Item Rescanning in Bulk Packing Process

Overview

During closing the box in the bulk packing process, it is important to ensure the accuracy of items added to the boxes when cluster picking/ Order picking with box scan/ B2B Sorting is involved. To avoid any operational errors that could result in excess items in the box, a mandatory step has been implemented to re-scan all the items in the box based on the configuration chosen. This release introduces changes to the workflow and pack box behaviors to support this new requirement.

Configurations added to Support Item Rescanning in Bulk Packing Process

A warehouse-level configuration is_close_box_validation_Req has been added. It’s a configuration to enable or disable box validation. The available options are:

  • DEFAULT: Use the default behavior.

  • TRUE: Enable box validation.

  • FALSE: Disable box validation.

Clients can get this configuration enabled by raising a ticket to the Omni Support team.

By default, the value of is_close_box_validation_req is DEFAULT

 

Another configuration close_box_validation_type is added at the warehouse level. It’s a configuration to define the validation type during box closing. The available options are:

  • RE_SCAN_ITEMS: Re-scan all items in the box.

  • COUNT_ITEMS: Count the items in the box.

By default, close_box_validation_type is COUNT_ITEMS. Users can get this updated by raising a ticket to the Omni Support team.

 

is_item_rescan_req is a box-level configuration. This field indicates if re-scanning of items is required in the box. This will be TRUE if we have added even a single item to the box during cluster picking, order picking, or sorting.

The default value of the field is_item_rescan_req is FALSE.

Workflow

Pack Box Creation

  • When creating an open pack box, the default value for the is_item_rescan_req field is set to FALSE. This field indicates whether re-scanning of items is required in the box. Since pack boxes are initially created with no items, the default value is set to FALSE.

Cluster Picking / B2B Sorting/ Order Picking(while mapping item to a box)

  • If items are picked through Cluster picking/ B2B Sorting/ Order picking and added to the box, the is_item_rescan_req flag will be set to TRUE.

  • While adding an item to the box, the system now considers is_item_rescan_req flag to indicate if re-scanning of the added item is required.

  • The is_item_rescan_req field for the pack box is updated to TRUE when the item is added. If the field is already set to TRUE, no further changes are made.

Item / Pack Box Consolidation:

  • When consolidating items from a source box to a destination box:

    • If the source box has the is_item_rescan_req field set to TRUE, the destination box's is_item_rescan_req field will also be set to TRUE.

    • If the destination box already has the is_item_rescan_req field set to TRUE, the value remains unchanged.

  • After item transfer, if the source box becomes empty, the is_item_rescan_req field of the source pack box is set to FALSE.

B2B Packing

During B2B packing, the system behaves as below on the basis of configurations chosen.

  1. If is_close_box_validation_Req is FALSE, there will be no validations done here. The system will not ask to rescan items or count items.

  2. If is_close_box_validation_Req is TRUE, the system checks for the close_box_validation_type flag set.

    1. If close_box_validation_type is set as RE_SCAN_ITEMS, the system asks the user to scan all the items in the box(irrespective of the box’s is_item_rescan_req status ie, irrespective of whether items are picked through Cluster picking/ B2B Sorting/ Order picking)

    2. If close_box_validation_type is set as COUNT_ITEMS, WMS asks the user to count the items in the box and enter the number of items. If the count is correct, the user can continue with the next workflow. But if the count of items is wrong, the user can retry counting 3 times.
      Even after retrying 3 times, the count of items is not correctly entered, the user will have to mandatorily scan all items. (This step is irrespective of the box’s is_item_rescan_req status, ie irrespective of whether items are picked through Cluster picking/ B2B Sorting/ Order picking))

  3. is_close_box_validation_Req is DEFAULT

    1. If close_box_validation_type is set as RE_SCAN_ITEMS, WMS checks the status of is_item_rescan_req flag for the box. (If items are picked through Cluster picking/ B2B Sorting/ Order picking and added to the box, the is_item_rescan_req flag will be set to TRUE)

      1. If the is_item_rescan_req is FALSE, then no additional step is required. Users can continue with next workflow.

      2. If the is_item_rescan_req is TRUE, the system asks the user to scan all the items in the box.

    2. If close_box_validation_type is set as COUNT_ITEMS, WMS checks the status of is_item_rescan_req flag for the box. (If items are picked through Cluster picking/ B2B Sorting/ Order picking and added to the box, the is_item_rescan_req flag will be set to TRUE)

      1. If the is_item_rescan_req is FALSE, then no additional step is required. User can continue with next workflow.

      2. If the is_item_rescan_req is TRUE, system asks user to count the items in the box and enter the number of items.
        If the count is correct, user can continue with next workflow.
        But if the count of items is wrong, the user can retry counting 3 times. Even after retrying 3 times, the count of items is not correctly entered, the user will have to mandatorily scan all items.

Validation for Item Count during pack box closing

 

Validation to Scan all the items in the box during pack box closing

 

We believe that these changes will enhance the packing process by ensuring the accuracy of items and avoiding any potential operational issues. Please refer to the documentation or contact the support team for further assistance or clarification.

In case the pack box consists of any one item which is picked through the “cluster picking”, then irrespective of type of picking for the other items in the box, in case the config is valid then re-scanning of all items becomes mandatory.

Below flow chart shows the workflow of how the system decides