40 Work with Speed Location Maintenance

This chapter contains this topic:

Section 40.1, "Working with Speed Location Maintenance"

40.1 Working with Speed Location Maintenance

From Inventory Management (G41), enter 29

From Inventory System Setup (G4141), choose Speed Location Maintenance

Working with speed location maintenance in Inventory Management allows you to enter multiple locations simultaneously, rather than setting up each location individually through the Branch/Plant Location Master.

Working with speed location maintenance in Advanced Warehouse Management allows you to use a location that exists in the Location Master table (F4100) as a model for entering new locations.

You can use speed location maintenance to enter new location information. New location information consists of:

Elements, which represent specific locations in the warehouse such as an aisle or bin
Steps that numerically increment the locations that you are creating
Limits for defining the minimum and maximum values for each element in the location code

40.1.1 Elements

Elements are parts of a location code that represent specific locations in the warehouse. You can define up to ten elements for a location code.

40.1.2 Steps

A step is a number that the system uses to create locations from a specified range of locations. After the system creates each new location, it increments each location by the step number that you enter. Therefore, by entering a range of locations in combination with a step, you can enter many locations at once.

For example, assume that you want to enter new locations for a flow zone in Warehouse A. The flow zone consists of aisles and bins. There are two aisles marked A and B, and six bins marked 1 through 6. By entering a step number of 1, you are telling the system to create locations that increment by one, such as A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, B1, B2, and so on. If you enter a step number of 2, the system increments the locations as A1, A3, A5, B1, B3, and so on.

40.1.3 Limits

A limit is a code that specifies where the system must begin, finish, and continue creating the locations during the stepping process, which is the automatic incrementing that the system performs to create the new locations.

During the stepping process, the system considers the minimum and maximum values for location elements.

The minimum and maximum values that you can have for an alphabetic location element are blank or A, and Z, respectively.

The minimum and maximum values that you can have for a numeric location element are 0 or 1, and 9, respectively.

You can enter four types of step limits:

A blank limit. The system creates the first location with a "from" value up to a "to" value, and then continue creating locations by starting again with the "from" value.
The upper limit. The system creates the first location with a "from" value up to a "to" value, and then continues creating locations by starting again with the lowest value in that element of the location code.
The lower limit. The system creates the first location with a "from" value up to the highest value in that element for the location code, and then continues creating locations by starting again with that same "from" value.
No limit. The system creates the first location with a "from" value up to the highest value in that element for the location code, and continues creating locations by starting again with the lowest value.

40.1.4 Examples: Working with Speed Location Maintenance

Assume that Warehouse A consists of:

6 aisles, A through F
9 bins, 1 through 9

The following examples demonstrate how the system creates new locations when you enter from and to information, steps, and limits.

Example 1: Speed Location Maintenance Using Blank Limit Method

Assume the following values on Speed Location Maintenance:

From aisle A, bin 06
To aisle B, bin 09
Step by 01

(The LM field is blank)

Figure 40-1 Speed Location Maintenance screen (blank limit)

Description of "Figure 40-1 Speed Location Maintenance screen (blank limit)"

The system creates the following new locations:

Example 2: Speed Location Maintenance Using Upper Limit Method

Assume the following values on Speed Location Maintenance:

From aisle A, bin 1
To aisle B, bin 3
Step by 1
Limit of 1

Figure 40-2 Speed Location Maintenance screen (upper limit)

Description of "Figure 40-2 Speed Location Maintenance screen (upper limit)"

The system creates the following new locations:

Example 3: Speed Location Maintenance Using Lower Limit Method

Assume the following values on Speed Location Maintenance:

From aisle A, bin 2
To aisle B, bin 4
Step by 1
Limit of 2

Figure 40-3 Speed Location Maintenance screen (lower limit)

Description of "Figure 40-3 Speed Location Maintenance screen (lower limit)"

The system creates the following new locations:

Example 4: Speed Location Maintenance Using No Limit Method

Assume the following values on Speed Location Maintenance:

From aisle B, bin 6
To aisle D, bin 8
Step by 1
Limit of 3

Figure 40-4 Speed Location Maintenance screen (no limit)

Description of "Figure 40-4 Speed Location Maintenance screen (no limit)"

The system creates the following new locations:

B6 through B9
C1 through C9
D1 through D8

40.1.5 Before You Begin

Verify that you have defined the format of locations in Branch/Plant Constants

See Also:

To work with speed location maintenance

On Speed Location Maintenance

Figure 40-5 Speed Location Maintenance screen

Description of "Figure 40-5 Speed Location Maintenance screen"

To locate the branch/plant for which you are entering locations, complete the following field:
- Branch/Plant
Verify that location control is on for the branch/plant by reviewing the message in the upper right corner of Speed Location Maintenance.
For each element in the new location, complete the following fields:
- From
- To
- Step By
- LM (Limit)
Choose Add/Change Locations (F13) to enter the new locations in the Location Master (F4100).

Field	Explanation
Aisle	A code that identifies a location in a warehouse. This code is used in conjunction with a bin and lot identifier, to indicate a specific, tangible storage area within a warehouse or yard.
Step by	A number (alphabetic or numeric) that the system uses to create locations within a range of locations that you specify in Speed Location Maintenance. When the system creates each new location, it increments the next new location by the step number that you entered and separates locations within a specified range of locations. For example: To create new locations: From Location: 1 To Location: 7 Step by: 2 The new locations are: 1, 3, 5, and 7.
L M	A code that indicates what limits are used in the stepping process: blank – Upper & Lower Limit. You create location codes beginning with the From value, ending with the To value, then starting again at the From value. 1 – Upper Limit. You create location codes beginning with the From value, ending with the To value, then starting again at the lowest value for that location code. 2 – Lower Limit. You create location codes beginning with the From value, ending with the highest value for that location code, then starting again at the From value. 3 – No Limit. You create location codes beginning with the From value, ending with the highest value for that location code, and then starting again at the lowest value for that location code.

Field

Explanation

Aisle

A code that identifies a location in a warehouse. This code is used in conjunction with a bin and lot identifier, to indicate a specific, tangible storage area within a warehouse or yard.

Step by

A number (alphabetic or numeric) that the system uses to create locations within a range of locations that you specify in Speed Location Maintenance. When the system creates each new location, it increments the next new location by the step number that you entered and separates locations within a specified range of locations.

For example:

To create new locations:

From Location: 1

To Location: 7

Step by: 2

The new locations are: 1, 3, 5, and 7.

L M

A code that indicates what limits are used in the stepping process:

blank – Upper & Lower Limit. You create location codes beginning with the From value, ending with the To value, then starting again at the From value.

1 – Upper Limit. You create location codes beginning with the From value, ending with the To value, then starting again at the lowest value for that location code.

2 – Lower Limit. You create location codes beginning with the From value, ending with the highest value for that location code, then starting again at the From value.

3 – No Limit. You create location codes beginning with the From value, ending with the highest value for that location code, and then starting again at the lowest value for that location code.

40.1.6 What You Should Know About

Topic	Description
Numeric format	Be consistent with the numeric format of your entries for both location elements as well as steps. If you use 0 (zero) to precede the location element numbers 1 through 9 (01 - 09), use 0 (zero) to precede the step number so that the stepping process works correctly.
Number of locations	When you are entering locations, the message in the upper right corner of the form indicates the number of locations that the system will create, based on the location range information that you have entered. Ensure that this is the number of locations that you want the system to create before you enter them.
Additional function keys	Do not use the function keys at the bottom of the Speed Location Maintenance form. These function keys are used only in the Warehouse Management system.
Deleting mistakes	If you set up an incorrect location through Speed Location Maintenance, you can either: Delete your mistakes through Location Master Revisions, provided that you have few mistakes. Purge a range of locations if you have a large quantity of mistakes. If you purge files, you must use extreme caution. You cannot delete locations using Speed Location Maintenance. See Chapter 52, "Purge Data"