FS 369552 MCS Allow Pallet Opening
DHL
Allow Pallet Opening
Functional Specification
6th February 2020 - 1.0
Reference: FS 369552
Contents
FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW
Client Requirement
At locations where built pallets are expected to be closed (e.g. C3), the user may notice at loading of a trip that a package has not been scanned to a pallet. All pallets for the trip are likely to already be closed, and therefore unavailable to have the package added to them. They may create a new pallet, but the package may be better located on an existing pallet.
The operation wants to be able to open a pallet using MCS, so that they can scan the package onto the pallet and re-seal it.
This is a function of the Pallet Closure option on MCS.
If a closed pallet is scanned, it currently says that the pallet is not known, because the process excludes closed pallets.
The process must now see closed pallets, and offer the user the option of opening them again.
Solution Overview
If a closed pallet is scanned, it currently says that the pallet is not known, because the DB procedure excludes closed pallets.
The procedure must be opened up to closed pallets, and return the status.
MCS must check this status and offer the user the option to re-open the pallet.
Confirming this would call a DB procedure to re-open the pallet, setting the status to open and removing any seal information.
Scope
This change will be applied to system version 2 of C-MCS linking to system version 11.35 on HCRTST and once approved will be promoted to HCRPRD.
This change to the functionality will not be controlled by a parameter, as only DHL use this option.
Impact
Low to none - this is an optional process.
CONFIGURATION SET-UP
Pre-requisites
C-MCS must be configured and connected to a configured C-TMS system.
Menu Structure
N/A
Data
None.
Implementation Advice
None.
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
MCS Pallet Closure
The pallet closure process will be modified.
If a closed pallet is scanned in this option, it currently says that the pallet is not known, because the DB procedure excludes closed pallets.
This will be modified to identify a closed pallet.
If closed, the device will then offer the user the option to re-open the pallet, through a pop-up confirmation dialogue.
If the user confirms that the pallet will be re-opened, C-TMS will re-open the pallet and removing any seal information.
The pallet will then be available for pallet building.
Pallet closure - existing screen
Pallet closure - new pop-up (prototype)
Figure 1: Cherwell 3 Pallet Closure process
TECHNICAL NOTES
Modules Changed
| Module Name | Module Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DP_MCS_SCANNING | C-TMS Package | |
| (As required) | SQL | Database modification script. |
| m004a01t_uc_pallet_closure.js | MCS Device code | |
| m004a01t_uc_pallet_closure.ascx | MCS Device code |
Table Updates
None.
Developer Notes
To achieve this, we must make the following changes:
- Change MCS to check the pallet status and allow the user the choice to open the pallet.
- New message from MCS to C-TMS to open a package.
- New C-TMS procedure to re-open a pallet, deleting any seal information if present.
C-TMS DP_MCS_SCANNING Changes
The existing procedure DP_MCS_SCANNING.FN_UPDATE_PALLET_STATUS will be modified to open a closed pallet. The procedure already achieves much of what is required, but the seal number processing must be modified.
Currently, the process does the following:
- Status requested must be a valid status i.e. OPEN or CLOSED.
- Checks seal.
- Checks status of despatching trip - not EN-ROUTE, COMPLETED, CONFIRMED.
- Create seal.
- Lock pallet record and change status.
The process will be modified as follows:
- Status requested must be a valid status i.e. OPEN or CLOSED.
- Check seal - only required if CLOSING a pallet. This is currently controlled by no seal parameter being present and can continue this way.
- Checks status of despatching trip - not EN-ROUTE, COMPLETED, CONFIRMED.
- Create seal - only required if CLOSING a pallet. This is currently controlled by no seal parameter being present and can continue this way.
- Delete existing seal - only required if OPENING a pallet. The process should check that the required status is "OPEN" and, if so, check whether there is a seal for this pallet (checking on SCH_SHIP_AWB_CON_CONT). If found and type "S", delete the record. If there are no more records on the seal (i.e. SCH_SHIP_AWB_CON), delete the seal.
- Lock pallet record and change status.
Appropriate error messages will be returned if there are failures opening the pallet, through the same method that the package does when closing pallets.
MCS Pallet Closure Screen
The process for pallet closure will change to allow a pallet to be opened. The flow of the process is as follows:
On the device:
- Keying enter on pallet field calls
- MCSUI.PalletClosure.funCheckPalletClick() (in m023a01t_uc_pallet_closure.js) which calls
- MCSWS.Requests.PalletRequest(strSiteId, strPalletId, MCSUI.PalletClosure.funCheckPalletRequestCallback) in webServiceRequests.js
On the server:
- PalletRequest is dealt with by PalletRequest in MCSService.cs.
- This selects the details of the pallet from V_MCS_PALLET, including the status.
On the device:
- MCSUI.PalletClosure.funCheckPalletRequestCallback in m023a01t_uc_pallet_closure.js
- This checks the status - if CLOSED it issues an error.
This should no longer do that.
The process will now:
- display the details as per the following block, then within that block:
- if the status is not CLOSED, do as now
- if the status is CLOSED,
- do not display the seal number and Pallet Close button (i.e. hide them).
- do not set the default button or default focus (i.e. do not call this code).
- display a dialogue box:
- message id, level and description as "This pallet is already closed - do you want to open it?", options "Yes"/"No" (MCSUI.Messages.ButtonTypes.YesNo).
- If No is clicked, close the dialogue box - no further actions required.
- If Yes is clicked, close the dialogue box and call new function to open pallet and remove seals.
The required MCS development is as follows:
A dialogue will be added to the Pallet Closure process, if the pallet is considered to be status CLOSED.
Dialogue control code can be seen in MCS Damages function, when confirming marking an item as damaged (funConfirmMarkDamaged in m009a01t_uc_damages.js)
Dialogues may be shown with:
- MCSUI.Common.objScreen.MessageDialogue.showQuestion(strMessage)
A new dialogue will be configured - set in m023a01t_uc_pallet_closure.ascx, through common code:
- MCSUI.Common.objScreen.MessageDialogue.yesClicked = MCSUI.PalletClosure.funConfirmReopenPallet
This then links to a new function funConfirmReopenPallet in m023a01t_uc_pallet_closure.js when Yes is clicked. The process will:
- Close the dialogue box,
- Calls MCSWS.Requests.PalletUpdate with status set to OPEN and no seal. Set callback as now, to MCSUI.PalletClosure.funPalletUpdateRequestCallback
- On successful result, display a toast message that the pallet is closed. Clear the pallet details
To be clear, when No is clicked, the dialogue box will be removed, but the pallet details will remain. The user can only click the Cancel Entry button to enter a pallet again.
Function MCSUI.PalletClosure.funPalletUpdateRequestCallback in m023a01t_uc_pallet_closure.js will be modified. It's a minor modification to what it already does, based on the status of the pallet being actioned:
- Check error status.
- If OK, display message "Pallet X opened" and clear back to normal entry.
- If not, display error message. Clear back to normal entry.
All pallet details should be removed.
Affected code modules:
- m023a01t_uc_pallet_closure.js
- m023a01t_uc_pallet_closure.ascx
TEST PLAN
| Test Script / Scenario Reference | Allow Pallet Opening | Call Number(s): 369552 |
| Test Script / Scenario Description | Pallet Re-opening | PASS / ISSUES / FAIL |
| Menu Access | Pallet Closure | |
| Pre-requisites | A configured C-TMS and MCS. | Tested By: |
| Test Objective | Test that pallets that are scanned again can be re-opened. | Date: |
| Step | Action | Result | Remarks | P/F |
| 1 | MCS Pallet Closure | |||
| Ensure that there are two locations configured, both with pallet closure enabled, one with Pallet Seal required and one without. | ||||
| 1.01 | Location configured for seals at pallet closure. Scan pallet | The application displays a text box for seal number, a Close Pallet and Cancel Entry button. | ||
| 1.02 | Enter a seal number and click Close Pallet. | The pallet is closed and the device informs you so. The seal is created in C-TMS. The device is prompting for pallet again. | ||
| 1.03 | Scan the pallet again. | All pallet details are shown. No seal number text box nor Close Pallet button is displayed, just a Cancel Entry button. A dialogue is shown, asking the user to confirm opening the pallet, with Yes and No options. | ||
| 1.04 | Click No | The dialogue box is hidden. | ||
| 1.05 | Click Cancel Entry. | The device is prompting for pallet again. The pallet details are removed. | ||
| 1.06 | Scan the pallet again. Click Yes | The dialogue box is hidden. The pallet is opened and the device informs you so. The seal is deleted in C-TMS. The device is prompting for pallet again. Pallet details are no longer displayed. | ||
| 1.07 | Location configured for no seals at pallet closure. Scan pallet | The application displays a Close Pallet and Cancel Entry button. | ||
| 1.08 | Click Close Pallet. | The pallet is closed and the device informs you so. No seal is created in C-TMS. The device is prompting for pallet again. | ||
| 1.09 | Scan the pallet again. | All pallet details are shown. No seal number text box nor Close Pallet button is displayed, just a Cancel Entry button. A dialogue is shown, asking the user to confirm opening the pallet, with Yes and No options. | ||
| 1.10 | Click No | The dialogue box is hidden. | ||
| 1.11 | Click Cancel Entry. | The device is prompting for pallet again. The pallet details are removed. | ||
| 1.12 | Scan the pallet again. Click Yes | The dialogue box is hidden. The pallet is opened and the device informs you so. The device is prompting for pallet again. Pallet details are no longer displayed. |
APPENDIX A: QUOTE & DOCUMENT HISTORY
| Cost Details | ||||
| Activity | Estimate No. of Days |
No. of Days | Rate per Day (£) | Cost (£ Exc. VAT) |
| Requirements | 0.00 | 0.00 | 820 | £0.00 |
| Change Request Evaluation | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0 | £0.00 |
| Functional Specification | 1.50 | 1.50 | 820 | £1,230.00 |
| Technical Specification | 0.00 | 0.00 | 820 | £0.00 |
| Development | 6.25 | 6.25 | 790 | £4,937.50 |
| Testing and Release | 2.00 | 2.00 | 790 | £1,580.00 |
| Implementation | 0.50 | 0.50 | 820 | £410.00 |
| Project Management | 0.50 | 0.50 | 830 | £415.00 |
| TOTAL | 11.00 | 11.00 | £8,572.50 | |
| Estimate excludes training, release to live and go live support. |
References
| Ref No | Document Title & ID | Version | Date |
| 1 |
Glossary
| Term or Acronym | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AWB | Airway Bill; a receipt of goods required by airline carriers. It also serves as the carriage contract between the carrier and the shipper. |
| C-MCS | CALIDUS MCS, OBS Logistics Mobile Control System. See also MCS. |
| Carrier | The carrier completing the trip. Can comprise any carrier configured in the system, but normally Home Fleet (usually a carrier per depot), 3rd-party carriers, supplier-/customer-own transport, own collection, etc. |
| Consolidating Centre | A depot that takes delivery of goods from several origins and consolidates them for trunking to outbases (q.v.) or final delivery to destinations. See also Consolidation. |
| Consolidation | In execution terms, this is the act of taking several jobs and combining them into a single execution job. This can be by several criteria but is broadly defined as: Same Location consolidation, where the delivery/collection points are identical; Linked Location, where the deliver/collection points have been configured to be seen as the same point within C-TMS and; Manual (Ad Hoc) Consolidation, where the driver decides that two jobs should be delivered/collected at the same time.
In general transport terms, this is the act of taking like product from several sources (originating depots, warehouses, orders) going to the same destination or on the same vehicle and placing them on a transportable media. See also containerisation. |
| Containerisation | The action of taking items and placing them inside another item for tracking purposes. See also Asset. |
| Cost Centre | A part of an organisation to which costs may be charged for accounting purposes. For C-TMS, this is used for accounting purposes, and also to generally configure the system. |
| C-TMS | CALIDUS TMS, OBS Logistics' Transport Management System. |
| Cross-Dock | Also a specific location at which product is exchanged. |
| Customer | In 3PL terms, the customer on behalf of which the transport is being operated. |
| DDL | Drop-down list - a series of pre-designated answers to a particular question on a device, rather than requiring the user to key the answer in in full. |
| Debrief | Comprises 2 parts: Stop debrief, where actual arrival and departure times against a trip are entered; Order debrief, where actual product and item quantities are entered; Driver/Trip debrief, where additional information is captured from the driver relating to the trip. |
| Depot | Any location that schedules and controls transport. |
| Despatch | In transport terms, the process of loading and despatching items out of a depot. In this implementation, the process of loading and despatching is predominantly controlled by C-MCS (q.v.). See also Loading. |
| Driver | Comprising drivers and crew assigned to a trip. |
| DU | Distribution/Deliverable Unit - Pallet, Package, etc.; Also Asset, Asset Type. |
| Fixed Route | In transport terms, a fixed route is a trip comprised of a series of fixed stops that are typically always visited. A C-TMS fixed route template (q.v.) can be used to create these. |
| Item | A single item for delivery/collection. A general terms, distinct from the DU of the deliverable item e.g. Pallet, Package, etc. |
| Loading | In transport terms, the process of loading and despatching items out of a depot. In this implementation, the process of loading and despatching is predominantly controlled by C-MCS (q.v.). See also Despatch. |
| Location | In C-TMS terms, a trip comprises visits or drops to many locations. A location can be of many different types. |
| Location Types | Usually one of: Depot, Customer, Delivery/Collection Location, Store, etc. |
| MCS | Mobile Control System, an application to execute mobile tasks, as opposed to transport management tasks from a console. For OBS Logistics, transport depot mobile tasks are handles by CALIDUS MCS. |
| OMS Ref | A unique transport movement ID, referring to a single transport movement request. |
| Optimisation | Route building and optimisation of stops on a trip. |
| Order | Equiv: OMS Ref; a transport movement. |
| Order Status | The lifecycle of an order. |
| Outbase | A depot whose purpose is to deliver to final delivery destination within a geographically-restricted subsection of the whole catchment area; also ROC. |
| Reason Codes | Of many types: Adjustment, Non-conformance, Order. |
| Receipt | In transport terms, the process of receiving and uploading items into a depot. In this implementation, the process of receipt and unloading is predominantly controlled by C-MCS (q.v.). See also Unloading. |
| Region; Postal Region | Geographical Region. |
| Resources | Drivers, Crew, Tractors, Vehicles, Trailers (q.v.). |
| Route | A route is a fixed route that is repeated. A Trip is a unique trip, which may be created from a route. |
| ROC | Regional Operating Centre; a depot whose purpose is to deliver to final delivery destination within a geographically-restricted subsection of the whole catchment area; also Outbase. |
| RPE | Roll-pallet Equivalent - This is used to estimate volume and therefore capacity of vehicles within C-TMS. |
| Schedule | A day's plan, usually consisting of 24 hours, not necessarily from midnight to midnight. |
| Shunt | A trunk (q.v.) movement between depots using the trunk network, typically of a much shorter length than a trunk movement. |
| TLM | Transport Logistics Manager |
| Tractor | The driver cab, pulling the trailer. |
| Trailer | The trailer carrying the goods. Can be several types. |
| Trans-Ship | The process of receiving, cross-docking and despatching items within a depot, usually within a single transaction. In this implementation, this is the process at the ROC (q.v.). |
| Transport | Transport operations. |
| Trip | C-TMS: A selection of work to be completed, specifically a workload that lasts for an entire shift for a driver. |
| Trip Status | The lifecycle of a trip. |
| Trunk | A route between depots, transporting goods usually to be delivered from the destination depot, but any transfer of goods from the original receiving or originating depot in the network to the final delivery depot (the outbase). |
| Unloading | The process of receiving and uploading items into a depot. In this implementation, the process of receipt and unloading is predominantly controlled by C-MCS (q.v.). See also Receiving. |
| Vehicle | A generic term for the resource assigned to a trip. Can be tractor (q.v.), tractor plus trailer (q.v.), fixed vehicle (e.g. van). In C-TMS terms, the tractor ID is considered the vehicle ID, usually the registration. |
| Warehouse | This is a depot in C-TMS that is seen to be a warehouse, or origin and storage point for product for delivery. |
Authorised By
Julie Scott | OBS Project Manager | _____________________________ |
Paul Kurze | Customer Representative | _____________________________ |
