Accellos One Warehouse

Overview
Collect Edition
Accellos Inc.
125 Commerce Valley Drive West, Suite 700
Markham, Ontario, Canada
L3T 7W4

October 2008

Copyright Accellos, Inc.

All rights reserved

This manual is reserved for licensed users of Accellos One Warehouse. If you are not a licensed user of
Accellos One Warehouse, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written consent of Accellos, Inc.
The information in this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without
notice and should not be construed as a commitment of Accellos, Inc. Accellos, Inc. assumes no respon-
sibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Accellos One Warehouse Product Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Getting Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Document Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Contacting Accellos Inc WMS Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE
What is Accellos One Warehouse? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Accellos One Collect Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Accellos One Warehouse Functional Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Accellos One Warehouse Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Integration with External Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Understanding Upload and Download Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Network Layout, Users and Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CHAPTER 2
UNDERSTANDING ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE CONCEPTS
Key Warehouse Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Customer/Vendor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Packsize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Attribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Key Warehouse Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Overstock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Carton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Pallet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Packslip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Product Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Order and Shipment Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Packlane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL iii

 CHAPTER 3
ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE PROCESSES
The Warehouse Process Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
About Process Steps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Warehouse Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Receiving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Putaway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Replenishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Re-Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Waving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Picking & Packing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Label Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Inventory Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

iv OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

 A B O U T T HI S D O C U M E N T
This manual provides a general introduction to the Accellos One Warehouse Collect
Edition. It provides the background information necessary for to advance to more detailed
and application-specific manuals in the Accellos One Warehouse documentation set.

AUDIENCE
This document is intended for the following readers:
Accellos, Inc. partners and resellers, and warehouse system administrators or IT
managers, who need to understand Accellos One Warehouse functions for the
purposes of system installation, setup, and ongoing configuration.
Warehouse supervisors or managers, who need to understand Accellos One
Warehouse functions for the purposes of administering the warehouse, or for training
handheld users on warehouse-specific procedures.
This manual assumes some familiarity with basic warehousing concepts, but not
necessarily with concepts or terminology that are specific to warehouse management
systems (WMS) or to Accellos One Warehouse.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL vii

About This Document
Accellos One Warehouse Product Structure

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE PRODUCT STRUCTURE

The Accellos One Warehouse product line is structured as follows:

Collect EditionThe 'basic' or 'easy' edition of Accellos One Warehouse. Collect is designed
to be a true entry-level product. It offers simplified user processes and implementation, while
still providing a robust WMS solution.

Manage EditionThis is essentially the Collect Edition with the addition of the Kitting and
Multi-Zone modules. It maintains the simplicity of the entry-level Collect Edition, while
providing Kitting' for sites that need some sort of production facility and Multi-zone
functionality for sites that need to use zones for specific purposes such as hazmat or freezers
or if they define their warehouse layout using different zones.

The Manage Edition also allows you to optionally purchase additional modules, as required.

FulFill EditionBuilds on the features and functions of the Collect Edition by adding some of
the most commonly used advanced features. Fulfill addresses the desire for the most
frequently requested enhancements, without requiring customers to buy specialized features
they don't need. Growing businesses will find that the upgrades in the Fulfill package provide
additional functionality for current and future needs.

Optional Module and ToolkitsSince many businesses have specialized needs, Accellos One
Warehouse offers numerous modules/toolkits that can be purchased individually. Accellos
understands that businesses don't want to buy functionality that they will never use or that
they don't have the infrastructure to support. Therefore, the product structure allows you to
pinpoint and purchase only the modules/toolkits you require.
Modules are a standard set of functions that do not require any additional
development to implement.
Toolkits are used by our Professional Services Development Team to build custom
solutions for customers. For example, we have the ability to control carousels and
conveyors, but each site requires some level of customization. The customer would be
required to purchase the Warehouse Automation Toolkit and then a number of days
of custom development at our standard PS rates in order to implement a complete
solution.

GETTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The documentation set is intended to provide a targeted approach information as follows:
Collect and Manage users need documents designated for Collect Edition or have no
designated edition.
Fulfill Users and purchaser of optional modules and toolkits need documents designated
for the Fulfill Edition, the Collect Edition or have no designated edition.
Depending on your role and the products purchased, you may want to reference some of the
following documents:

Accellos One Warehouse Web Dispatch Functions

Accellos One Warehouse Handheld Functions

VIII OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

 About This Document
Document Conventions

Document Conventions
The following formatting conventions are used in Accellos One Warehouse documentation:

Convention Explanation

Initial Caps Indicates the name of a Accellos One Warehouse function.

Example:
The cartons are sent to the shipping area and, optionally, weighed and
scanned with the Carton Shipping function.

ALL CAPS Indicates a Accellos One Warehouse system name, such as a bin loca-
tion or an order or carton status.
Example:
The order is in the status of SUSPENDED and cannot be processed
further until it is released.
Bold text Indicates text that appears in screen options such as buttons, menus,
text boxes, and so on.
In the Product field, enter the product number.

monospace Indicates text that you must enter exactly as shown.

text Example:
Enter the IP address or machine name of the server running the Web
Dispatch thread, or enter localhost if you are running Internet
Explorer on the server machine.

italics Indicates a newly introduced term, emphasis, or a manual title.

Example:
It cannot be further processed until the dispatcher unsuspends it.

> Indicates the start of a procedure.

Example:
> To start picking an order:

CONTACTING ACCELLOS INC WMS CUSTOMER SUPPORT

You can contact Accellos Support by telephone or e-mail. Be sure to have ready your company
name, the version of Accellos One Warehouse you are using and a concise description of the
problem you are experiencing
Telephone: 1-800-668-7700
905-695-9999 or 905-337-7190
E-mail: wmssupport@accellos.com

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL ix

About This Document
Contacting Accellos Inc WMS Customer Support

X OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

 1 INTRODUCTION TO
A C C E L L O S O N E WA R E H O U S E
WHAT IS ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE?
Accellos One Warehouse is a Warehouse Management System (WMS), which is software
designed specifically for managing the movement and storage of products in your
companies warehouses and distribution centres. It tracks the flow of goods through the
distribution centre and automates the in-warehouse segment of the order-fulfillment
process. By integrating PC, Internet, barcode, radio frequency (RF) and mobile
technologies, Accellos One Warehouse maintains up-to-the-minute warehouse inventory
records, and reports on the real-time status of orders, products, and processes, to any
member of the organization with access to a PC and a Web browser.

Accellos One Collect Edition

Collect Edition is the 'basic' or 'easy' edition of Accellos One Warehouse. Collect is
designed to be a true entry-level product. It offers simplified user processes and
implementation, while still providing a robust WMS solution.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 1

Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
What is Accellos One Warehouse?

Accellos One Warehouse Functional Overview

Accellos One Warehouse provides the inventory-control component of a fully automated
warehouse management system (WMS), which normally includes order-entry, accounting,
customer relationship, and supply chain management functionality delivered by a separate
packaged application. Accellos One Warehouse also acts as the intermediary between the
financial system and a single-carrier shipping system that manages shipping processes and
with external logistics partners, such as UPS/DHL/FEDEX, postal system, trucking providers.

Finan cial
S ystem

S hipping S hipping
C ustom ers & O rder data S hipm ent data ca rriers
S uppliers W arehouse
O rder E ntry
processing

R eceipt & pick

S hipping costs,
confirm ations,
carriers, and
inventory
shipm ent data
adjustm ents

Using RF handheld devices equipped with barcode scanners, warehouse staff record each
movement of stock through the warehouse, from the moment the products arrive on the
receiving dock from a supplier, to the moment they leave the shipping dock to travel to their
final customer destination. Accellos One Warehouse can integrate with various types of
hardware used in the warehouse to assist in materials handling, keyboard scanners, barcode
label printers, laser printers, etc.

CT CT CT T T T
DU DU DU D UC D UC D UC
O O O
PR PR PR P RO P RO P RO

Receiving/ Replenishment
Bulk storage Pick bins Packaging Shipping cartons
Putaway /Transit

2 OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

 Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
Accellos One Warehouse Functional Overview

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE FEATURES

From the users perspective, the Accellos One Warehouse user interface consists of the
following elements:
Handhelds, and other Mobile Devices on page 3.
Barcode Printers on page 4
Web Dispatch on page 5
Accellos One Warehouse (RFBase) Console on page 6.

NOTE: The actual prompts, options, and functions available on the handheld
and Web Dispatch interfaces will vary somewhat from warehouse to
warehouse, according to the configuration for each implementation, and from
user to user, according to the permissions granted to each user.

Handhelds, and other Mobile Devices

Radio Frequency (RF) provides highly accurate, paperless, real-time operations. The interface
runs via Telnet sessions on RF handheld devices, in a browser on RF handheld devices
running Windows Mobile V5 onward (via telnet sessions), on other mobile devices (such as
Blackberrys) or on a PC.
Handheld devices are used by warehouse staff for all warehousing operations such as
receiving, picking, printing labels and so on.

Accellos One Warehouse on an

Intermec RF handheld device, running
Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 3

Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
Accellos One Warehouse Features

Barcode Printers
Accellos One Warehouse supports up to 24 barcode printers, facilitating bin, product labelling,
shipping labels and pickslips.

4 OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

 Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
Accellos One Warehouse Functional Overview

Web Dispatch
This is the Web-based user interface for Accellos One Warehouse, accessed with Internet
Explorer from any client PC. It is used by a warehouse manager to control order processing in
the warehouse, to monitor daily warehouse operations in real time, and to generate historical
reports. In addition, Web-Dispatch provides access to the administrative functions, which are
used to configure and manage Accellos One Warehouse. Web Dispatch may also be used by
sales or customer service agents who want to check the status of orders or inventory.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 5

Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
Accellos One Warehouse Features

Accellos One Warehouse (RFBase) Console

The Accellos One Warehouse Console is the user interface for the Handheld Server (RFBase
executable program) that is installed on the Accellos One Warehouse server and controls the
radio frequency (RF) handheld functions.

The console also provides an interface that can be used as a virtual RF handheld for
performing and monitoring warehouse functions in real time.

Accellos One Warehouse handheld functions can be performed on

the Accellos One Warehouse (RFBase) Console.

6 OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

 Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
Accellos One Warehouse Functional Overview

INTEGRATION WITH EXTERNAL SYSTEMS

Accellos One Warehouse also interfaces with the following applications in a fully integrated
automated warehouse management system:
An accounting/ERP application, such as SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics Great
Plains/Axapta/Navision/Solomon, or Sage Software MAS 90/200/500 etc., and, for some
of these systems, third-party interface software that provides seamless integration with
Accellos One Warehouse. These host systems are used to enter purchase orders and sales
orders. The order data is downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse, which takes over all in-
warehouse automation. When processing is complete in the warehouse, data is uploaded
back to the host system, so that its inventory is updated accordingly.
Crystal Reports. Accellos One Warehouse interfaces with Crystal Reports template files
to automatically print paper documents, such as pick tickets, packing slips, invoices, bills
of lading, customer manifests, and other shipping documentation. Crystal Reports is also
used to generate special, customized reports viewable from Web Dispatch Report screens.
Single Carrier Shipping System Integration FedEx, UPS Domestic, DHL, US Postal
Service are supported.
Crystal Reports. Accellos One Warehouse interfaces with Crystal Reports template files
to automatically print paper documents, such as pick tickets, packing slips, invoices, bills
of lading, customer manifests, and other shipping documentation. Crystal Reports is also
used to generate special, customized reports viewable from Web Dispatch Report screens.
BarTender Enterprise Label software. Accellos One Warehouse interfaces with
BarTender Label software, which lets users easily design their own barcode labels using
using a simple Windows interface. Labels created using BarTender print seamlessly
from within the Accellos One Warehouse application.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 7

Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
Integration with External Systems

Understanding Upload and Download Transactions

The following figure summarizes the interactions between Accellos One Warehouse, and the
host system. Each process is described below the figure and includes a description of the type
of records transferred between the various systems.

Host ERP/
Accounting Accellos One
System Warehouse

Vendor Availability (VA) records

1 Product Data Updates
Receive Head (RH) and
Receive Detail (RD) records
2 Purchase Order Issue Receiving

Receipt Confirmation (RC) record

Full Physical 3
Stock Count (SC) record Inventory Count

Physical Inventory 4
Miscellaneous Control
Adjustment (MT) record

Computer Adjustment (CA) record

Inventory Adjustment
5

Pick Head (PH) and Pick

Picking &
Detail (PD) records
Sales Order Issue Packing
6

Pick Confirmation (PC) record

1 Product, customer, and vendor data are downloaded from the host system to Accellos
One Warehouse in Vendor Availability (VA) records.
2 Purchase orders are entered through the host system and downloaded to Accellos One
Warehouse in Receive Head (RH) and Receive Detail (RD) records. When products are
fully received and the purchase orders closed, Receipt Confirmation (RC) records are
uploaded to the host. The host systems inventory is increased accordingly. Note that
some warehouses may also allow inventory for which there is no purchase order to be
received. In these cases, a PO may be created on-the-fly by Accellos One Warehouse and
uploaded as a Miscellaneous Adjustment (MT) record. The purchase order process flow is
described in Receiving on page 24.
3 When full inventory counts are performed in Accellos One Warehouse on a periodic basis
(normally once a year), Stock Count (SC) records are uploaded to the host system and the
accounting/ERP systems inventory is updated accordingly Inventory counting in Accellos
One Warehouse is described in Inventory Control on page 37.

8 OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

 Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
Understanding Upload and Download Transactions

4 When physical inventory is updated in the warehouse in Accellos One Warehouse,

through cycle counting, returned merchandise, or other physical inventory management
functions, Miscellaneous Adjustment (MT) records are uploaded to the host system.The
host systems inventory is increased or decreased accordingly. Inventory control processes
in Accellos One Warehouse are described in Inventory Control on page 37.
5 Occasionally, the accounting/ERP system may need to update Accellos One Warehouses
inventory. In this case, Computer Adjustment (CA) records are downloaded from the host
to increase or decrease Accellos One Warehouses inventory.
6 Sales orders are entered through the host system and downloaded to Accellos One
Warehouse in Pick Head (PH) and Pick Detail (PD) records. Pick Confirmation (PC)
records are uploaded from Accellos One Warehouse to the host system. The sales order
process flow is described in various sections of The Warehouse Process Cycle on page 21.

NOTE: There is a standard host-interchange interface specification for

Accellos One Warehouse that documents each field in each transaction type.
For detailed information on Accellos One Warehouse and host system data
interchanges, see the Host Interchange Transactions document.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 9

Introduction to Accellos One Warehouse
Integration with External Systems

Network Layout, Users and Functions

The diagram that follows provides an overview of the entire Accellos One Warehouse
network, locating the hardware and software user interfaces and their users in physical terms
in a simplified warehouse layout. Following the diagram is a description of the different user
roles and the functions they typically perform with the different user interfaces.

The Accellos One Warehouse server may be either physically present in the warehouse, in
a computer room, or, in a multi-building implementation, off-site.
In a corporate office, customer service representatives may access Web Dispatch through
the Internet Explorer Web browser to get up-to-the-minute status reports on orders.
A warehouse manager accesses the Web Dispatch interface through Internet Explorer, to
manage orders, distribute picking assignments to warehouse employees, monitor and
report on current or historical warehouse performance, print picking/shipping labels on a
label printer, and perform other functions. The warehouse manager may need access to
the Accellos One Warehouse servers for system startup and shutdown, monitoring
handheld usage in the warehouse, and perhaps using the Accellos One Warehouse
(RFBase) console to perform handheld functions.
In the receiving area, receivers and putaway drivers use handhelds to perform their
respective functions, and to print product labels on a label printer.
In the storage area, pickers, packers, replenishers, and cycle counters use handhelds to
perform their respective functions, and to print bin, product, and picking/shipping labels
on a label printer. Accellos One Warehouses Crystal Reports server may automatically
print Crystal Reports paper packslips, invoices or other paper documents on laser printers
located in picking and packing areas.
In the shipping area, shippers weigh and check in shipments with a shipping system, if
present. Depending on the system configuration, Crystal Reports paper packslips or
label packslips on printers located in the shipping area.

10 OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

2 UNDERSTANDING
A C C E L L O S O N E WA R E H O U S E
CONCEPTS
This chapter introduces important warehouse concepts and terms that are specific to the
Accellos One Warehouse product.

KEY WAREHOUSE CONCEPTS

This section defines concepts and terms that pertain to the physical or logical setup of
your warehouse, and that affect the processes you use in your Accellos One Warehouse
implementation.

Warehouse
A warehouse is a logical entity used by some accounting/ERP systems to represent a
location from which goods may be picked and shipped. A warehouse may or may not
correspond to a physical location, and may even be a virtual entity. In these systems,
storage bins may be assigned to different warehouses according to whether goods may
actually be allocated and picked from those bins.
A warehouse is identified by a one- or two-digit code defined by the accounting/ERP
system.

Customer/Vendor
To refer to the consumer of products, we use the term customer. To refer to the supplier of
products, we use the term vendor. Customers and vendors are identified by name and
number.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 11

Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Key Warehouse Concepts

Packsize
A packsize is defined as the number of counting units in a saleable/shippable package. Accellos
One Warehouse supports up to five different default or formal packsizes, as well as an infinite
number of additional packsizes. The default sizes are defined by the accounting/ERP system
when product records are downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse. If a product uses serial
numbers, the system will always assume a packsize of 1 for it, regardless of how packsizes are
configured.
In some warehouses, where small products may be grouped into multiple levels of packaging,
complex packsizes may also be defined. In these scenarios, a packsize consists of its quantity
in inner, middle, and outer packs.
Packsizes are assigned to bin types, and are used in all warehouse functions. Customers may
or may not order products in particular packsizes as well.

Tip: You may also see the following terms in Accellos One Warehouse to refer
to a packsize: carton, Q per P, pack quantity.

Attribute
An attribute is an additional characteristic used to differentiate between different versions of
the same product, but which is not significant enough to warrant the product being identified
with a different product number. Lots and serials are the most common attributes used.
However, colour or size are example of appropriate attributes that may be added to
articles of clothing.
Attributes may be unique or non-unique. A non-unique attribute identifies a group of products,
such as a lot number. A unique attribute identifies a single article of a given type of product,
such as a serial number. In fact, lots and serial numbers are the most common uses of
attributes in Accellos One Warehouse warehouses. For more information on attribute number
formats, see Product Numbers on page 17.
Products with attributes are known as extended products.
Accellos One Warehouse can be configured to require warehouse staff to identify the attribute
value of a product, such as a lot or serial number, as follows:

Receive Only Identify the attribute only during the addition of product into the
warehouse, by any means (receiving, adjusting, or cycle counting).

Pick Only Identify the attribute only during the removal of product from the warehouse,
by any means (picking, adjusting, or cycle counting).

Receive and Pick Identify the attribute during the addition of product into the
warehouse and removal of product from the warehouse.

Receive Lot & Track Identify the lot number during the addition of product into the
warehouse, and during in-warehouse handling, by any means (moving, replenishing,
adjustments and cycle counts.)

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 Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Bins

Store Serial in Warehouse Identify the serial number whenever stock is added or
removed. Remember whether the serial item is in or out of the warehouse, but do not
track the bin that the serial item is moved into, if it is moved; However, remember the bin
it was first put into.

Receive, Pick, and Track In Warehouse Identify the attribute during the addition of
product into the warehouse, removal of product from the warehouse, and in-warehouse
handling.

Bins
A bin is a named storage area in the distribution center that can contain inventory. Accellos
One Warehouse stores and tracks all inventory in bins. A bin can be any of the following:
A physical unit in which a product or group of products are stored prior to being moved
out of the warehouse. Physical bins are usually defined by some kind of racking or
shelving system, and are numbered and barcode-labelled sequentially, according to their
spatial placement into rows or aisles. Their sequence determines the path used in guided
picking processes.
Physical bins are identified by a combination of letters and digits, such as A101, up to
eight characters in length.
A virtual unit, such as a staging area, where products are temporarily stored before being
moved to a more permanent home.
Virtual bins are typically given a name according to the function they serve, such as WRK,
for a work area, RECV, for a receiving area, or CART, for a returned materials area.
A system-defined virtual unit, used for program logic. By default, these are REPLENIS
(used for replenishment functions, described in Replenishment on page 28), TRANSIT
(used for the Direct Move function, described in Putaway on page 25), and BATCHPCK
(used for the batch picking and repack functions, described in Picking & Packing on page
32). Your warehouse may use additional, custom-defined system bins.
If multiple warehouses are used, each system unit is appended with the code representing
the warehouse; for example, REPLENIS01.
Each bin is identified by its unique bin label in Accellos One Warehouse. Even when there are
several warehouses in different geographical areas, the same bin number cannot be reused.
The bin label is a maximum of eight characters.

Tip: You will also see the following terms in Accellos One Warehouse to refer
to a bin: pickbin, slot, pickslot, location, shelf.

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Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Key Warehouse Concepts

Bin Types
All bins are characterized by their bin type. The different bin types are defined according to the
variety of different products and packsizes they can store. The storage, allocation, and picking
of products is controlled by the bin type where the products are stored. The five different types
of bins are:

D: Dedicated bins Contain one product in a single packsize. These are pickable bins.

N: Non-dedicated bins Contain multiple products, each in a single packsize. These are
pickable bins. Work areas are typically defined as non-dedicated bins.

R: Random binsContain multiple products in multiple packsizes. These are pickable bins.

C: Carton binsContain multiple products in multiple packsizes. These are usually non-
pickable bins for bulk product stored in cartons or pallets, but may be configured to be
pickable as well. Receiving areas are typically defined as carton bins, as are cart
locations, which are used as temporary receiving areas for returned stock which will be
returned to storage bins.

S: System binsUsed by the Accellos One Warehouse software for special purposes, such
synchronizing the warehouse and host ERP inventory levels. They contain multiple
products in multiple packsizes. These are non-pickable bins.
The way in which bin types are configured in your system has a crucial impact on all
warehouse processes and functions.

Bins Characteristic and Behaviors

In addition to the bin type, various properties define the characteristics and behavior of bins in
different areas of the warehouse. Furthermore, some bins may only be associated with certain
products according to warehouse-defined codes. These settings include:
Stock Consolidation on page 15
Homes on page 15
Products Assignment to Bins (Non-Sticky) on page 15
Handle Code on page 15
Together with bin types, these bin settings and restrictions control all aspects of the
warehouse system, and define the warehouse design, layout and processes, such as receiving,
putaway, allocation, replenishment, picking, etc.

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 Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Bins

Stock Consolidation
All bins in Accellos One Warehouse allow consolidation of stock in the same bins according to
the following criteria:

FIFO (first-in-first-out) Stock from different FIFO dates, i.e., stock received (created)
on different dates, can be consolidated/merged together in the bin.

Consolidate PO Stock received on different purchase orders can be consolidated/merged

together in the bin.

Consolidate Expiry date Stock with different expiry dates can be consolidated/merged
together in the bin.

Homes
Pick bins are often referred to as DNR bins (Dedicated, Non-dedicated and Random). DNR
bins may also be defined as homes. Accellos One Warehouse refers to two types of homes,
according to the number of pickable bins in which a product may be stored:

Single homes. ?In this scenario, a product can only reside in a single pickable bin per
location at a given point in time. However, this bin may not be the same one over time, as
bins are emptied and may be refilled with any other products.

Multiple homes. ?In this scenario, a product can reside in more than one pickable bin in a
location at any point in time.
The type of homes that you define in your implementation has a crucial impact on how
product may be put away and moved within the warehouse.

Products Assignment to Bins (Non-Sticky)

If a bin is non-sticky, a product is associated with a pick bin only while the required items are in
the bin.
The manner in which products are assigned to pick bins over time is called Dynamic homes
(often called random slotting or pick-to-empty). Regardless of whether single or multiple homes
are used, a product is not assigned to a bin once that product is no longer in the bin. When
more inventory of the product is received, the bin is not shown as a home for the product.
Using random slotting/pick-to-empty, goods are put into any location where they fit, EXCEPT
a location that already has the same goods. There can be several pickbins with the same
product at any time. When a bin runs out, it becomes available for another product.

Handle Code
Handle code identifies handling requirements of a product, such as hazardous materials
(HAZMAT), heavy materials requiring special equipment to lift, or perishable products
requiring refrigeration or freezing. Handle codes are assigned to products by the host
accounting/ERP system. Product and bin handle codes must match in order for products to be
stored in that bin.

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Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Key Warehouse Terminology

Wave
A wave is a set of purchase or sales orders that are grouped together in the system for
receiving or picking. Waves of purchase orders are created by receivers during the receiving
process, so that they can receive products from multiple orders simultaneously. Waves of sales
orders are created by the system, by the dispatcher, or by pickers when orders are released to
the warehouse floor, so that pickers can pick products for multiple orders simultaneously (see
Waving on page 31).

KEY WAREHOUSE TERMINOLOGY

This section provides definitions of important Accellos One Warehouse terminology that you
will encounter. This terminology is essential to your ability to understanding Accellos One
Warehouse.

Overstock
In its generic sense, overstock refers to an area in a warehouse in which bulk product is stored,
in pallets or cases. It is called over stock not because it is surplus, but because this stock is
normally stored in area that is out of, or over, the reach of a standing person, and requires
special equipment, such as a forklift, to be accessed.
In Accellos One Warehouse, overstock is used to refer to bins in which such product is stored,
as well as to the labels that are affixed to the packages containing such products, normally
printed during receiving.

Tip: You will also see the following terms used synonymously for overstock:
carton, bulk.

Carton
A carton is a generic term that refers to any cardboard, disposable box that can contain
products, as distinct from a pallet, or a plastic tote. It can refer both to the case in which
inventory is received and stored in the warehouse, and the container into which orders are
picked and shipped. It may also refer to product stored in bulk, rather than as individual units.

Tip:The following terms are also used in some functions interchangeably with
carton: pack, package.

Tote
The general meaning of tote is to refer to a plastic, permanent container into which products
may be picked and shipped. However, the term also has specific uses in Accellos One
Warehouse, for example, totlabel in the Web Dispatch orders screen.

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 Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Pallet

Pallet
A pallet in Accellos One Warehouse may or may not correspond to a physical pallet, and is
used in two specific contexts.
In the context of moving inventory, pallet moving simply refers to multiple products that
are being moved from bin to bin at the same time.
In the context of order shipments or transfers from other locations, a pallet designates a
container which may contain multiple shipping cartons, and may correspond to a physical
pallet, a bin location, or a carton (see also Order and Shipment Numbers on page 18).

Packslip
The term packslip is used in several different ways in Accellos One Warehouse. In one sense, it
refers to a concrete item, namely the packing slip that ships with an order, as described in
Label Printing on page 33. Most commonly, however, it refers to a sales order, or sales order
number.

Product Numbers
Your warehouse may use several different numbers for referring to products. The following is a
brief description of some of the types of product identifiers you may see in different contexts
in Accellos One Warehouse:

Warehouse product numberThis is the SKU or part number used by your warehouse.
This number can be any number defined in your distribution centre and may consist of up
to 20 digits. This is the number you will see referenced throughout the Accellos One
Warehouse user interface.
If your products use attributes, such as lot numbers, serial numbers, and so on, these will
appear after the product number, separated by character delimiters such as a slash (/).

Vendor product numberThis is the SKU or part number used by a vendor. This number
may be associated with your product number in the Accellos One Warehouse database,
and can be supplied through the Product Xref function on the handheld. If a cross-
reference is defined for the vendor SKU, this number can also be used in all handheld
functions that prompt for a product number.

Customer product numberThis is the SKU or part number used by a customer. You will
be prompted to enter a customer SKU when printing product labels from the handheld.

UPC (Universal Product Code)This is a 12-digit, standard product code used in

product manufacturing, consisting of the suppliers manufacturing ID, plus additional
digits. You will only be prompted for this code when creating a new product in Web
Dispatch.

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Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Key Warehouse Terminology

Order and Shipment Numbers

When sales orders are picked and shipped, various numbers are used to identify the order, the
cartons in the order, groups of orders that are picked together, and groups of orders that are
shipped together. The following is a brief description of some of the of the types of numbers
you will see referenced in the Accellos One Warehouse user interface:

Order/Packslip number This is the number assigned by the accounting/ERP system to

identify a sales order, for downloaded orders. The packslip number referenced throughout
Accellos One Warehouse contains the order number plus, in some cases, the back order
number, logical warehouse, customer number, store number and/or department number.

Customer PO number This is the customers purchase order number for a sales order,
which is assigned by the accounting/ERP system for downloaded orders.

Wave number This is a number, starting from 1000, that identifies a group of sales orders
that are grouped together for picking in the same batch. This number is not printed on
any documentation, but is used for in-warehouse purposes only. This number is
generated for orders by Accellos One Warehouse when they are waved (see Waving on
page 31).

Big number This is a number from 1 to 99 that is printed in large text on the picking/
shipping labels used in the picking process, to help pickers identify cartons belonging to
the same order. This number is only used for in-house identification of cartons during
picking, and is not used for shipping identification purposes. The same big number is
generated for all cartons in an order by Accellos One Warehouse when the order is waved.

Carton number This is a unique shipping container code for each individual carton in an
order. It is printed and barcoded on picking/shipping labels and is used to track cartons in
the warehouse. The format is a 9-digit number beginning with 1000... (for example:
100000078). It is also referred to in Accellos One Warehouse as a tote label, or a carton
label. This number is generated for cartons by Accellos One Warehouse whenever a
picking/shipping label is printed, such as when an order is waved.

Track-trace (SSCC-18) number This is a unique serial shipping container code for each
individual carton in an order. It is printed and barcoded on picking/shipping labels and is
used to track cartons after they have been picked and shipped.
The format may be a standard 18-digit number with a two-digit prefix, beginning with 0,
continuing with your manufacturing ID (or 9999999 if you dont use one), continuing with
the carton number described above, and ending with another digit; or it may be a carrier-
specific package number, such as the UPS 1Z... number. This number is generated for
cartons by Accellos One Warehouse whenever a picking/shipping label is generated, such
as when an order is waved.

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 Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Order and Shipment Numbers

Order/packslip number

FROM/DE:

23
201
Big number
T he C andy Warehouse
4556 Pepperm int Way
T oronto, O N
M 4V 9M 7

Order/packslip number
T O/A: SWT444 REF:201

S w eet Tho ughts

500 G arden Ave. Customer PO number
To ro nto , O N P O : 622189145
M 4J 1E 2

Track-trace number
(00) 0 3846358 100000094 9
Carton number

Your companys
manufacturing ID

Pallet numberA pallet number can be of two types in Accellos One Warehouse. The first
type is similar to a carton track-trace number, and usually consists of a unique customer-
compliant shipping serial number, where the format is the same as a track-trace number,
with the initial digit being 1 (corresponding to a pallet addressed to a single or multiple
stores) or 2 (corresponding to a pallet containing a single product). This number is
generated for customer-compliant picking/shipping labels whenever the labels are
produced.
The second type of pallet number corresponds to a bin in the warehouse, since a pallet
of products may often be stored in a single bin.

BOL (Bill of Lading)/Manifest numberThis number identifies a group of orders to be

shipped to the same destination shipped on the same truck, or picked up at the same time
by one carrier. This number is applied to all cartons in an order. The number is applied by
the dispatcher in the shipping options, or it may be downloaded by the host, or it maybe
assigned by an integrated shipping system.

Probill#/Shipment numberThis number is assigned to all cartons shipped together in

one shipment (such as all the cartons in one order), and dispatcher. In LTL shipments, the
number is often the Probill number. In single-carton shipments, the shipment number is
often the same as the track-trace number for the carton. The number is applied by the
dispatcher in the shipping options, or it may be downloaded by the host, or it maybe
assigned by an integrated shipping system.

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Understanding Accellos One Warehouse Concepts
Key Warehouse Terminology

Packlane
A packlane is simply a number used to identify a laser printer on which Crystal Packslip
Reports are printed. This number may or may not correspond to a physical shipping lane. For
more information, see Label Printing on page 33.

20 OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE

 3 A C C E L L O S O N E WA R E H O U S E
PROCESSES
This chapter discusses the warehouse process cycle for Accellos One Warehouse. It
provides an general overview of all of the major handheld and Web Dispatch functions.

THE WAREHOUSE PROCESS CYCLE

The following figure provides an overview of a typical warehouse process cycle using
Accellos One Warehouse.

Warehouse
Setup

Purchase
Order Issue

Cycle-
Counting & Receiving
Inventory
Control
Shipping
Put-Away

Packing Sales Order

Issue
Order
Label
Allocation
Printing

Picking
Replenishment

Order Order
Waving Re-allocation

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 21

Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

Note that once your warehouse is operational, many of these processes are actually
happening simultaneously, rather than in sequence; the figure simply tries to show how data
might typically flow through the system from the time products are received in the warehouse
until sales orders are completely fulfilled. Label printing is depicted in the centre of the cycle,
because it may be performed during any or every step of the process.

About Process Steps

When purchase orders and sales orders are issued, downloaded and processed in the Accellos
One Warehouse, they pass through several process steps (or Procsteps) before data is
uploaded to the accounting/ERP system. These steps are displayed in sales and purchase
order reports throughout Web Dispatch, and they indicate the status of an order.

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 Accellos One Warehouse Processes
Warehouse Setup

Warehouse Setup
The warehouse setup process is summarized in the following figure:

Accellos One Warehouse is

1 installed and configured

Bins and products are

2 barcode-labeled

Inventory is set up in
3 Accellos One Warehouse

1: System Setup and Configuration

During the warehouse setup and testing phase, the warehouse manager, installers, and
network administrators work together to set up hardware; define warehouse rules and system
users; configure accounting/ERP system; configure shipping systems, Crystal Reports and/or
Bartender, as required; configure handheld and/or Web Dispatch options; and populate the
Accellos One Warehouse database with product information.

2: Warehouse and Product Labeling

Once the system is set up, there are several warehouse tasks that need to be performed. First,
bins and existing products must be barcode labelled. Generating the labels for bins actually
creates the bins in Accellos One Warehouse. Labels are described in more detail in Label
Printing on page 33.

3: Inventory Setup

In existing warehouse The physical inventory of existing products needs to be identified to

Accellos One Warehouse and the accounting/ERP system using one of the two following
inventory control processes:
through a full or cycle (partial) count
or,
through miscellaneous adjustments, which includes the non-PO receiving type of
miscellaneous adjustment.
Inventory control processes are described in Inventory Control on page 37.

In a brand new warehouse with no inventoryProducts can simply begin to be received.

Receiving processes are described following.

ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE OVERVIEW MANUAL 23

Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

Receiving
The receiving process is summarized in the following figure:

Action Order Status

Purchase order is
1 issued and NOT RECEIVED
downloaded to
Accellos One
Warehouse

2
Receiver receives BEING
product and puts it RECEIVED
away

3
Receiver or
READY TO
dispatcher closes
UPLOAD
purchase order

1: Order Entry

Purchase orders are downloaded into Accellos One Warehouse from the accounting/ERP
system.

2: Order Receipt

When product arrives at the warehouse, warehouse staff receive the stock according to a
printed purchase order that accompanies the delivery, or an electronic PO stored in the
system.
Once a receiver opens a PO, its process step in the Web Dispatch is BEING RECEIVED.
Receivers may be required to record expiry dates for time-sensitive products; or UPC
inspection codes. Your warehouse has the option of accepting over-shipped products.
Short-shipped products are reported back to the host.
Once products are received, receivers normally print labels and barcode the received
products, cartons and pallets before they are put away.
Finally, receivers can either put away the products immediately to real bins, or put them
away to virtual bins for later putaway, which will consist of a separate step, as described in
Putaway on page 25.

Tip: For products that arrive without purchase orders it can be received as a
miscellaneous adjustment, described in Inventory Control on page 37. Non-PO
receiving (often used for initial setup) is a type miscellaneous adjustment.

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 Accellos One Warehouse Processes
Putaway

3: Order Closure

When all items are received and checked in, the receiver closes the PO, and a receipt
confirmation is uploaded to the accounting/ERP system. Alternatively, the Web Dispatcher
can close purchase orders in a batch process at the end of the day.
In warehouses that use a manual upload procedure, the purchase order is marked as READY
TO UPLOAD; in most implementations, you wont see this process step, as the upload happens
automatically.

NOTE: The dispatcher can close or cancel a PO at any time, before or after
products have been received.

Putaway
In many warehouses, putaway is accomplished as a process separate from receiving. In this
case, warehouses typically define a staging area where received products are temporarily
stored for pickup by putaway drivers. Then, the putaway drivers use the Direct Move function
to move single products or entire pallets of multiple products (called a pallet move) within the
warehouse from one bin to another.
The general Direct Move process is summarized in the following figure:

Product is moved out of bins

1 or temporary locations

Product is moved into storage

2 or pick bins

1: Move Out

In a two-step method of Direct Move is used, putaway drivers move single or multiple
products out of their current location into a temporary system location (called TRANSIT). In
some warehouses, the system may be configured to restrict removal of product from the
transit system location only by the user who moved it to the transit location initially. In
this case, the system bin location would display as #YOUR_USERID, instead of TRANSIT. If a
two-step method is used, a separate move-in step is required.
If a one-step method is used, the products are moved out of bins or temporary locations and
can be moved immediately into destination bins.

2: Move In (Optional)

If two-step Direct Move is used, a second move-in procedure moves the products from the
temporary system location (#YOUR_USERID, or TRANSIT) into their new destination bins.

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Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

Allocation
Allocation is the process of assigning stock to orders, identifying the bins from which the stock
is to be picked, and adjusting the physical inventory accordingly. Sales orders need to be
allocated before they can be picked.
The allocation process for sales orders is summarized, in a simplified fashion, in the following
figure:
Action Order Status

Sales order is
1 downloaded to UNALLOCATED
Accellos One
Warehouse

READY TO WAVE
Dispatcher or
2 system allocates
order HELD
SUSPENDED
UNALLOCATED

1: Order Entry

Sales orders are downloaded into Accellos One Warehouse from the accounting/ERP system.

2: Order Allocation

Once a sales order is downloaded to Accellos One Warehouse, it can be allocated in the
following ways:
Automatically, if background (automatic) allocation is enabled for your system. Accellos
One Warehouse attempts to continually allocate unallocated orders on a cyclical basis, in
addition to any manual allocations that may be performed by the dispatcher.
Manually by the Web Dispatcher, through the Allocate function in the Web Dispatch. If
background (automatic) allocation is not enabled in your configuration, when a sales
order is first downloaded or created in Accellos One Warehouse, its process step is
UNALLOCATED.
Whether the allocation method is automatic or manual, Accellos One Warehouse can be
configured to allocate stock to handle short orders (those with lines that cannot be filled
entirely) and replenishment in different ways. However, when orders are allocated manually
in Web Dispatch, the dispatcher can choose the sequence in which to allocate orders
according to business rules such as the customers requirements, the value, size, or priority of
the order, or other criteria.
If all stock is successfully allocated to a sales order, or a short order is marked for shipment
anyway, its status is READY TO WAVE (see Waving on page 31).

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 Accellos One Warehouse Processes
Allocation

If a sales order cannot be fully successfully allocated, it will be held until some remedial action
is taken, and then must be re-allocated (see Re-Allocation on page 30). Reasons that sales
orders may not be successfully allocated include:
Product is not available in pick bins for some lines, but is available in overstock bins. The
system may be pre-configured, or the dispatcher can opt to hold the order for
replenishment. In this case, the fillable lines are allocated and stock is reserved for them,
while the order status is HELD FOR REPLENISHMENT. A replenishment request is issued,
and replenishers must replenish the stock before the order can be re-allocated
successfully (see Replenishment on page 28).
Product is not available in the warehouse for some lines. The system may be pre-
configured, or the dispatcher can opt to hold the order short. In this case, the fillable lines
are allocated and stock is reserved for them, while the order status is HELD SHORT. New
stock must be received before the order can be allocated successfully.
Product is not available in the warehouse for some lines. The system may be pre-
configured, or the dispatcher can opt to require 100% fill. In this case, stock is not
reserved for any lines, and the order returns to UNALLOCATED status. New stock must be
received before the order can be allocated successfully.
Product is available in the warehouse, but there is a problem with the packsize, or stock
specified in the allocation. The order status is HELD FORMAT. The problem must be
addressed before the order can be allocated successfully.

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Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

Replenishment
Replenishment is the process of replacing stock depleted from pick bins with stock from bulk,
or overstock, bins, and breaking down bulk packages into pickable packsizes defined for the
warehouse. The replenishment process is summarized in the following figure:
Action

Letdown
1 request is
issued

Warehouse staff
2 lets down stock
from overstock

Fill-bin request
3 is issued

Warehouse staff
fills pick bins with
let down product

1: Replenishment Request Generation

In your warehouse, replenishment will undoubtedly be a routine task that is performed

according to a defined procedure. Replenishment may also be performed in response to a
replenishment request.
Letdown replenishment requests are generated by Accellos One Warehouse automatically by
the system when a sales order cannot be fully allocated because some lines do not have
enough inventory in the pick bins, and the order is marked to be held for replenishment (by
default or by the dispatcher). This type of replenishment is called hot replenishment. The
dispatcher can also create groups of replenishment requests, which group together orders
with similar characteristics, such as their priority, customer, date, and so on.

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 Accellos One Warehouse Processes
Replenishment

2: Stock Letdown

When letdown replenishment requests are issued, letdown tickets may be automatically
printed and distributed, if configured. Forklift drivers use the Letdown Stock function to let
down the required products from overstock bins, and break the packs down into the
appropriate packsizes required for picking.
If a one-step method is used, the stock may be immediately moved to the pick bins or work
areas. Replenishment requests are cleared, and sales orders may be re-allocated.
If a two-step method is used, the let-down stock is moved to a temporary system location
(called REPLENIS), and fill-bin replenishment requests are automatically issued.

3: Pick Bin Filling (Optional)

When a two-step method is used, once products have been let down from overstock and fill-
bin requests have been issued, putaway drivers put away the products to the appropriate pick
bins or work orders with the Fill Bins function. When the bins are filled or components moved
to work areas, the replenishment requests are cleared, and sales orders may be re-allocated.

Tip: f your system is configured to allow it, replenishers can also use the Direct
Move function, described in Putaway on page 25, to fulfill replenishment
requests.

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Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

Re-Allocation
For sales orders that were not immediately marked as ready to wave, they need to be re-
allocated. The re-allocation process is summarized in the following figure.
Action Order Status

1 Stock is received,
replenished etc.

Dispatcher or
2 READY TO WAVE
System re-
allocates order

1: Short Order or Error Handling

The dispatcher has several options for handling orders that could not be fully allocated the
first time.
For orders held for replenishment (i.e., stock is not available in pick bins) normally
products are simply replenished and the orders are re-allocated.
Orders held short (i.e., stock is not available anywhere in the warehouse) options
include:
held and re-allocated when the missing stock is received;
re-allocated after other orders are unallocated to free up stock;
shorted, i.e, re-allocated without the missing products.
For orders held format(i.e., stock is available somewhere in the warehouse, but not in the
requested packsize, or orders showing an error status,) the cause of the problem must
be identified and corrected.

2: Order Re-allocation

Once an initial allocation problem is addressed, re-allocation can be performed in the

following ways:
Manual re-allocation. If background allocation is not enabled, the dispatcher must re-
allocate the orders manually. The dispatcher can re-allocate orders by running various
reports to determine the availability of stock for outstanding held orders, and running the
Allocate function again.
Automatic re-allocation. If background allocation is enabled, Accellos One Warehouse
automatically attempts to re-allocate held orders on a cyclical basis. The system will
continually attempt to re-allocate a sales order until it is successful and marked READY TO
WAVE.

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 Accellos One Warehouse Processes
Waving

Waving
Waving is the process of grouping allocated sales orders together and releasing them to the
warehouse floor to be picked. The waving process is summarized in the following figure:
Action Order Status

System or dispatcher or
WAVED
1 picker waves order

Pickers collect picking/

2 shipping labels and
shipping cartons

1: Order Waving

Waving can be done in one of several ways:

By the Web Dispatcher, through the Wave function, for all picking styles. This is the most
common method, in which the dispatcher groups together orders for picking. The
dispatcher can also select various labels to be printed.
Through the handheld for normal wave picking (see Picking & Packing on page 32).
When a picker waves an order, they select orders assigned to them, or they can select a
specific order, or select orders according to a predefined sequence, determined by
characteristics of the order downloaded from the host system (for example, hot picks,
priority level, date and time required, etc.)
When an order is waved, if the order is ready to pick and ship immediately, its status is
marked as WAVED.
When orders are waved, a wave number is assigned to the group of orders, and a carton/track-
trace number is assigned to each shipping carton in each order, based on the number of
cartons estimated to be required for the order. Picking/shipping labels are automatically
printed for the orders.

2: Shipping Label and Carton Collection

Pickers collect the picking/shipping labels from printers assigned to them, or from the
dispatch station, where the dispatcher distributes the labels according to the picking styles
used in the warehouse. If pickers are using a picking style that allows them to pack products
into cartons during the picking process (see Picking & Packing on page 32), they also collect
the appropriate number of shipping cartons required for the products and orders in the wave
they will be picking, based on the number of labels or label types printed. For more
information on picking/shipping labels, see Label Printing on page 33.

NOTE: The dispatcher can unwave, cancel, or suspend a sales order at any time
after it has been waved.

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Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

Picking & Packing

The picking and packing process is summarized in the following figure:
Action Order Status

Picker begins picking

1 order or batch BEING PICKED

Picker/packer packs/
2
repacks cartons

Picker picks last item

3 in order, or packer RATING/
packs last item in READY TO UPLOAD
order

1: Order Picking

Depending on the picking styles used in the warehouse, picking and packing are often
done simultaneously. The regular picking style used in Accellos One Warehouse (called
wave picking), consists of picking items directly into the cartons in which the products are
to be shipped. In other picking styles, items are picked onto a cart or into totes (batch
picking), and are packed in a separate step (product or scanner picking).
Regardless of the picking style, when the picker begins to pick an order or batch, the
status of the sales order is BEING PICKED.
During picking, pickers may also perform other functions, such as moving inventory,
printing additional labels, and so on.
Most warehouses have procedures for dealing with the case that a picker encounters
missing products for lines in an order they are picking. In some cases, the picker may
simply skip or short the pick, continue to pick the rest of the order, and allow the order to
be shipped without the missing items. Sometimes, an order in this condition is suspended.
The picker alerts the dispatcher, who suspends the order in Web Dispatch. When the
shortage is resolved and the picker is ready to resume picking the order, the dispatcher
unsuspends the order so it can be re-released to the picking floor for completion, and it
returns to the status of BEING PICKED.

2: Order Repacking (Optional)

Sometimes, already-packed orders may need to be repacked for various reasons, such as
damage to cartons, poor space utilization in the cartons, and so on. In this case, items can be
repacked into a different carton (either a new or existing carton).

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 Accellos One Warehouse Processes
Shipping

3: End-of-Line Processes

Once an order is completely picked (and packed), printing a label and/or paper packslip may
be performed automatically either when the last pick of an order is completed or when the
entire order is confirmed as shipped. These processes are determined by an end-of-line
configuration that is applied to the order, based on the method used to ship the order.
Orders are put into the status of RATING if any shipping processes need to be performed
(shipping confirmed), or READY TO UPLOAD if no actions are necessary.

Shipping
Shipping processes will vary from warehouse to warehouse, and even from order to order,
depending largely on two factors:
the type of automated shipping system used in the warehouse, and the level of
integration with Accellos One Warehouse, if any;
the type of carrier that will be used to ship a given order, and the options configured for
that carrier.
Accellos One Warehouse supports integration to a a single shipping system at a time. This
means that you can have more than one of these shipping stations set up, but it is a manual
decision which shipping station you take cartons that are picked and ready to ship. Picked
cartons are scanned into the shipping system, providing carton weights and shipping
information to the shipping systems so that the cartons can be rated and manifested. The
rating/cost information becomes available to Accellos One Warehouse.

Label Printing
Accellos One Warehouse prints several different standard label types, at all points during the
warehouse process cycle. For each label type, a format is also associated with it, which can be
customized for each warehouse environment.
Labels may be printed automatically according to your Accellos One Warehouse
configuration, or manually through handheld printing functions. Furthermore, many
handheld functions, such as receiving, and putaway, automatically prompt the user to select
labels to print, at the appropriate step of the process.
Accellos One Warehouse also interfaces with the Crystal Reports application to print paper
packslips. Paper packslips s are always printed automatically on laser printers, at the process
step determined by the End-Of-Line configuration used for the order.

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Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

Label Types
Bin LabelA small label containing human-readable bin number and barcode.

Affixed to physical bins.

Printed manually from the handheld, during initial warehouse setup or at any other
time.

Case Label (Case of Product)Sometimes referred to as Special Overstock labels, these are
generic labels (typically 2 x 4 inch) with barcode, product description and quantity in
package. In addition to the information contained on the standard overstock label, these
labels also contain any non-unique attributes (lots) that are entered during receiving.
Affixed to cartons containing multiple units of product.
Printed during Receiving and Miscellaneous Adjustment functions. Also printed
manually from the handheld, during initial warehouse setup, or at any other time.

Product/UPC Label Typically smaller than case (overstock) labels (for example, 1 x 1 inch).
This label has a barcode and a product or UPC/EAN number and description.
Affixed to product units.
Printed during Receiving, and Miscellaneous Adjustment functions, when prompted
from the handheld.
Also printed manually, from the handheld, during initial warehouse setup or at any
other time.

Purchase Order Product Label (F3 Labels)Label to print when receiving labels are
requested for an entire purchase order.
Receivers can request these labels by pressing F3 when prompted for the product.
These labels are often used when the system is being set up and then discarded
when a proper cross-reference of supplier codes is developed.

Serialized Product Label FormatLabel for serialized items, showing serial number after
serial number has been captured.
These labels can only be generated through the Receiving function.

Replenishment Letdown Label (Letdown Tickets)Letdown tickets are labels that can be
used to simplify replenishment of items that are not already barcoded. They are 2 x 4-inch
labels with overstock and pick bin locations for replenishment.
If configured, letdown tickets are automatically printed for sales orders when
replenishment requests are generated during allocation. (Note that electronic
replenishment requests are always generated).

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 Accellos One Warehouse Processes
Label Printing

Default Picking/Shipping LabelA generic or UCC-18 standard 6 x 4-inch label with Ship
From/To information, track-trace number, optional big number, and other optional
information.
Used to direct pickers, and affixed to shipping cartons for orders.
There is the default pick/ship (ASN/MH-10) label, if no specific label was requested
(see Customer Picking/Shipping Label below).

Customer Picking/Shipping LabelCustomer compliant Picking/Shipping label. Same as

default picking/shipping label above, but formatted according to customer standards.
Used to direct pickers, and affixed to shipping cartons for orders.

Pick Ticket LabelThis label is printed before an order is picked and lists all of the products,
quantities, and bin locations to be picked for each sales order in a wave.
Can be used for paper picking or as a checklist for pickers until they become
comfortable with RF-based picking, helping pickers make the transition to electronic
picking.
Printed automatically when an order is waved.

Packslip LabelPrinted after an order is picked and shows all of the products picked for the
sales order. Lists items ordered, quantities picked, and prices for the order.
Affixed to or placed inside order shipping cartons.
Printed automatically, if used, at Last Pick/Shipping Confirmed according to an
End-of-Line configuration.

Paper PackslipCrystal Report, using Packslip.rpt.

Affixed to or placed inside order shipping cartons.

Printed automatically, if used, at Last Pick/Shipping Confirmed according to an
End-Of-Line configuration.

Carton ContentsList of items and quantities that were picked into the specified carton.
Affixed to order shipment cartons.
Printed manually, at any time after order is picked, from the handheld.

Numbered Carton Contents (N of M Carton)List of items and quantities in the carton, and
number of cartons among total cartons.
Affixed to order shipment cartons.
Printed manually, at any time after order is picked, from the handheld.

Price TicketSame as product label, plus customer-specific information such as selling price,
comparison prices, etc.
Affixed to product units or to cartons containing multiple units of product.
Printed manually from the handheld.

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Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

Label Printers
The physical printers on which Accellos One Warehouse labels and paper documents are
printed are determined by Accellos One Warehouse logical printers. While physical printers
are identified by a number that is assigned during setup to each printer; i.e., label printers are
numbered from 1 to 24, Crystal Reports printers (usually laser printers) are numbered from 0
to 9, logical printers are defined according to the function they perform; that is, the types of
labels or files they print. The following table lists Accellos One Warehouses logical printers
and indicates the labels that each printer handles.

Logical Printer Labels Printed

Bin Labels Bin Labels

Receiving Serialized Product Label

Purchase Order Product Label

Product/Case Labels Product/UPC Labels

Case (Special Overstock) Labels
Price Tickets

Replenishment Letdown Tickets

Zone1 (A) Picking/Shipping Labels (including Customer Compliant Picking/

Shipping Labels)
Picking Ticket

Post Pick Labels Packslip labels

Carton Contents Labels
Numbered (N of M) Contents Labels

In the system configuration, logical printers are mapped to physical printers as global defaults
or according to user ID, so that the printers to which print jobs are sent are determined by the
users currently logged on. However, dispatchers and handheld users can also change the pre-
set mappings on-the-fly when printing specific labels.

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 Accellos One Warehouse Processes
Inventory Control

Inventory Control
Inventory control tasks include the following:
Counting inventory. There are two types of inventory counting:

Full stock countFull stock counting is a wall-to-wall count of the entire inventory in the
warehouse. Usually performed at initial setup and then on a regular interval, such as
annually. Full stock counting requires that the entire system be shut down, and is
therefore usually only performed outside of regular warehouse operations.

Cycle countCycle counting is a regular, routine procedure which is to count a limited

amount of stock, in sections of the warehouse. Cycle counting can be performed at any
time, concurrently with all other warehouse operations, thus can be performed on a
continuous basis.
A Directed Cycle Count function lets a warehouse manager schedule bins for counting.
The warehouse user is directed to marked bins so that an appropriate number of bins are
counted each day.
Adjusting inventory
If your system is configured to use miscellaneous transactions, warehouse staff can use
the Miscellaneous Adjustments function to account for changes to physical inventory that
are not initiated by the host system, such as damage to goods, front counter sales,
unforeseen item returns, and so on.

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Accellos One Warehouse Processes
The Warehouse Process Cycle

38 OVERVIEW MANUAL ACCELLOS ONE WAREHOUSE