In order to save time when preparing numerous orders, the RMS allows you to batch orders whose products are in the same or close location in the warehouse. This way, you make a more efficient round to pick up products in stock.

The solution provided by Lizee to create these batches makes it possible to optimize the picking and packing stages.

Picking packing is an order preparation method that is used throughout the logistics world.

It allows you to group orders for:

1. Select and pick products from the warehouse aisles while limiting movement (picking).

2. Pack and check the products by order, then label the packages (Packing)

Picking packing is an order preparation method that is used throughout the logistics world. 
It allows you to group orders to:
1. Select and pick products from the warehouse aisles while limiting movement (picking).
2. Pack and check products by order, then label packages (Packing).

This functionality is offered to all warehouses managing rental and second-hand orders; it is currently not offered to stores that manage product stocks.*

1. Generating batches

Generating a batch involves grouping together several products linked to different orders. All products contained in this batch will be picked and then packaged.

1. In the RMS > Outwards > Orders management > Prepare an order then click on "Generate a batch" (if you want to prepare orders in a "traditional" way, without going through the batch, go to "Unitary order preparation" just next to "Prepare an order")
2. Fill in the modale with different criteria to generate a batch:
   • Depending on the number of brands associated with the connected user account, the drop-down list to choose one or more clients will be visible or not.
   • Preparation deadline: all orders included in the batch have their preparation date prior to or equal to the date given in the form (today by default)
   • Batch type: include mono orders (1 product only in the order), multi (several products in the order), mixed (orders with 1 or more products)
   • Type of orders: rental, second hand or mix of rental and second hand orders
   • Number of products in the batch: it is possible to limit the batch to be created by entering a maximum number of products to include (by default 30).
   • The gray box on the left allows you to know the number of orders which have to be prepared with the selected criteria.

2. Picking

Once a batch is generated, it appears in the list and has the "to pick" status.

A “prioritary” batch is a batch which contains at least one "High priority" order. (check What is a "High priority" order and how do I process it?)

Launch a picking

When clicking on a "To pick" batch, you start picking it.

It then displays a list of locations, these locations contain products of the batch orders. For each ordered product, the location indicated is the one which contains the most references currently available. It's up to you to select the most logical location in relation to the tour you are going to carry out (the order indicated can be modified).

When clicking on a location, the list of products to be picked at this location is displayed (the location name is then displayed on the top).

2 options there:

• the product(s) is(are) available at this location, the operators scans its (their) PUID, then clicks on "Finish location" to go to the next location
• at least one product is not available at this location, the operators directly clicks on "Finish location" -> the product is then declared as missing when you click on the red button "missing product issue".

When a product is reported missing, the associated order goes into the category of "orders with issues".

Once all locations have been visited and all products in the batch have been picked, you can finish picking the batch.

3. Packing

Prerequisites to start packing

• To start packing it, a batch must be in status "to pack".
• The products you will scan when packing must be the ones you picked earlier, else an error message saying the PUID is not expected in the batch will pop.

Start packing

To pack orders, go to the RMS > Outwards > Orders management > Prepare an order, then select a batch in the "to pack" status from the list or filter them with the "Packing" tab at the top.

Orders to be packed are of 2 types: 

1. Mono orders

Mono orders contain only 1 product.

When you click on a batch of mono orders :

• the list of all of this batch's picked products is displayed
• The operator randomly selects and scans one of these products.
• The order linked to this product is displayed (its number is at the top of the page)
• The operator chooses the number of packaging items he needs for this order
• He prints transport labels
• Then he has 2 options : 
  • If all goes well, the order is ready, he can finish it and move on to the next one

  • If a problem occurs (printing problem or any other) and the operator is unable to complete the preparation, he can report an anomaly. This report will put the order in “anomaly” status and its preparation can be resumed in the “orders with anomalies” block (located above the batches).

2. Multi orders

As a reminder, a multi order has several products. When you click on a batch of multi orders to pack, here are the steps to follow:

• the list of all of this batch's picked products is displayed
• The operator randomly selects and scans one of these products (here he saves time compared to a classic preparation method because he takes the product then the associated order is automatically found, rather than having to find all the products of an order in his cart).
• The order linked to this product is displayed (its number is at the top of the page)
• The other products to be packed for this order are displayed, the operator takes them from the picking cart (here we cannot do anything other than asking him to find the other products in the order). He scans them.
• The rest of the sequence is identical to mono orders: choice of number of packages, printing of labels and declaration of any anomaly.

Anomaly management

Orders with anomalies

Anomaly orders can be viewed in several ways:

• From the list of orders: Outwards > Orders management > Order list (red dot in the “Anomaly” column).
• In Outwards > Orders management > Prepare an order > Orders with issues above the listof batches.
  This section makes it possible to deal with anomalies, one after the other. When you open it, you find:
  
  

  • “Orders to process”: these are orders which warehouse operators can handle directly.

  • “After-sales process”: these are orders which require the after-sales team to work on them before they can be resolved (in the event when a product is ultimately not available, after-sales service must contact the customer to find out how to process their order (deletion of products, substitution, cancellation of the order).
    After-sales service actions processed in the OMS are automatically reflected in the RMS. Once the after-sales service action has been carried out, the order goes back to the “Orders to process” tab and warehouse operators can finalize their preparation (potentially a missing product has been removed from the order, another one added, depending on the after-sales team's action).
    

Operation of an anomaly order

There are several ways to declare an order anomaly:

1. During picking, if a product to be picked at a location is not physically available (and there is therefore a stock error) the product can be reported as missing.
   The first automatic step to resolve this anomaly (product missing from picking) will be to find another product of the same reference but in another location. Concretely, the operator can search for a product with a similar EAN in another location, when going to the list of "Orders to process" and selecting the order, then clicking on the "Search a location" button, next to the product that was missing.
   Then, either the product is available at another location. In the example below, the operator will be able to go to "3020101" location to pick the item, scan it and solve the anomaly. 
   Or the product is not available in another location, so the operator clicks again on "Missing product".
   The anomaly is still on and it will go to the after-sales service team in order to find a solution with the customer to fulfill their order (addition of product, deletion, substitution, cancellation of order).
   
   Some details around what happens after customer service acted:
   • If the missing product has been removed from the order:
     • If there are products left in the order, the operator prints the shipping label and completes the order
     • If the order was mono, the order is canceled, and the operator follows the instructions to place the products in the restocking area.
   • If the missing product was substituted: the operator searches and scans the new product, he completes the order.
   • If the order was cancelled: once the order appears in the “Order to process” tab, the operator follows the instructions to place products back in the restocking area.
2. During the packing, as described somewhere above in this page. It is then a "non identified anomaly" and it awaits for the problem to be solved (printer working again, morepackaginf boxes arrived...) before it can be resumed.