Modify Create Pick Program

DALE001

In our warehouse each item can be located in one or more bins. Our items don’t have an expiration date and move that fast that we don’t have to worry about items that stay to long in the bins. The quantities that we have to pick for an item can vary from 100 (smallest box) to 24000 (2 full pallets). Each bin has the capacity of one pallet. For the fastest movers we sometimes have 5 pallets (not all full) or even more in inventory (based on the demand on the sales orders)

Navision uses the bin ranking in the calculation of the pick lines. Certainly for larger quantities, we have to pick from several bins to get the total qty, while there is often a bin (with a lower ranking) with the total qty available to pick. Of course this is very time consuming and more important often frustrating for the warehouse people.

If I set the bin ranking equal for all bins, the calculation of the picking lines uses the first bin in the list, which is also not the right method.
Has someone ever modified the calculation program in a way that it tries to use a less bins as possible? If not, what are your ideas about this kind of system? All pro’s and con’s all welcome.
Does anyone use the bin replenishment system in Navision? Also pro’s and con’s?

Thanks in advance,
Dany Leemans

bbrown

I have done a number of customizations to the warehouse picking and put-away processes for clients. Modifying picking usually revolves around change the default order in which Navision searches bins for the item. A common modification with lot controlled items is to have the system pick older lots first.

We qouted a modification similar to yours about a year ago, but the client was not willing to pay for it. (very common).

vanrofi

Dear Danny,

How's life?

In the Fun Db adapatations were made in the sence of a report that advised some bin movements to replenish so, that picking always could be done from groundfloor. This was only for the beginning, where there was no time to test and implement the standard Bin replenishment.

Probably these days they work with the bin replenishment from Navision, please check with Anne H from Navisoft, she' ll be able to inform you.

Grtz!

Shenpen

I've got an idea, although did not check it: somewhere in the code, there should be a SETCURRENTKEY that orders bins by something like location,zone,item no. and bin ranking, or something similar. I think you just need a new key that is something like location, zone, item no., quantity, and bin ranking and modify it to use that key. In that case higher qty - lower rankin' bins would come first. Didn't try it out though, it is just an idea.

Shenpen

Oops, thinking it over, quantity is a flowfield and cannot be part of the key. Then you might also need a new field and calc and save the quantity there...