Description
Pack & Ship enhances the picking, packing, and shipping workflows in the warehouse.
It is an alternative to the existing Shipment and Tote Shipping by offering improvements to the workflows such as:
- Staging of goods between picking and packing processes
- Repacking picked goods to new packages and pallets
- Printing labels for package/pallet contents
- Fully customizable integration to 3rd party Shipping Apps including booking and printing shipping documents directly from the mobile device
Overview
Introduction
Pack & Ship is accessed from the main menu seen in the screenshot.
Integration with Shipping Provider Apps
Pack & Ship can be used stand-alone and still provide significant benefits to staging, repacking, and printing package content label reports.
However, the main goal is to allow our customers to easily connect Mobile WMS to their shipping solutions.
Enabling customers to Create and Book transports/consignments and Print the shipping labels directly from the mobile device.
How Pack & Ship Integrate with Shipping Providers
- Mobile WMS offers the Pack & Ship Framework/API
- Partners offer the two-part solution consisting of a "Shipping Provider App" along with a "Connector" that bridges the gap to Mobile WMS Pack & Ship
Available Shipping provider Connectors
This is the current list of available connectors.
Shipping Provider | "Shipping Provider" Extension | "Connector" Extension | Help & Support |
|---|---|---|---|
Idyn ShipIT 365 | ShipIT 365 Connector with Mobile WMS | ||
| LogTrade Connect | LogTrade Connect | Logtrade Connect - Tasklet Mobile WMS Integration | |
NVIsion Commerce 365 for Sendcloud | Commerce 365 for Sendcloud - Tasklet Mobile WMS module | ||
| NVIsion Commerce 365 for EasyPost | NVIsion Commerce 365 for EasyPost | Commerce 365 for EasyPost - Tasklet Mobile WMS module | |
| XtensionIT Shipment Connector | Shipment Connector for Tasklet Factory Mobile WMS |
Terminology
- Tote Picking
- Pick for multiple orders/customers and then separate the orders/customers by the Tote ID's during the pick process. A Tote is basically any entity that can be used to hold goods i.e., boxes, railcars, pallets.
See Tote- Picking & Shipping
- Pick for multiple orders/customers and then separate the orders/customers by the Tote ID's during the pick process. A Tote is basically any entity that can be used to hold goods i.e., boxes, railcars, pallets.
- License Plate
- This is a new concept in Pack & Ship and built on top of existing "Tote Picking" functionality in Mobile WMS.
- When totes are picked they becomes a License Plate with the information about the goods inside and can be processed during packing and shipping with a single barcode scan.
- With license plates, a lot of different information can be associated with a license plate. In Pack & Ship we focus on package information.
- Cloud Print Service
- An add-on to the Mobile WMS. It simplifies the process of using Zebra printers to print labels in the warehouse. See Print Label
Minimum Requirements
- Business Central v14.0
- Mobile WMS Extension version MOB5.42
- Android App and Mobile configuration v1.5.12
Printing "License Plate" and "License Plate Content" requires a Printing solution
Setup requirements
Business Central must be set up with the following:
- Mobile WMS Setup (9/10):
- "Enable Tote Picking"
- "Enable Pack & Ship"
- Location:
- "Bin Mandatory", "Require Pick" and "Require Shipment" must be enabled
- "Bin Mandatory", "Require Pick" and "Require Shipment" must be enabled
- Warehouse Shipment:
- Only orders for the same Customer and delivery address on the same Shipment
- Only Source Documents of type "Sales Order" and "Transfer Orders" outbound, can be used as sources for Warehouse Shipment for the packing and shipping processes
Note: Assemble-to-Order is not supported.
How to: Set up Pack & Ship
Please complete the Installation Guide for Pack & Ship.
Then continue from here...
Tote Picking: How Totes Become License Plates
All goods must be assigned a "Tote" (box/railcar/pallet/etc.) during the Pick process.
This "tote" can later be used when packing or reorganizing the goods. The existing Tote Picking feature must be used to register this extra information.
The background for the original Tote Pick function was to be able to create one shipment and one pick for multiple customers and then separate the orders/customers by the Tote ID's.
From Totes to License Plates
With Pack & Ship we have now extended Tote Picking to automatically create License Plates from registered Totes when registering a Pick. The License Plates feature offers additional functionality that is not present with the Tote feature, including options to reorganize goods and print content labels.
Reusable Tote ID's vs. Unique License Plates ID's
You can either use and re-use existing boxes with fixed Tote ID´s or you can choose to print License Plate labels with unique License Plate numbers.
If you want to re-use a License Plate you need to make sure to use the function 'Combine All Contents to new' in the Packing Process or manually Reset the License Plate in BC Client.
Using the unique numbers is especially useful when picking directly into the boxes you intend to ship, like a cardboard box for example. The numbers are assigned by a "No. Series".
Mobile: Pick
The picking process will generally be as described in the Picking section.
Enter Tote ID's
With "Tote Pick" enabled, the user must register Tote during Picking.
Note: During Tote picking, the Mobile Device prevents items for different shipments from accidentally being put in the same tote.
If the user enters a Tote ID that is already used for another Warehouse Shipment on the same pick, they will get an error:
Register the Pick and add Staging information
When posting Pick, the user will be asked for additional staging information if set up in "Mobile WMS Setup".
Tote and License Plate information at the Warehouse Shipment
When the pick is registered you will see the Tote ID's on the Shipment Lines and the new License Plates in a new separate License Plate section on the Warehouse Shipment in BC.
If any staging information has been collected, the Packing station will be added to the Warehouse Shipment and the Staging Hint will be added to the License Plates.
Mobile: Online validation of Tote/License Plate (optional)
If you try to re-use a License Plate that already is associated with another Warehouse Shipment, you will get a validation error after you scan the Tote in the Pick Process.
In this example, we are told that Tote 1023 is already associated with a posted Warehouse Shipment S_000007 that is different from the current Warehouse Shipment SH000037 that we are picking for.
Note: This feature requires changing application.cfg, please contact Service Desk to get this feature enabled.
Mobile: Print License Plate Labels
This feature requires Cloud Print Service or Report Print
- The label is printed from the action Menu
- You can print License Plate labels as part of the Pick process with unique ID's
- Using the unique ID's is especially useful when picking directly into the boxes you intend to ship, like a cardboard box for example
Example of License Plate label
Printing License Plate Report from Business Central
From version MOB5.46 It´s also possible to print the "License Plate Label" and "License Plate Contents Label" reports directly from the License Plate Card and List page in Business Central.
License Plate (Outbound)
License Plates are created when Picking has been posted.
License Plate and License Plate Contents
- A "License Plate" contains multiple lines of "License Plate Contents"
- "License Plate Contents" lines can be of type Item or License Plate
- During the packing process, you can reorganize goods and license plates, including creating "multi-level license plates" to reflect goods in boxes being put on pallets, including keeping track of the structure and still being able to track the content of the individual boxes.
License Plate Contents at the Warehouse Shipment Page
- License Plates can be found in BC directly from the Mobile WWS License Plate List or the Warehouse Shipment-page
License Plate Contents
On the Mobile Device, you can look up the License Plate Contents from any License Plate.
You can access this Contents page from the Packing process or from the "License Plate Contents" menu.
Example from the Packing window, using the promoted menu Item "Content".
License Plate Contents page
- Edit License Plate/Update Position
- If you have enabled the use of Packing Station and Staging Hint in the Mobile WMS Setup, you can use this action to update the existing information on the selected License Plate
- Example: You want to update the position of the License Plate
Mobile: Pack & Ship
Use Pack & Ship to add additional information to packages before shipping.
Shipping Orders
- When selecting Pack & Ship from main menu, a list of Warehouse Shipments with "License Plates" will be shown.
- Only Warehouse Shipments that has been Partially Picked or Completely Picked will be included.
These are all shipments with associated "License Plates"
The typical work process
Open Pack & Ship from the main menu:
- Scan a License Plate and the Packing window containing the specific License Plate will be shown together will all other related License Plates.
- Alternatively, select a Shipment from the list on the Device
- Alternatively, select a Shipment from the list on the Device
- Prepare packages and/or pallets to be shipped based on the picked License Plates, including reorganizing, and packing goods as needed
- Print content labels (if any) that need to be put on the packages or pallets
- Posting the Shipment in Pack & Ship will automatically create and book transport orders/consignments in 3rd party shipping app
- Requires the Shipping Agents and Package Types associated with 3rd Shipping provider. See this section
Packing
When the Packing window is opened for a specific Warehouse Shipment, it will show the following information:
Shipment Information - Always the top element
- Shipment number and Shipment Date
- Customer name
- Source document
- Information about the "Shipping Agent" and "Shipping Agent Service"
- Prefilled from Warehouse Shipment (can be changed from the mobile device)
- Prefilled from Warehouse Shipment (can be changed from the mobile device)
- Information about Packing Station, if activated and available.
- Specified as part of the Pick process (can be changed from the mobile device)
- Status Icon changes
- When all required shipment information is collected the First element is processed and the Icon changes:
- When all required shipment information is collected the First element is processed and the Icon changes:
License Plates - Subsequent elements
- License Plate No.
- Staging hint
- Package Type, Weight, Dimensions etc. (defined by Mobile Package Setup)
- Qty. of items (Qty. base) for included items
- Status Icon
- When all required information is collected for the License Plate, it is ready to be shipped and the icon changes:
- When all required information is collected for the License Plate, it is ready to be shipped and the icon changes:
Registering Shipment Information
Register "Shipping Agent" and "Shipping Agent Service" (typically already predefined from BC).
- The user can always change the values by selecting the top-element
Registering License Plate(s)
Register each individual License Plate.
- Scan a License Plate or select from the list
- Enter information in the requested steps, e.g. Package Type, Weight etc. (defined by Mobile Package Setup)
- Steps are defined in "Shipping Agent" and "Mobile WMS Package Types"
- Repeat the process for each License Plate element
- The Icon will change when the required information is registered
- The user can always change the values by selecting the element
- After the steps are completed, the information is updated on License Plates in BC, and the list is refreshed
Posting
When License Plate(s) has been registered and the icon shows "OK", the Packing is ready to be posted.
Partial Shipment
Only License Plates marked as "OK" will be included in the posting, meaning you can do partial shipments but always with the entire contents from the included License Plates.
You can post multiple times on the same Packing/Shipment.
Posting the Packing will result in the following actions in BC
- The Warehouse Shipment will be posted with the Quantities from the License Plate Contents
- If any "Shipping Provider Connector" is available, the creation of a transport document will be initialized
- All included License Plates will be marked as "Transferred to Shipping" and get an update "Shipping Status" o indicate, that they have been handled
Actions available from Packing
Several actions are available to efficiently prepare and pack "License Plates" for shipping:
- Move License Plates To New
- A new License Plate will be created, and all existing License Plates will be moved into the new License plate. (Keep the structure)
- Note: Action will only include License Plates with blank "Package Type"
- Example: You put two cardboard boxes onto one pallet
- Combine All Contents To New
- A new License Plate will be created, and content from existing License Plates will be moved into the new License plate. (Resetting existing License Plates)
- Note: Action will only include License Plates with blank "Package Type"
- Example: You want to re-use a License Plate in the warehouse or maybe empty two small cardboard boxes into one larger box
- Bulk Register Information
- Start registering steps for all unhandled License Plates in one process
- Example: You register the same information about two or more identical packages in one process
- Note: Action will only include License Plates with blank "Package Type"
- Print
- Print License Plate labels for new License Plates created in the Packing process or re-print for existing License Plates
- Print License Plate Contents labels
- Update Position
- If you have enabled the use of Packing Station and Staging Hint in the Mobile WMS Setup, you can use this action to update the existing information on the selected License Plate
- Example: You want to update the position of the License Plate
- Add License Plate
- Manually add a new License Plate
- Example: You need an extra License Plate to finish the packing process
- Delete License Plate
- Manually delete an empty License Plate
- Example: You decided to pack all Items in 1 package and want to delete the empty License Plate
- Move License Plate
- The selected License Plate can be moved into any other License Plate on the same Shipment
- Example: You want to move a small cardboard box into a bigger cardboard box that already contains items
Move License Plate Content
From the License Plate Content list, you can select or scan some content to move.
The Content can be either:
- Item
- Other License Plate
License Plate Content type: Item
- If you want to move content of type "Item", you will be asked to
- Select the License Plate you want to move the content into
- The Quantity you want to move
Note: Only other License Plates from the same Warehouse Shipment can be selected
License Plate Content of type: License Plate
- If you want to move content of type "License Plate", you will be asked to:
- Select the License Plate you want to move the content into
- If you select the last option on the list "Shipment Level" the License Plate will be moved to the top-most level available on the Shipment
Note: Only other License Plates from the same Warehouse Shipment can be selected
Print "License Plate Contents" labels
As part of Pack & Ship on the mobile device, you can print "License Plate Contents" labels.
This label shows detailed information about each License Plate contents.
- Select the first element containing shipment information, will print all "License Plate Contents labels" in one print job, one for each top-level License Plate
- You can also select a specific License Plate and print one License Plate Contents label
Note: This feature requires Cloud Print Service or Report Print
Printing License Plate Contents Report from Business Central
From version MOB5.46 It´s also possible to print the "License Plate Label" and "License Plate Contents Label" reports directly from the License Plate Card and List page in Business Central.