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Thread: Looking for workflow-advice

  1. #1

    Thread Starter
    PowerPoster Zvoni's Avatar
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    Looking for workflow-advice

    Hi Folks,

    situation:
    Warehouse with Stock called "H1"
    An item can be on multiple locations (separated by incoming-date, lot-no and some other criteria).
    The locations are separated by coordinates, e.g. "1A5620" --> "Warehouse 1 - Aisle A - Column 56 - Level 20"

    Now the problem at hand:
    We have a cleanroom with restricted access. In that cleanroom there are the same items stored on shelfs/locations which are part of "H1" (IMPORTANT!!)
    If an item is in the cleanroom is indicated by the "Level" of the coordinates (see above). e.g. "everything above Level 30 is cleanroom, everything below in Warehouse 1"

    Do not ask why it is that way. People with a much higher paygrade than me have decided upon this.

    Now there will come a time, when an item has no stock in the cleanroom.
    Our ladies working there take a handheld scanner, scan the partno from the bin/shelf into an excel-sheet, which is sent to the warehouse-manager.
    The manager looks up every single part-no if he has stock below Level 30 available (!!), if yes he triggers a transaction (basically: e.g. Move Item 123456 from 1A5620 To 1A2045 - 200 pcs).
    Now multiply that scenario with some 100 part-no, and i think you can see the problem:
    Since it's a "manual" process he might look up some 30 part-no. (out of 100) that don't have any stock whatsoever, but those 30 part-no he already looked up last week.

    Now i had the idea to write a small app (not decided yet if it's in VBA, FreePascal or whatever) doing the following:

    Initial step:
    Ladies scan the empty bins in the cleanroom (just part-no.)
    I collect those scans/part-no in a file, database, wherever
    I query our ERP-Database for available stock adhering to the "Level"-Rules
    If sufficient stock, send message to Warehouse-Manager
    If NOT sufficient stock, collect/move/save those part-no in a Queue, waiting for new stock to arrive from supplier
    empty out collected scans

    The warehouse-manager would only get those part-no which have sufficient stock

    next step (say, a week later):
    Ladies scan the empty bins in the cleanroom (they do not know/remember that they scanned that particular bin last week, either)
    I collect those scans/part-no in a file, database, wherever, DISCARDING part-no which are in the "no-stock-waiting-queue"
    I query our ERP-Database for available stock adhering to the "Level"-Rules
    If sufficient stock, send message to Warehouse-Manager (there might be items for which new stock has arrived in the meantime)
    If NOT sufficient stock, collect/move/save those part-no in a Queue, waiting for new stock to arrive from supplier
    empty out collected scans

    Note: I cannot work with our ERP-System, neither can i fire off a "INSERT or UPDATE" against our Database.
    I really have to work outside the system.
    Available stock would be checked when the program/app is executed

    Is my Workflow sound? Any advice/Ideas? Did i miss something?
    Last edited by Zvoni; Nov 22nd, 2021 at 08:16 AM.
    Last edited by Zvoni; Tomorrow at 31:69 PM.
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  2. #2
    PowerPoster wqweto's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for workflow-advice

    Is the ERP-Database the single source of truth?

    If so on "next step" no need for "I collect those scans/part-no in a file, database, wherever, DISCARDING part-no which are in the no-stock-waiting-queue", just stick plan A directly with "I query our ERP-Database for available stock adhering to the Level-Rules"

    cheers,
    </wqw>

  3. #3

    Thread Starter
    PowerPoster Zvoni's Avatar
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    Re: Looking for workflow-advice

    Quote Originally Posted by wqweto View Post
    Is the ERP-Database the single source of truth?
    In regards to "available stock at Level30 and below"? Yes


    If so on "next step" no need for "I collect those scans/part-no in a file, database, wherever, DISCARDING part-no which are in the no-stock-waiting-queue", just stick plan A directly with "I query our ERP-Database for available stock adhering to the Level-Rules"

    cheers,
    </wqw>
    That was my first thought, too, but then i was confronted with the scenario "and if the ladies have a lazy week, and don't scan anything?"
    There would still be the unresolved demands of the past, for which new stock might have arrived in the meantime.
    Ideas?

    Don't get me wrong: Your scenario was my first thought

    EDIT: Just had a short brainstorm with the person responsible for it:
    With that waiting queue we could reduce the amount of work for the ladies regarding scanning the bins.
    With Plan A the ladies would have to scan all empty bins every time!
    With the waiting queue we could issue a instruction "if you empty the bin, scan this bin immeadiatly".
    No need to repeat all empty bins.

    But i'm still open for ideas
    Last edited by Zvoni; Nov 22nd, 2021 at 09:11 AM.
    Last edited by Zvoni; Tomorrow at 31:69 PM.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One System to rule them all, One Code to find them,
    One IDE to bring them all, and to the Framework bind them,
    in the Land of Redmond, where the Windows lie
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    People call me crazy because i'm jumping out of perfectly fine airplanes.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Code is like a joke: If you have to explain it, it's bad

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