System-directed work sequencing

System-directed work sequencing lets you sort and filter the work orders that the system presents to users for execution. It's helpful in scenarios where additional criteria (such as the time of shipping, the picking zone, the location profile, or a combination of various criteria) are required to drive the warehouse picking process.

This functionality extends the current system-directed picking functionality by adding a system-directed query order, where users can set up a sequence and one or more queries that will evaluate all work orders that are created. Only work orders that meet the criteria that are specified in the setup of the mobile device menu item will be captured and presented.

Therefore, this functionality allows for further optimization of warehouse picking processes as it identifies work orders that match the specified criteria, assigns them to the correct mobile device menu item, and then presents them to a worker, based on a specific skill set, picking equipment, or other requirement.

Note

If different criteria are needed, multiple mobile device menu items must be used.

Turn on the Organization-wide system directed work sequencing feature

Before you can use system-directed work sequencing, the feature must be turned on for your system. As of Supply Chain Management version 10.0.32, this feature is mandatory and can't be turned off. If you are running a version older than 10.0.32, then admins can turn this functionality on or off by searching for the Organization-wide system directed work sequencing feature in the Feature management workspace.

Setup

Make demo data available

To work through the scenario by using the values that are presented in this article, you must work on a system where the standard demo data is installed. Additionally, you must select the USMF legal entity. The scenario uses warehouse 51 from the demo data.

Important

Before you release the orders to the warehouse, make sure that the pick locations have enough inventory for all the items on the orders.

Default USMF data should support this scenario. If you aren't using demo data, review the Location directive setting to learn which picking locations are used for sales order picking. If you must adjust the inventory, you can create manual movements, use replenishment, or use any other flow.

Set up a mobile device menu item

1. Go to Warehouse management > Setup > Mobile device > Mobile device menu items.

2. In the list of mobile device menu items, select Sales Picking – System. The required menu item should already exist.

3. Confirm the following settings:

   • On the General FastTab, the Directed by field should be set to System directed.

   • The Work classes FastTab should show the following settings.

     Work class ID	Work order type
     Sales	Sales orders
     SO Pick	Sales orders

4. On the Action Pane, select System directed work sequence queries.

5. Select Edit.

6. Delete the existing line, and then confirm the action by selecting Yes.

7. On the Action Pane, select New to create a line.

8. On the new line, set the following values:

   • Sequence number: 1
   • Description field: Work quantity less than 20 and Descending

9. Select Save.

10. On the Action Pane, select Edit Query.

11. On the Joins tab, expand the join hierarchy to show the Work lines table.

12. Select the Work lines table join.

13. Select Add table join.

14. In the list that appears, find and select the row that has the following settings:

    • Join mode: n:1
    • Relation: Locations (Location)

15. Select Select.

    Locations are added to the table join.

16. On the Sorting tab, select Add to add a line.

17. On the new line, set the following values:

    • Table: Work lines
    • Derived table: Work lines
    • Field: Work quantity (In the message box that appears, select Yes to add sorting to this field.)
    • Search direction: Descending

18. Select the Range tab.

    If only specific work criteria should be included in the sequencing, you can specify them on the Range tab. In this example, you want to include only work where the quantity is less than 20 ea (the lowest unit of measure).

    Notice that some lines are already included. Those lines should not be removed.

19. Select Add to add a line.

20. On the new line, set the following values:

    • Table: Work lines
    • Derived table: Work lines
    • Field: Inventory work quantity
    • Criteria: <20 (less than 20)

21. Select Add to add another line.

22. On the new line, set the following values:

    • Table: Work lines
    • Derived table: Work lines
    • Field: Work type
    • Criteria: Pick

23. Select Add to add another line.

24. On the new line, set the following values:

    • Table: Locations

    • Derived table: Locations

    • Field: Location profile ID

    • Criteria: !STAGE

      Important

      Be sure to include the exclamation point (!) in front of STAGE.

25. Select OK to save and close the query.

26. Select Save.

27. Close the page to return to the Mobile device menu items page.

Note

This setup defines the criteria that will be used to feed eligible work to the mobile device menu item. If you add more criteria lines to the query, the system will use the query line that has lowest sequence number first. In other words, all eligible work for sequence number 1 will be presented to the user first, and then all work for sequence number 2. Therefore, if a specific range and sorting must be used together, they should be specified in the same system-directed work sequence query.

This setup will capture any work that has at least one line where the quantity is less than 20 ea. Therefore, if the work has a line where the quantity is exactly 20 ea or more than 20 ea, it will be valid, provided that it also has at least one line where the quantity is less than 20 ea.

Location directives

If you're using default Contoso data, the query for the location directive action won't require changes. However, to make sure that the location directives will capture the items on the sales orders when you apply the feature in a non-Contoso environment, create a new location directive. To verify the settings in the demo environment, follow these steps.

1. Go to Warehouse management > Setup > Location directives.

2. In the Work order type field, select Sales orders.

3. Select the location directive that is named 51 Pick.

4. On the Location Directive Actions FastTab, select the line for the Pick action.

5. Select Edit query above the grid.

6. Review the Range query.

   1. Find the line where the Field field is set to Location.
   2. Make sure that the Criteria field is blank (that is, there are no restrictions).

Scenario

Create sales order picking work

Before system-directed picking is run, some outbound work should be created. For this scenario, you will create four sales orders that are based on the specified system-directed work sequence queries.

You will reserve inventory quantities for each sales order. Therefore, reserved inventory can't be withdrawn from the warehouse for other orders unless the inventory reservation, or part of the inventory reservation, is canceled.

You will then release each sales order to the warehouse to create the outbound work.

Sales order 1

1. Go to Sales and marketing > Sales orders > All sales orders.

2. On the Action Pane, select New to create sales order 1.

3. In the Create sales order dialog box, set the following values:

   • In the Customer section, set the Customer account field to US-004.
   • In the General section, set the Warehouse field to 51.

4. Select OK to close the dialog box. Make a note of the sales order number.

5. Add a line to the new sales order, and set the following values:

   • Item number: M9200
   • Quantity: 20

6. On the Inventory menu above the grid, select Reservation.

7. On the Reservation page, select Reserve lot to reserve the inventory.

8. Close the Reservation page.

9. On the Action Pane, on the Warehouse tab, select Release to warehouse to create work for the warehouse.

   You receive informational messages that show the wave ID and shipment IDs that were created for the sales order.

Sales order 2

1. On the Action Pane, select New to create sales order 2.

2. In the Create sales order dialog box, set the following values:

   • Customer account: US-007
   • Warehouse: 51

3. Select OK to close the dialog box. Make a note of the sales order number.

4. Add a line to the new sales order, and set the following values:

   • Item number: M9200
   • Quantity: 5

5. Select Add line to add a second line, and set the following values:

   • Item number: M9201
   • Quantity: 1

6. Reserve inventory for both lines.

7. Release the order to the warehouse.

Sales order 3

1. On the Action Pane, select New to create sales order 3.

2. In the Create sales order dialog box, set the following values:

   • Customer account: US-009
   • Warehouse: 51

3. Select OK to close the dialog box. Make a note of the sales order number.

4. Add a line to the new sales order, and set the following values:

   • Item number: M9200
   • Quantity: 7

5. Select Add line to add a second line, and set the following values:

   • Item number: M9202
   • Quantity: 8

6. Reserve inventory for both lines.

7. Release the order to the warehouse.

Sales order 4

1. On the Action Pane, select New to create sales order 4.

2. In the Create sales order dialog box, set the following values:

   • Customer account: US-010
   • Warehouse: 51

3. Select OK to close the dialog box. Make a note of the sales order number.

4. Add a line to the new sales order, and set the following values:

   • Item number: M9200
   • Quantity: 25

5. Select Add line to add a second line, and set the following values:

   • Item number: M9202
   • Quantity: 10

6. Reserve inventory for both lines.

7. Release the order to the warehouse.

Get work IDs for the work that was created

1. Go to Warehouse management > Work > Work details.

2. Filter on the Warehouse field so that only work for warehouse 51 is shown.

3. Four work IDs should have been created. Make a note of the work ID for each sales order.

   Sales order ID	Work ID	Work quantity
   Sales Order 1	Work ID 1	20 ea
   Sales Order 2	Work ID 2	6 ea (sum of both lines)
   Sales Order 3	Work ID 3	15 ea (sum of both lines)
   Sales Order 4	Work ID 4	35 ea (sum of both lines)

Before you run the flow on the mobile device, make sure that only the work that you just created is in Open status for warehouse 51 and the Sales order work order type. Otherwise, the results of the test might vary, because the system-direct picking will include all eligible work.

1. Go to Warehouse management > Work > Outbound > Open sales work.
2. In the Open sales work grid, filter on the Warehouse field so that only work for warehouse 51 is shown.
3. Confirm that only the four work IDs that you created earlier are shown.
4. Close the Work page.

Mobile device flow execution

Based on the setup, the system will feed the user work that is sorted from the highest work line quantity to the lowest. The quantity on every line will be less than 20 ea.

Remember that this setup will capture any work that has at least one line where the quantity is less than 20 ea. Therefore, if the work has another line where the quantity is exactly 20 ea or more than 20 ea, it will also be valid.

Mobile app

1. Sign in to the warehousing app as a user in warehouse 51.

2. Go to Outbound > Sales Picking - System.

   The pick step for work ID 4 is presented. This work ID is presented first because of the setup of the system-directed query order, where you specified that work should be sequenced based on descending work line quantity.

3. Complete the required pick and put to close the work ID.

   Next, work ID 3 is presented. One of its work lines is next in the sequence, based on the work line quantity.

4. Complete the pick and put to close the work ID.

   Next, work ID 2 is presented. This work's pick line is next in the sequence.

5. Complete the pick and put to close the work ID.

   No further work should be presented to you. Work ID 1 isn't eligible for this mobile device menu item, because the query specifies that work headers are considered only if the quantity on the work lines is less than 20 ea.

Tips

The system-directed work sequence queries are inclusive. It's important that you remember this fact for some setups. For example, you want a specific menu item to process only work where the work unit is ea, and you specify that restriction on the Range tab of the query. In this case, all work where at least one work line has the work unit set to ea will be fed to the worker. Therefore, this work might also include work where work lines have a work unit other than ea (such as box or pallet). The query will exclude only work where no work line has the work unit set to ea.

Therefore, in the example from this scenario, work ID 4 was also captured by the query. When it was created, two lines were added: one for 25 ea and another for 10 ea. The work was still presented to the user, because at least one work line has a quantity of less than 20 ea.

Depending on the scenario, you can prevent this behavior by using work breaks.