Remote Warehouse

The below about description for remote warehouse describes how the remote warehouse functionality can be set up to best utilize the available functionality.

Creating a Remote Warehouse (Warehouse Navigator/Warehouse Level)

You can create a remote warehouse at the warehouse navigator level by first creating a new warehouse in the Warehouse Navigator window, and then selecting the Remote check box. This activates the Remote Warehouse tab of the window. It is not possible to select or clear the check box if there are ongoing transactions, or if stock records exist for the specified remote warehouse. This is to prevent the user from accidentally converting an operating warehouse to a remote warehouse.

Putaway Control group box (Warehouse Navigator/Warehouse Level)

Automatically Refill Putaway Zones check box: On the General tab of a selected warehouse in the warehouse navigator the Automatically Refill Putaway Zones check box indicates if automatic refill based on the putaway zone ranking will be triggered. The automatic refill of putaway zones means that whenever a part has a transaction, there will be an evaluation of the locations and the quantity stored at those locations to see if there could be an optimization done based on the putaway zone rankings set up for the part. In many scenarios the remote warehouse cannot be refilled continuously since it can be a moving warehouse, for example a service van used for service maintenance. In those scenarios the Automatically Refill Putaway Zones check box shall be unselected to avoid transport task reserving material that cannot be physically moved to the destination. The Refill All Putaway Zones job can be used to directly perform a refill or to schedule the refill of the remote warehouse regardless of the Automatically Refill Putaway Zones check box.

Putaway Destination check box: On the General tab of a selected warehouse in the warehouse navigator the Putaway Destination check box indicates that all bins belonging to a putaway zone within this warehouse are considered as putaway destinations when running any of the putaway flows. To prevent putaways from being done directly to the remote warehouse, the check box should not be selected. In appropriate instances, clear this check box if purchase receipt to the central warehouse is using the receive case Receive into Arrival, Perform Putaway and then the transport tasks are not created directly to the remote warehouse.

Remote Warehouse (Warehouse Navigator/Warehouse Level)

The Remote Warehouse tab consists of six different tabs, namely, General, Parts, Assortment, Users, Address and Purchase Order Arrivals.

On the General tab the remote warehouse can be set to appear as a putaway zone. The putaway zone basic data is used when transport tasks are created automatically via the refill jobs to the remote warehouse. When the Appear as Putaway Zone check box is selected the entire remote warehouse will appear as a putaway zone for all inventory parts that are connected to the remote warehouse via an assortment.

The Parts tab is an aggregated view showing the parts and active assortments connected to the remote warehouse. On the Parts tab the user can see all quantity levels needed according to the assortment and the planning parameters. The assortment description and assortment ID indicates the assortment from which the refill point, the refill-to, remove excess quantities and the refill source are inherited. If a part exists on two or more connected assortments, the one with the highest priority is made active for the remote warehouse.

The Assortment tab is used to connect and view the remote warehouse assortments connected to the remote warehouse. It is also possible to see the priority on the connected remote warehouse assortment.

The Users tab is used to add and view users to a remote warehouse. When a user is added it is possible to make the remote warehouse the default warehouse for the user through the Users Connected to Warehouses window.

The Address tab is used to set up the external refill of parts done via purchase requisitions. Here one can define the delivery address per remote warehouse which is an alternative address to the site that is used if the parts on the assortment have the refill source as Purchase. Also one can set default receive case and default locations to be used when registering the arrival for the purchase supplies created specifically for this remote warehouse. The address type Supplier can be used when you have defined a remote warehouse at supplier for purchase orders with outsourcing. When we receive the finished good, the components can be backflushed from that remote warehouse location.

The Purchase Order Arrivals tab is a filtered view showing all purchase order arrivals that are planned to be received for this remote warehouse. This can be identified via the destination warehouse setting on purchase requisition and purchase order lines.

Remote Warehouse Assortment (Remote Warehouse Assortment Window)

The remote warehouse assortment is used to control the standard inventory on remote warehouses. Remote warehouse assortments are created in the window with the same name. Parts can be connected to each remote warehouse assortment. For the connected parts, planning parameters are set to automatically create transport tasks or purchase requisitions via the refill activities.

Users Connected to Warehouses (Users Connected to Warehouses Window or The Warehouse Navigator/Warehouse/Remote Warehouse/Users Tab)

You can connect users to a warehouse by using this window. User-connected warehouses can be set as the default warehouse for the user. The connection will affect the reserve logic and issue logic from work order. When automatic reservations are done from a work order the reservations will be limited to stock records on the defined default warehouse for the executed-by user on the work order. When automatic issue is done from a work order the issue is limited to stock records on the defined default warehouse for the user.

Refill All Putaway Zones (Activity on the Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse Header)

The activity Refill All Putaway Zones creates transport tasks or purchase requisitions to the remote warehouse depending on the setting for refill source and if the prerequisites listed below are fulfilled. It is also possible to set it up as a scheduled background job.

A remote warehouse assortment is connected to the remote warehouse.
The inventory part on the connected remote warehouse assortment has the setting for Refill Putaway Zones (Inventory Part/Misc Part Info tab) set to either From Putaway Zones or From All Stock Locations.
The remote warehouse is the highest ranked putaway zone with available capacity both with regards to the refill point quantity, receipt control, capacities and conditions and the capabilities on the warehouse.

Refill Parts (Activity on the Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse/Parts Tab on Line Level)

The activity refill parts refills the selected parts with transport tasks or purchase requisitions if the below prerequisites is fulfilled.

A remote warehouse assortment is connected to the remote warehouse.
The inventory part on the connected remote warehouse assortment has the setting for Refill Putaway Zones (Inventory Part/Misc Part Info tab) set to either From Putaway Zones or From All Stock Locations.
The remote warehouse is the highest ranked putaway zone with available capacity both with regards to the refill point qty, receipt control, capacities and conditions and the capabilities on the warehouse.

Storage Optimization (Activity on the Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse Header)

The activity Storage Optimization removes excess from the selected remote warehouse, if the below prerequisites are fulfilled. It is also possible to set it up as a scheduled background job.

Other putaway zones with available capacity exist, outside the remote warehouse from where the activity is performed.
The part is not connected to a remote warehouse assortment or the part has the Remove Excess check box selected and the quantity on-hand is greater than the refill-to quantity.

Drop-Off Location (Setting on the Warehouse Navigator/Transport Tasks Tab on Warehouse and Bay Level)

The drop-off location on the transport task tab in the warehouse navigator can be used to direct all transport tasks to first be moved to this location before they are moved to the intended location.

Automatic Consolidation (Setting on the Warehouse Navigator/Transport Tasks tab on Warehouse Level).

The transport task automatic consolidation rules for from-location and to-location can be used to override the settings on site.

Transport Task Lines (Activity on the Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse Header)

The activity Transport Task Lines will open the overview transport task lines window with all the transport task lines to and from the remote warehouse in Created or Picked status.

Purchase Requisition Lines (Activity on the Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse Header)

The activity Purchase Requisition lines will open the Overview Purchase Requisition Lines window with all the requisition lines to the remote warehouse in Planned or Released status.

Purchase Order Lines (Activity on the Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse Header)

The activity Purchase Order lines will open the Overview Purchase Order Lines window with all the purchase order lines to the remote warehouse that have not been received yet.

Using Default Part Availability Control for Remote Warehouse

To be able to limit the stock in a remote warehouse for other functions like reserve and issue a default part availability control can be entered on warehouse level. It will be possible to override some of the part availability control settings on stock records for the default part availability control entered on the warehouse level. When you have defined a remote warehouse at supplier, when we receive finished goods, the components will be backflushed from the remote warehouse overriding part availability control settings.

The exceptions, from functions like reserve and issue, to the part availability is listed below:

Part Supply Control: If the setting is Not Nettable the parts are not plannable or available in the availability check, order proposal and MRP but for remote warehouses on the Parts tab, these will be considered as plannable. This is to be able to limit the availability of the stock when it is moved to a remote warehouse.

Part Auto Reservation Control: If the setting is Non-Automatic Reservation only manual reservations can be performed except from the below activities done by a user that has the specific remote warehouse as the default warehouse.

    Reserve done from the Prepare Work Order window.
    Reserve done from the Report In Work Order window.
    Reserve done from the Maintenance Material Requisition window.

Part Manual Reservation Control: If the setting is Non-Manual Reservation the parts in the location cannot be manually reserved except from the below activities done by a user that have the specific remote warehouse set as the default or connected warehouse.

    Reserve done from the Prepare Work Order window.
    Reserve done from the Report In Work Order window.
    Reserve done from the Maintenance Material Requisition window.

Part Order Issue Control: If the setting is Non-Order Issue no issues can be performed except from the below activities done by a user that have the specific remote warehouse as the default warehouse or connected warehouse (applies only for manual issue).

    Issue done from the Prepare Work Order window.
    Issue done from the Report In Work Order window.
    Issue done from the Maintenance Material Requisition window.
    Issue done from the Single Page Report In Work Order window.
    Manual Issue done from the Prepare Work Order window.
    Manual Issue done from the Report In Work Order window.
    Manual Issue done from the Maintenance Material Requisition window.
    Manual Issue done from the Single Page Report In Work Order window.

Part Non-Order Issue Control, Part Scrap Control and Part Counting Control can have any setting. Part Movement Control should be set to All Allowed to be able to move the parts with transport task. The Putaway Zone Refill Source check box should be Unselected to avoid remote warehouse stock being used to refill other locations.

Work Order

Users

Executed By (On Prepare Work Order/Prepare tab or Operations Tab)

The executed-by is the signature of the employee who is responsible for executing the work order. The person is also responsible for issuing permits for the work order. This field is linked to Organization Basic Data/Employees and only allows values registered there. Use the List of Values to select a suitable value.

Note: If an executed-by is entered on operation lines or the Prepare tab this signature will be matched against the Users Connected to Warehouses window. If this signature has a default warehouse the system will try to reserve material here when running the reservation. This signature is also used to filter the manual reservation dialogue by matching the signature with the users connected to Warehouses window.

Reserve

When reserving material on a work order that has an executed-by user consisting of a default warehouse with available quantity the quantity will be reserved on the default warehouse only. If the executed-by user has connected warehouses but none of them are the default, no reservation will be done. To reserve material outside the default warehouse it is always possible to reserve material manually. The Reserve Manually dialog box will be filtered as below if connected warehouses of the executed-by exists:

Default - The default warehouse of the executed-by user.
Connected - All warehouses to which the executed-by is connected.
All - All warehouses on the default site of the user.

Note: Default and connected warehouses can be defined in the Users Connected to Warehouses window.

Move Reserved Work Order Material

It is possible to move work order reservations using transport task. To move a work order reservation any of the following possibilities can be used:

From the Reserve manually dialog box it is possible to create a transport task to move the material. If the executed-by user has a default warehouse and the user reserves material outside the default warehouse, a transport task will be created to move the material to the default warehouse. It is also possible to move material to another location by typing a location number in the To Location No field.
From the work order material header, by right-clicking and clicking Move All Reservations, it is possible to move all reservations to another location by typing a location number in the Location No field.
From the Inventory Part In Stock Reservations window, by selecting a work order reservation, right-clicking and clicking Move Reservations, it is possible to move reservations to another location by typing a location number in the Location No field.

Issue

If the user performing the issue has a default warehouse defined in the Users Connected to Warehouses window the issue will be done here. If the warehouse only has a part of the required quantity this quantity will be issued and the user will receive an information message saying how much remains to be issued. It is only possible to issue reserved material from the default remote warehouse. The user will get an error message if the reservation is not done in the default remote warehouse of the user, then a manual issue has to be performed. If connected warehouses exists but none of them are default no issue will be done. The Issue manually dialog box will be filtered as below if connected warehouses of the user exists:

Default - The default warehouse of the user.
Connected - All warehouses to which the user is connected.
All - All warehouses on the default site of the user.

Given below is one suggested remote warehouse setup. It is possible to make adjustments depending on the business requirements.

Window	Setting	Reason	Consequence
Warehouse Navigator (select a warehouse)	Select the Remote check box on the Warehouse header.	The warehouse will be a remote warehouse.	The Remote Warehouse tab will be enabled.
Warehouse Navigator/General tab (select a warehouse)	Clear the Automatically Refill Putaway Zones check box.	To limit the refill to be executed instantly or on scheduled basis.	The automatic refill will be disabled.
Warehouse Navigator/General tab (select a warehouse)	Clear the Putaway Destination check box.	We do not want the putaway to create transport task to the remote warehouse when for example a purchase order is received with putaway.	The locations in the Remote Warehouse will not be considered a putaway destination.

Warehouse Navigator/General tab (select a warehouse)	Enter a Default Part Availability Control with the setting: Part Supply Control: Not Nettable Part Auto Reservation Control: Non-Automatic Reservation Part Manual Reservation Control: Non-Manual Reservation Part Order Issue Control: Non-Order Issue Part Movement Control: All Allowed Putaway Zone Refill Source: Unselected Part Non-Order Issue Control, Part Scrap Control and Part Counting Control is user optional.	Explained in the section: Using default part availability control above.	The remote warehouse stock will be limited to the work order process and to the user that is connected to the actual remote warehouse.
Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse/General tab (select a warehouse)	Select the Appear as Putaway Zone check box.	This setting will make it possible to run manual or scheduled refill of the remote warehouse.	All remote warehouse assortment-connected parts will get a putaway zone in the remote warehouse.
Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse/General tab (select a warehouse)	Enter a ranking of the putaway zone.	It should be the highest ranking to make sure that parts are refilled in the remote warehouse.	All remote warehouse assortment-connected parts will get a putaway zone in the remote warehouse.
Remote Warehouse Assortment/General tab	Create a new remote warehouse assortment with priority.		The assortment part with the highest priority will appear on the *Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse/Parts* tab.
Remote Warehouse Assortment/Parts tab	Add parts to the assortment.	The parts added in this tab will be connected to the remote warehouses defined on the Remote Warehouses tab.
Remote Warehouse Assortment/Sites tab	Add sites.	The assortment will be available on the sites added (the parts added have to exist as inventory parts on the added sites).
Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse/Assortments tab (select a warehouse)	Add the assortments for the specific remote warehouse (this can also be done from the Remote Warehouse Assortment/Remote Warehouses tab).	To make the assortment active on the remote warehouses.
Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse/Users tab (select a warehouse)	Add the users that should have the remote warehouse as a default warehouse (this can also be done from the Users Connected to Warehouses window).	The user added to a specific remote warehouse can override the default part availability control entered above in the work order process.	See above under the Work Order header how this affect the reserve and issue logic.
Site/Extended Site Info/Inventory/General tab	Refill Putaway Zones: From All Stock Locations	This setting is needed to enable the refill jobs (the setting can be overridden on the Inventory Part).
Site/Extended Site Info/Inventory/Transport Task tab	Select the Auto Assign Drop-Off Location on Manual Transport Task check box.	This setting makes it possible to use drop-off locations and two step transport task for manually created transport tasks.	The system will automatically create a two-step transport task if a drop-off location exists between the from and to-location.
Warehouse Navigator/Transport Task tab (select a warehouse)	For single parts and pallet-handled parts add a drop-off location.	The general reason using a drop-off location is that it is different persons handling the part. The warehouse worker in the central warehouse collects the parts needed and performs the transport task to the drop-off. The worker using the remote warehouse executes the transport task between the drop-off location and the remote warehouse.	Transport tasks to the warehouse will first be transported to the drop-off location with a forward-to location in the remote warehouse.
Warehouse Navigator/Transport Task tab (select a warehouse)	In the Automatic Consolidation group box select the option Warehouse for both from location and to-location.	Transport task lines created to the warehouse will, if the rules on the from-warehouse allows it, be consolidated on one transport task to the remote warehouse. The same logic applies when transport task lines are created from the remote warehouse.	Transport task lines are consolidated. The setting on warehouse overrides the setting on site for from-location and to-location.
*Site/Extended Site Info/Inventory/Transport Task*** tab	Select the Allow Deviating Part Availability Control check box.	To make it possible to move parts with deviating part availability control using transport task.
Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse (select a warehouse)	Right-click on the warehouse header and then click Refill all Putaway Zones.	Create a scheduled job for when the transport task or purchase requisitions should be created. If no job is created the user have to perform refill job manually.	The remote warehouse assortment-connected parts will be refilled.