Information Systems:Post Picking Process
When a picker has completed a batch (using program RFHR801 ‘Process R/F batch, select batch’), program INRUP070 ‘INV – Post-Pick Processing driver’ is called.
This will read the file UZEXITP ‘INV -- Exit Points Control’, and run each program contained in it, by execution sequence number.
Seq type program description 10 CONFPICK PLZIU201 Confirm pick list by lic plate 30 BOXLABELS PLZIU231 Print box labels 35 PRTINVOICE INRUP060 Print invoice(s) 40 CONFBOXLBL PLZIU380 Confirm box labels 50 CNFINVOICE INRUP061 Confirm invoice(s) 60 PRICETKTS PLZIU251 Price Tickets 70 CONFPTKT PLZIU260 Confirm price tickets 80 NARCCTLFRM NCRUP001 Print narcotics control form 90 CONFIRMNCF PLZIU350 Confirm Narcotics Control Form 100 CARRIERINT PLZIU500 Carrier Interface
Notice that there is something a little odd in this sequence. You would expect it to be print then confirm for each document type, but invoice printing is in between box label printing and confirming. Everything except invoice printing runs in a line; a step doesn’t start until after the previous one ends. The confirmation is to ensure the picker has got the correct documents. Invoices are different; they are processed by the ‘direct’ jobs – which means that if there is lots of activity, they may take a while. (Subsystem UP1480BS, jobs DPRQ1_VA, DPRQ2_VA, and DPRQ3_VA.) Starting them before the box label confirmation gives them extra time to run – the length of time it takes the picker to get the labels off the printer and scan them. Invoice confirmation servers two purposes; to make sure the picker has the correct one, and to make sure the invoice has been generated before price tickets are printed.
There are inter-dependencies with these documents to keep in mind.
- as the narcotics control form shows invoice number, it cannot be generated until after the invoice has been confirmed
- as the price tickets show invoice number, they cannot be generated until after the invoice has been confirmed
- as the invoice shows box number, it cannot be generated until after the box label has been printed
This last point says ‘after box label has been printed’; not confirmed, as they are processed in line. Documents that need information from the invoice have to wait for it to be confirmed, as it is not processed in line. It is sent to the direct jobs, where it waits in line with all other sales order and purchase order documents, then it waits in line for Jet Forms.
Restart Post Picking Process
It is possible to restart the post-pick process if it errors, and continue where it left off. To do this, the program maintains file PLRFLGP ‘PLZ -- RF pick activity log’ by the requested pick list number.
If this process fail, and email will be send, with the subject ‘Postpick process prog XXXXX failed YYYYY’. ‘XXXXX’ is the program name, and ‘YYYYY’ is the pick list number.
To restart it, go to ASW, ‘Supply Chain Processing’, ‘Warehouse’, ‘Radio Frequency Tasks’, and ‘Process R/F Instructions’. Make sure the correct warehouse is shown, and select any zone group (it doesn’t have to match the pick list being completed). Go into ‘Picking’, and press F11 ‘ Reconfirm Pick Batch’. Key (or scan) the pick list number.
The file PLRFLGP ‘PLZ -- RF pick activity log’ will be read, and the process will continue where it left off. Follow the instructions on the screen, which will be just like the completion of any other pick list.