FS 291253 PW-8KRCWE Prioritise WMS-WCS Messages
DHL Atherstone
Prioritise WMS-WCS Messages
CALIDUS WMS
10th October2011 - 0.1
Reference: FS 291253 PW-8KRCWE
Contents
Functional Overview
Client Requirement
Prioritise certain messages from WMS to WCS so that they take priority over standard messages and arrive before them into the WCS. The messages to be modified initially are the UPC responses to Receipt Precheck, Putaway and Pick Replacements from Pick Shortages.
Solution Overview
The standard messaging function within CALIDUS WMS will be modified to ensure that all messages are sent at a standard message priority (i.e. 5), rather than accepting the default from the Oracle queues.
The UPC responses to Receipt Precheck, Putaway and Pick Replacements from Pick Shortages messages will be modified to be set at a high priority (i.e. 1-4). The messages affected by the high priority setting will not be modifiable by the user, so only these specific messages will be affected.
The Standard and High Priority values will be specified as system parameters.
This modification will ensure that the high-priority messages specified will be sent to the WCS before lower-priority messages.
Scope
Note: This modification affects the CALIDUS mobile system connecting to the Oracle CALIDUS WMS system only.
Note: The message priority does not affect the content of the message, just the sequence in which they are sent to CALIDUS Mobile.
Warning: This modification affects the core CALIDUS Mobile interface in CALIDUS WMS. This will require several programs to be recompiled and released, as well as a fundamental change to the Oracle Advance Queues within the database. As such, the installation of this will require scheduled downtime. No CALIDUS Mobile programs need to be released to implement this functionality, however.
Set-up
Pre-requisites
A valid CALIDUS Mobile system must be connected to your CALIDUS WMS.
Menu Structure
None
Data
Warehouse rule 'RPCA' ("RF Picking - Create Amendments") must be created and set to value 'Y'.
Functional Description
DP_WMS_IF
This Oracle package will be changed to allow the WMS RF sending packages to specify a priority on the messages sent to CALIDUS Mobile. All overloaded versions of procedure 'send_to_wcs' and 'send_edi_to_wcs' will be modified to receive a priority parameter. If no priority is specified (for the majority of messages), the priority will default to 5.
The priority of the record built to send (p_rec_dets) will be set to this parameter.
Note: The contents of this procedure contain amendments for stock take developments and changes to the way that the common record are retrieved that must be reflected in the latest version - the version differences must be checked for this. The procedures to be checked are:
- get_session_qschema_agent
- get_edi_session_qschema_agent
- recvd_rec
DP_RDT_STKENQ
Procedure 'check_upc_code' will be modified so that, when messages are returned to CALIDUS Mobile with the UPC information, they are sent with priority value '2'. This is done when the procedure 'send_edi_to_wcs' is called at the end of the procedure.
DP_RDT_PICK_CONF
This package will be modified to set the priority of any pick replacement message returned to CALIDUS Mobile to '2'.
Pick Modification messages are only returned to CALIDUS Mobile if the warehouse rule 'RPCA' is set to 'Y', through procedure 'search_for_alternative', when there has been a shortage against a particular pick line.
If an alternative pick is found, the pick task on CALIDUS WMS is created and a pick task is sent using procedure 'send_to_pick'. This procedure is called only for this reason. This procedure will be modified to set the priority of the messages to '2' when the procedure 'send_edi_to_wcs' is called from here.
If no alternative pick is found, a message is returned to CALIDUS Mobile to inform the users that no alternative pick is available. This is sent from procedure 'send_blank_pick'. This procedure is called only for this reason. This procedure will be modified to set the priority of the messages to '2' when the procedure 'send_edi_to_wcs' is called from here.
Appendix A: TEST PLAN
| Test Script / Scenario Reference | Prioritise WMS-WCS Messages | Call Number(s): 291253 PW-8KRCWE |
| Test Script / Scenario Description | Test prioritisation of messages from WMS to WCS. | PASS / ISSUES / FAIL |
| Menu Access | None | |
| Pre-requisites | See Setup section | Tested By: |
| Test Objective | To test that: all standard messages are defaulted to a default priority; high-priority messages are sent with the high priority and; messages at different priority levels are received in the sequence expected. | Date: |
| Step | Action | Result | Remarks | P/F |
| 1 | Standard Message Sending | |||
| 1.10 | Send all types of messages (for the client, this is standing data, picks). Check the sent messages on the WMS Queue and the WCS Incoming Log. | All messages enqueue with priority 5 and are received in the sequence they are sent. |
| Step | Action | Result | Remarks | P/F |
| 2 | Standard Message Sending | |||
| 2.10 | Perform a UPC enquiry (from Blind Receipt or Putaway). Check the sent messages on the WMS Queue and the WCS Incoming Log. | Responses are received and were put on the queue at priority 2. | ||
| 2.20 | Perform a short pick of stock where there is replacement stock in the warehouse. Check the sent messages on the WMS Queue and the WCS Incoming Log. | Responses are received and were put on the queue at priority 2. | ||
| 2.30 | Perform a short pick of stock where there is no replacement stock in the warehouse. Check the sent messages on the WMS Queue and the WCS Incoming Log. | Responses are received and were put on the queue at priority 2. |
| Step | Action | Result | Remarks | P/F |
| 3 | Priority Message Sending | |||
| 3.10 | Perform a UPC enquiry (from Blind Receipt or Putaway). Check the sent messages on the WMS Queue and the WCS Incoming Log. | A response is received in a timely fashion. | ||
| 3.20 | Perform a short pick of stock where there is replacement stock in the warehouse. Check the sent messages on the WMS Queue and the WCS Incoming Log. | A response is received in a timely fashion. | ||
| 3.30 | Perform a short pick of stock where there is no replacement stock in the warehouse. Check the sent messages on the WMS Queue and the WCS Incoming Log. | A response is received in a timely fashion. |
| Step | Action | Result | Remarks | P/F |
| 4 | Message Queue Sequencing | |||
| Send through some standing data messages that will take time to perform (>1000 messages). All tests below should be completed before these messages have all been received. | ||||
| 4.10 | Perform a UPC enquiry (from Blind Receipt or Putaway). | A response is received in a timely fashion. | ||
| 4.20 | Perform a short pick of stock where there is replacement stock in the warehouse. | A response is received in a timely fashion. | ||
| 4.30 | Perform a short pick of stock where there is no replacement stock in the warehouse. | A response is received in a timely fashion. |
Appendix B: Quote & Document References
| Cost Details | ||||
| Activity | Estimate No. of Days |
No. of Days | Rate per Day (£) | Cost (£ Exc. VAT) |
| Requirements | 0.00 | 0.00 | 510 | £0.00 |
| Change Request Evaluation | 1.25 | 1.25 | 510 | £637.50 |
| Functional Specification | 0.75 | 0.75 | 510 | £382.50 |
| Technical Specification | 0.00 | 0.00 | 510 | £0.00 |
| Development | 1.50 | 1.50 | 438 | £657.00 |
| Testing and Release | 1.50 | 1.50 | 438 | £657.00 |
| Implementation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 438 | £0.00 |
| Project Management | First argument to "number_format" must be a number. | First argument to "number_format" must be a number. | 510 | £First argument to "number_format" must be a number. |
| TOTAL | First argument to "number_format" must be a number. | First argument to "number_format" must be a number. | £First argument to "number_format" must be a number. | |
| Estimate excludes training, release to live and go live support. |
B.1 References
| Ref No | Document Title & ID | Version | Date |
| 1 | EST 291253 PW-8KRCWE Prioritise WMS-WCS Messages | 1.0 | 19/08/2011 |
B.2 Glossary
| Term or Acronym | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ad Hoc | A task instigated on the device (spec. Ad Hoc Pallet Move), rather than a task instigated from the WMS and Stock Control. |
| Advice Note Number | An external reference linked to a Goods Receipt. |
| Aisle | A component of a location; usually a space through rows of racking or storage locations; a collection of locations; |
| Anchor Point | A starting location for a search for a suitable storage location; auto-putaway location suggestion start point. |
| Area | A collection of aisles; an area in the warehouse for a particular purpose. |
| Batch | A production batch of a product; a quantity of product that is considered to have the same characteristics; |
| Bay (Warehouse) | A physical loading or unloading point for the warehouse. |
| Bay | A component of a location; usually a space between uprights in racking, comprising several levels (horizontal beams). |
| Block Stack | A stable stack of pallets. |
| Bulk | Bulk storage; Usually full-pallet storage areas, racked or stacked. |
| Cancellation | The facility to cancel a task due to some problem, identified by the user when performing the task. |
| Check Digit | A short code, usually randomly generated and stored against a location, used to help identify that a user is at the right location before they proceed with a warehouse task. |
| CSV | Character-separated values; a text file with multiple rows and values, usually separated with commas. |
| C-WCS | CALIDUS WCS, the name of the OBS Logistics Warehouse Control system |
| C-WMS | CALIDUS WMS, the name of the OBS Logistics Warehouse Management system |
| Dead Leg | A movement of a truck without a pallet; wasted resource. |
| Despatch | The final physical stage of an order; handover of goods to the haulier. |
| Drive-In | A drive-in location, typically multi-level, multi-deep location. |
| Dual Cycling | Processes utilizing P&D locations for interleaving tasks in and out of specific areas, reducing dead leg movements. |
| Exchange | Specifically Pick Exchange or Task Exchange. The process of allowing a user to select a different pallet in a multi-pallet location and exchanging the expected pallet for this one. If the pallet is planned for another task, task exchange will complete this task instead of the expected one first. If the pallet is not planned, pallet exchange will swap the pallet (if suitable). |
| GR; GRN | Goods Receipt; Goods Receipt Number or Note |
| High Bay | Typically tall (greater than 5 level) racking, usually full pallet storage, usually Narrow Aisle. |
| JIT | Just In Time; processes designed to trigger at the last instant. |
| KPI | Key Performance Indicator. |
| Level | A component of a location; usually the vertical compartments of an area, delineated by horizontal beams. |
| Loading | The act of loading pallets onto a vehicle. |
| Location | A uniquely identified space in the warehouse for storage of product. There are many types, most commonly Floor locations (for example, Marshalling, Inbound), Racking or Bulk Storage Locations and Pick faces. |
| Manifest | The contents of a vehicle or container. |
| Marshalling | The act of bringing pallets for an order or load together; an area to do so. |
| Multi-deep | A location with 2 or more pallets stored sequentially i.e. only one can be accessed at a time. |
| NA | Narrow Aisle; usually any area in the warehouse that is restricted access due to space limitations, Narrow Aisles have associate P&D locations. |
| P&D | Pick-up and Drop-off locations; locations used to control the handover of pallets between distinct areas, for example between chambers and the wider area of the warehouse. |
| PI; Perpetual Inventory | The act of continuously checking locations in a warehouse, identifying and correcting product quantity issues. Usually used in Bulk environments rather than Pick Faces. In pick faces, this process is called is called Residual Stock Balance and usually takes place after picking from a pick face. |
| Pick Face | A location designed for picking part of a pallet of stock. Usually a low- or ground-level location. |
| Pick List (order) | The instructions to pick pallets or cases from locations; the paper report associated to this; the stage of preparing these instructions; the sending of these instructions to WCS. |
| PO | Purchase Order. |
| Pre-advice; Goods Receipt Pre-advice | An advanced notification of what is being received. Part of a manifest. Pre-advices can be stock and quantity, or individual pallet level. |
| Putaway | The physical move of a pallet to a storage location as a result of receiving it into the warehouse. |
| RAG | Acronym for Red/Amber/Green, a traffic light colouration system depicting (in sequence) Errors, Warnings or Informational messages. Usually used in operational monitoring to effectively display when certain processes are not working as expected. |
| RDT | Radio Data Terminal. |
| Replen; Replenishment | The act of moving product (usually a pallet) from bulk storage to a pick face. |
| Reposition | The facility to change the location of a movement or putaway when at the final destination, sue to some issue discovered when performing the task. |
| RF | Radio Frequency; An RF device is an RDT, typically used by CALIDUS WCS for executing warehouse tasks. |
| SCR; CR | Software Change Request. |
| Short Pick | The process of not fulfilling an order due to failure to identify sufficient product when picking. May also be used as a term to indicate Short Allocation. |
| SO | Sales Order. |
| Truck Types | Plants, Mechanical Handling Equipment. For example, Reach trucks, Counter-balance trucks, pallet riders, etc. |
| UOM | Unit of Measure. |
| WA | Wide Area; usually any area in the warehouse that is not restricted access due to space limitations, for example, floor areas, not Narrow Aisle. |
| WCS | Warehouse Control System |
| WMS | Warehouse Management System |
B.3 Authorised By
Phil Harding | OBS Project Manager | _____________________________ |
Phil Isle | DHL Representative | _____________________________ |
