Hi Greg!
Directed question gotten! OK, here's the situation as we use it, and it
has worked VERY well for us.
1.) We use the ITEMBL allocations, that just show there are customer
requirements. (As an FYI, we do NOT integrate COM with MRP). If
customers order a part, we show allocation, but NOT discrete allocations
at order entry time.
2.) We use our own, in-house written pick list for COM, rather than
MAPICS' pick list. The pick list is sorted by warehouse location (SLQNTY)
to improve picking efficiency, and has the order number and shipper number
(sequential count of the number of times the pick list was printed)
barcoded, and each item is also barcoded. We write a record to a log file
containing the latest order#/shipper#.
The pick lists print automatically after order entry is complete (COM,
CSM, or COM_Net) and the order passes credit check. We do that at end of
order user exits. If the order is on credit hold, the credit manager
manually releases the order and does a print request of the shipper.
However, the vast majority go through. This is especially cool with
COM_Net, where the 1st time anyone at our company may SEE the order is
when it is being picked (assuming it passes credit check).
3.) The pickers pick the parts (I love that phrase!), and go to a green
screen in the shipping area, right in front of the UPS/FedEx conveyor
belts. They scan the barcoded order/picklist# (one barcode). The program
checks to see if there is a LATER pick list, if so, they are notified and
can't proceed - there may be order changes. If OK, they then scan each
item on the order, and the program shows them the SLQNTY locations with
the inventory for them to select which they picked from and the qty (we
actively attempt to keep stuff in a single location per item where
possible, to increase efficiency). Each records scanned is written to a
picked log file. At the end of the order, they press F6 to complete. The
program checks the picked log file against the order to make sure every
item was processed. If not, they are shown a list of non-picked items,
and are asked if they want to go back and scan more, or if they want to
backorder those items. If they choose to backorder them, the log file
gets zero ship records written to it for the backordered items.
When the picker confirms he is done picking, we go into the order and
change the status of each line to discretely picked, and programmagically
write SLALLO records for each item. This discretely picks the items, and
if a user does an inquiry, they can see what orders have been picked for
shipment. It's a VERY useful tool for our Customer Service department,
they can tell a caller if a part is being shipped that day because they
know it's been picked if it shows as discretely allocated. Of course, the
inquiries also show if it was shipped earlier, like normal. And this
works both in green screen COM or CSM (which we use).
4.) The pickers then process through UPS or FedEx's systems (provided
free to us due to the significant volume of business each get from us), or
they weigh and log the LTL shipments.
5.) At end of day, the pickers close out the UPS and FedEx systems, and
those systems provide tracking numbers and freight charges for each
order. We merge their files and the picking log files, and process each
order individually through the MAPICS Offline Shipping enhancement (free,
in case anyone is curious).
We also programagically load the 1st tracking number to the order, and
write ALL the tracking numbers to order comments and type 0 special charge
records. Our customers love that, especially since we use COM_Net so
heavily. Over 90% of our customers are on COM_Net, and we get a little
over 80% of our order thru COM_Net, and a HUGE number of inquiries are
made that way, and COM_Net provides an automatic link to the shipping
company's tracking systems. That really reduces calls!
LTL shipments are processed separately when the BOLs are signed by the
truckers. That is done by the shipping department clerk.
6.) After all the OFFSHIP processing is complete, we run invoices. The
invoice shows all the freight charges and tracking numbers also, and since
we archive all the invoices to optical storage (LaserVault, from
Electronic Storage Corporation), we can retrieve
anything that way also.
By the way, the 1st year we used this process, we picked 30% more items
with 33% fewer people, maintaining over 95% of all orders picked complete
within one business day. (That, of course, excludes our special
make-to-order items). Our policy is to process each order complete
(shipped or backordered) within one business day. We want the customers
to know the status of their orders ASAP. And that works quite well for
us.
I can share the source listings for these programs if you want.
Dale Gindlesperger
IT Manager/Special Projects Leader
Fleetwood Folding Trailers, Inc.
258 Beacon Street
Somerset, PA 15501
-----mapics-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: -----
To: <MAPICS-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: "Greg Wenzloff" <GWenzloff@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: mapics-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 05/21/2007 10:31AM
Subject: [MAPICS-L] Discrete allocations
This discussion is mainly directed to Dale Gindlesperger @ Fleetwood but
I am posting to the MAPICS list to welcome other comments.
In June 2006 Dale stated that they were discretely allocating parts at
the time of order picking not at order entry time. They were
"programmagically" changing the allocation code on the order item record
and writing records into the SLALLO file.
I believe we want to do the same thing but have many questions:
1. If at order entry time you do not allocate discretely - do you do the
item balance file pick list requirement PLREQ type of allocation? i.e.
- does PLREQ show the total current requirements?
2. Who causes the pick list to print and how do they decide it is time
to print it.
3. What tricks do you have to do to get MAPICS to fully cooperate with
this procedure?
4. If you view various inquiry screens, have you modified any of the
fields which show allocations? i.e. - you would be showing nothing
allocated unless a pick list was being processed. Since nothing is
allocated early, can sales people make any promises on providing scarce
products?
5. Do you do any directed picking? Has the pick list been modified
to tell the picker where to find the material?
6. Having never done this I am not sure I know what questions to ask.
Can anyone on the list fill in some of the blanks?
7. Does anyone have source code for these kinds of mods to share?
We do not use the MAPICS MRP mdules - we have our own version so that is
not a problem.
We use our own offline shipping programs - not the MAPICS version.
TIA,
Greg Wenzloff
Beck Mfg.
717-762-9141 ext 246
XAR4
_______________________________________________
This is the MAPICS ERP System Discussion (MAPICS-L) mailing list
To post a message email: MAPICS-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit:
http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/mapics-l
or email: MAPICS-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at
http://archive.midrange.com/mapics-l.
midrange.com
