Business value

Warehouse Management (WHS) contains extensive functionality for warehousing operations and logistics. Yet it can seem like an overkill for a small warehouse, especially when there is no strict separation of business functions, and the picking process is triggered by printed pick lists.

E.g. the customer visits the small warehouse, and the employee who enters the sales order will also print the pick list, register the pick list and print the packing slip.

When the warehouse or a part of it is setup as a self service warehouse, the picking process is often executed by the customer. 

But when the goods are stored on high locations, are dangerous or heavy, or the customer needs a large quantity etc. 

In the latter case, the formal warehouse picking process including scanning with the mobile device, is required.

Challenges in :

Difficult to handle the hybrid situation of a small warehouse where many products can be collected by the customer, but typically the larger and heavier products and larger quantities need to be picked by the warehouse staff.

Release to warehouse from the sales order does not reserve automatically (unless the item model group allows negative physical inventory). The focus of WHS is picking with mobile devices. Support for paper pick lists is limited. Pick list printing is always optional, but never part of a process. Pick lists can be printed multiple times which induces the risk of double pick lists running in the warehouse.

In case there are multiple pick lists for one sales order (e.g. indoor warehouse and outside area), the employee has to go through several sales lines to register the pick lists.

On the mobile device, the actual picked quantity can be entered. However: on the PC, changing the actual picked quantity is only possible by entering the quantity that was not picked. The standard cancellation screen is error prone.

The completion of a pick list on the PC requires 5 steps.

Dynamics Small Warehouse Optimization enables: 

• a hybrid process in self service warehouses, where the customer picks the goods, and at the same time formal picking work for the warehouse employee must be executed on the mobile device
• an intuitive combination of order entry, other administrative and warehouse related tasks, all executed from the sales order screen, thus reducing the number of mouse clicks.

This module can be used in combination with Dynamics Order Entry Optimization and / or Dynamics Advanced Warehouse Management .

In the appendix, the advised setup for small warehouses is explained.

Pick now

If the warehouse is a self service warehouse or hybrid warehouse, set the reserve when released from sales order to "Pick now lines only".

The customer has finished self service picking and brings the goods to the desk. At the desk the physically picked items are entered in the sales order lines.

The customer comes to the desk and asks if the warehouse staff can pick the goods from the locations.

This can be useful for large, heavy items, items stored in high racks that must be picked in a formal way with mobile devices. Also when the customer orders by phone and will pickup the goods later that day, the picking work must be executed beforehand in a formal way by the warehouse staff.

The “Pick now” button on sales lines will change all selected sales lines that are still open to Pick now = yes.

Release to warehouse button

Sales and marketing > Sales orders > All sales orders > Tab Warehouse > Button Release to warehouse

Applies to the button on the sales order screen.

Standard warehouse

Location is not filled on the sales line, unless the user enters the location manually. In that case, no load line is created upon release to warehouse, and a message is displayed.

Self service warehouse (pick now lines only)

For sales lines for which the warehouse is set to “Pick now lines only”:

If Pick now is no, the location on the sales line is filled automatically. Upon release to warehouse these lines will not be reserved and the message that the load line can not be created is skipped.

If Pick now is yes, the location on the sales lines is blanked automatically. Upon release to warehouse these lines will be

reserved automatically and released to the warehouse.

Automate pick list print

When the sales order is released to warehouse. On the wave template it is possible to switch on automatic printing.

If necessary, it is possible to print the pick list again with the button on the work or the wave.

The pick list report (Shipping pick list for wave) is optimized in Advanced Warehouse Management :

• Sorting according to work line numbers
• Delivery mode added
• Customer name and address added
• Planned shipdate added
• Product variant name added

Register work

Sales and marketing > Sales orders > All sales orders > Tab Warehouse management > Button Work details

Register one (or more) pick list(s) from sales order header: on the sales header a button work details allows to open all works that contain work lines for this sales order:

• Sales picking work
• Cross docking work
• Packed container picking work for the current sales order number

Register pick list one step

Sales and marketing > Sales orders > All sales orders > Tab Warehouse management > Button Work details > Button Complete

Warehouse managament > Work > All work

With the complete button, the work can be completed at once (in stead of 5 steps). Note that if additional data should be entered during the picking process, this is only possible through the mobile process. Examples of additional data are: the source license plate, custom work steps, automatic printing.

Setup

Warehouse

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse setup > Warehouses 

Some fields are added to the warehouse setup.

Wave template

Warehouse management > Setup > Wave setup > Wave templates 

Warehouse management parameters

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse management parameters > Print management > Print management setup > Tree > Documents > Shipping pick list for wave

Select the report name: DYSSWHWhsPickListShipping.Report

It is possible to specify a printer per warehouse, etc. by adding multiple layouts (right mouse click, new). On the layout set the criteria (right mouse click, new, condition, button select).

Advised setup for small warehouses

This chapter gives some hints for a minimal required setup.

Location types

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse > Location types

Define the purpose of the location.

Location formats

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse > Location formats

Define the naming of the location codes. E.g. format Standard with line 1 = Aisle (length 1), Line 2 = Rack (length 2).

Generate locations with the wizard.

Location profiles

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse > Location profiles

Define the behaviour of stock, and the physical dimensions on the location. Setup location profiles and location types 1:1.

Worker

Warehouse management > Setup > Worker

A warehouse worker is specified as a (Warehouse) User ID which is linked to worker (employee). At least one default warehouse worker is required.

Warehouse management parameters

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse management parameters

Warehouse (1)

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse > Warehouses

Locations

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse > Locations 

A typical setup of locations in a small warehouse:

Warehouse (2)

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse > Warehouses

After the locations are created, complete the warehouse setup.

Fixed locations

Warehouse management > Setup > Warehouse > Fixed locations

Optional. The fixed location for a product can be used as default location on the sales line, e.g. if the items in the self service area of the warehouse have one fixed location per item.

Wave template

Warehouse management > Setup > Waves > Wave templates

Define a wave template, type shipping, for the warehouse.

Work template

Warehouse management > Setup > Work > Work templates

Define a work template with one pick and one put step. In Edit query, sorting, setup e.g. Shipment ID, (location) sort code.

Location directives

Warehouse management > Setup > Location directives

Type Pick

Specify the locations from which the goods should be picked. In most situations, the pick location directive will only apply to the part of the warehouse that is not used for self service. In the location directive action, specify only locations with profile BULK. Allow split and sort inventory by ascending physical date will consume the older stock first.

Warning: if also self service locations (location profile STORE) are included in the query, be aware that customers might have put something in the basket that is not taken to the desk yet, or there might be stock differences typically in the self service area.

Type Put single SKU

In the location directive action query, specify only location BAYDOOR.

Type Put multi SKU

For technical reasons, always create a single and a multi SKU put location directive. In the location directive action query, specify only location BAYDOOR.

Advised process for receiving LPs in small warehouses

Procedure: The inbound process should be as simple and fast as possible, thus allowing inventory in a small warehouse to be up to date, and avoid the need for negative stock allowance.  

Scan the incoming LP on the mobile, and minimize the other steps.

Mobile device menu item

Warehouse management > Setup > Mobile device > Mobile device menu items

Setup the easiest way for LP receiving (with automatic put away). 

Receive transfer order from central warehouse

The packing structure is auto-generated when the transfer order shipment is confirmed at the central warehouse. Use the before mentioned mobile device menu item LP receiving.

Receive purchase order

Purchase order > Load planning work bench > Loads > Button Ship and receive > Receive Packing structure

Standard: enter a receiving packing structure manually (based on the mailed vendor packing slip), or import the ASN (Advanced Shipment Note). 

Receive intercompany purchase order

Automatic creation of a receiving packing structure is not supported in standard Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations. The outbound ASN from the shipping company can not be imported 1:1 into the receiving packing structure of the receiving company.

Insert a structure manually, or automate this via customization. 

Release notes