025291: Enhancement to Picking and Tasks - HHTs

1.    Overview

KCSL have added the following enhancements to HHT Picking tasks

  1. Functionality has been added to allow admin users to create substages under the existing "Picking" stage in the Sales Invoice Manager (SIM)
  1. A rules engine has been implemented, which allows configuration of rules based on criteria including (at least) the percentage of order items matching a given Stock Type Type (Level 1) and a destination substage. 
  2. Enabled Paperless Picking via the existing HHT solution.

 

2.    Specification


Functionality has been added to allow admin users to create substages under the existing "Picking" stage in the Sales Invoice Manager (SIM). These substages are configured under a new System Data section: HHT Picking Categories

A rules engine has been implemented, which will allow configuration of rules based on criteria including (at least) the percentage of order items matching a given Stock Type Type (Level 1) and a destination substage. It is now possible to define multiple rules within this engine. KCSL intend to add further criteria to extend this functionality in the future, however any specific requirements raised ahead of such enhancements may require further chargeable development


An option added to enable Paperless Picking via the existing HHT solution. When enabled:

  1.  The existing "Batch Trolley Picking" button will cause the system to batch invoices together under a unique "batch code" as at present, however no picking reports, batch reports, or report previews will be generated.
  1.  The above rules engine is used to evaluate additional criteria to determine how orders are batched, and which of the substages under "Picking" the batch of orders is moved to.
  1.  A new "HHT Picking - In Progress" substage has been added under the Picking stage in the in Sales Invoice Manager.
  1.  A dropdown has been added to the Picking screen on the HHT, allowing the user to select which Picking substage to select from using the below button.
  1.  A new button visible on the HHTs "Pick Next Batch", which when clicked will pick up the next available batch from the HHT Picking stage and begin the picking operation. All invoices associated with the batch will be moved to the above sub-stage to prevent the batch being erroneously picked up by multiple operatives.
  1.  The existing "Invoice or Batch Code" textbox on the HHT will remain and may still be utilised to manually enter or scan a specific invoice or batch for picking.
  1.  At the end of picking the batch, the invoices will be staged on within the Sales Invoice Manager, as at present.
  1.  In the event that a pick is cancelled, the invoices within that batch will move to one of the following stages / substages, dependant on the progress of any items picked:

                    - No items picked from the order, order will move back to the original stage

                    - Any items picked from the order, order will move to a defined substage for review.

 

Notes/ caveats:

Implementation of the above will not change any other existing functionality with HHTs, for example picking note behaviour on HHTs will continue as is the case at present, as will part picking, etc.
Once this goes into Khaos Control the minimum Windows requirements will be:

 

Minimum supported client         Windows 8.1 [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server         Windows Server 2012 R2 [desktop apps only]



3.    Configuration

An updated application will be provided with this functionality, further configuration below. 

 

4.    Usage

After applying the above Configuration, typical steps for usage would include:

 

  1. Required additional HHT picking stages can be created by users with admin permissions - System data | HHT Picking categories. Invoices that do not match any of the configured stage categories rules will be sent to the stage marked as Defualt.  These Picking categories will be added to the Sales invoice manager as Picking substages  
    Fig1 - HHT Picking categories Fig.1 - HHT Picking categories
  2.  New Picking category rules can be created within the Sales Invoice Manager(SIM) via the Other Actions (F9) menu > Edit Picking category rules 
    Fig.2 Other Actions

  3. Picking rules are created and amended form the Picking category Rules dialogue.
    1. Note rules process from top to bottom. If an invoice can match more than one rule it will execute on the last matching rule (unless there is a 'Stop Processing Rules' action) . Rules can be ordered via the grids Up/Down actions 
      Fig.3 Rules list in order of execution
  4. Rules can be edited by pressing F8 on the desired rule.  
    Fig.4 Rule configuration
  5. Breakdown of the above rule is as follows 
    1. When Any ('Any', 'None' or 'All) of the conditions match
    2. Below is the condition editor. Accessed by editing an existing comparison or pressing '+Add. If 50%+ of the items on the order are from a specific level 1 stock type, put the invoice into a corresponding category  set in the actions section
    3.  
      Fig.5 Comparison configuration
    4. There are two actions that can be applied following a condition 'Set Pick category to ***' & 'Stop Processing rules'. 'Set pick category' will move the invoices that triggered on the rules conditions to the selected category stage. 'Stop Processing rules' will trigger when a invoice matches the set condition/s,  which means no further rules are considered.   
  6. Within the Sales invoice Manager there is a new Picking substage 'HHT Picking - In progress', Invoices will automatically move to this stage when being picked by the HHT process. When the Picking process is completed by the HHT the invoice will be moved to 'Invoicing'. If the picking job is cancelled the invoice will be moved form 'HHT Picking - in progress' to 'Manual Hold'   
  7. Finally within the Picking HHT GUI there is a 'Picking category' dropdown located under The existing 'Invoice or Batch Code' textbox. This is to select which Picking substage to select from. 
    Fig.6 HHT Picking

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