list empty if you want to select from all Order Classes.
Order Class Code/ Name
Select the order class code and Add to the list.
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Step 8 – Receiving Locations
For Transfer Orders, you can restrict the orders selected to the Receiving Locations entered. Leave the list empty if you want to select from all Receiving Locations. The use of a Receiving Location as a filter for selection is only applicable to Stock Transfer Orders. It’s a simple way to focus on the outstanding orders for one or more of your internal stock locations that might be needing stock replenished. It is also an effective way to batch up internal transfer orders for delivery just before you know you have a truck visiting another one of your warehouses.
Receiving Locations Code / Name
Select the receiving location code and Add to the list.
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Step 9 – Market Segment
You can restrict the orders selected to the Market Segments entered here. Leave the list empty if you want to select from all Market Segments.
Customer Market Segment Code
Select the customer market segment code and Add to the list.
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Step 10 – Selected Items
On submission of the details entered, the system will select from the outstanding orders based on the users selection criteria and the mandatory system criteria. The orders selected for Pick Docket Processing are presented in a list for further refinement. All the selected orders are ‘ticked’ for inclusion in the picking docket run as a default. Simply untick any orders that you would like to be omitted from picking docket processing before submitting the list.
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Finish & Options
At the Finish step you are shown how many orders are about to be processed for picking. Click submit to create picking dockets for the selected orders. The orders selected are sorted by required date. Any orders which were stopped due to a credit problem are re-checked to see if they can now be delivered.
Available stock is allocated to each line item until it runs out, at which point the remaining quantities are recorded as back-ordered. Note that if the ‘No Stock Check’ system option has been enabled, the available inventory is not checked and the delivery quantity will be the quantity ordered.
In Inventory, the ‘Committed’ quantity is reduced by the quantity delivered and the ‘On Pick’ quantity is increased. Note that if the order being processed is a ‘Forward Order’, the quantities of all the products on the order are moved from the ‘Forward’ quantity to the ‘Committed’ quantity in inventory before processing.
Orders are updated with a ‘run number’ and their order status is set to ‘On Pick’. The quantity delivered and quantity back-ordered are set for each line item on each order. Note that the delivery and back-order quantities are calculated from data currently present in the inventory system and may be changed later if necessary via the Adjust Picking Dockets or Adjust Picking Docket Quantities functions.
If the ‘Add Back Order’ system option has been enabled then outstanding Back Orders are checked as orders in the batch run are processed for picking. The ‘Add Back Orders’ feature is available to allow you to reduce the number of deliveries required when back ordered items become available for delivery. Any item on back order for the Customer or Receiving Stock Location which can now be supplied is moved off back order to become either a new sales order or added to an existing sales order.
If items are not added to the orders being picked in the run, it may be due to the System Options setting for “Separate Order Per Customer Order Number”. Note that there is also an override setting for the “Separate Order Per Customer Order Number” per Customer which is also checked as part of this function.
Options
Once the processing is completed, the function will display how many picking dockets are ready for printing and you are presented with several options as below:
Print Picking Dockets – use this option to print the picking dockets
Print Delivery Labels – if you print delivery labels at the same time as picking dockets, use this option to print those labels
Generate More Picking Dockets For Same Location – use this option if you want to generate another batch of picking dockets without having to enter the location again
Generate Picking Dockets For A Different Location – use this option if you want to generate another batch of picking dockets for a different issuing location
Credit Stopped Orders Released – use this option to print a report of orders that were on credit stop but were released for picking because the customer’s credit status is now ok
Back Orders with Credit Problems – use this option to print a report of back orders items that have stock available but where the customer has credit status issues
Suggested Transfers – use this option to print a report of back order items that could be filled if stock was transferred from another stock location
Orders Not Released – use this option to print a report of orders that were on the selection list for processing but did not have a picking docket created. The main reason for orders to be on this report would be if the order was set to picking type ‘Full Picking’ and there was insufficient stock to fill all the items on the order
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