Chapter 24: Submit Interactive PC Manifest (SPCI)

Purpose: Use the Submit Interactive PC Manifest menu option to start the PCINTASYNC asynchronous job to begin processing records in the Manifest Upload New (FLMNUL) file.

Overview: If you use PC manifesting, you create a download file when you generate pick slips. If you use batch PC manifesting, the iSeries sends this file to the manifesting station, which returns an upload file when the packages are wanded. When you use interactive PC manifesting, however, you do not actually download this file to the manifesting; instead, it remains on the iSeries for validation against records sent interactively from the manifesting station.

After the packages are wanded at the manifesting station, you need to process the records uploaded from the PC manifest through the asynchronous jobs so that you can bill the shipments, update the orders, and perform all other related system updates. When you use interactive PC manifesting, you can choose to have the related asynchronous job running at all times to receive any records as they arrive from the manifesting station, or you can choose to “kick off” the job on demand.

Why use manual processing? You might choose to submit the manifest records manually rather than automatically to improve system efficiency and reduce inventory transaction errors. For example:

• Response time: If your response time is poor when you wand packages at the manifest station, submitting the process on demand might improve system performance.

• Inventory transaction errors. Manual processing might be helpful if:

• You pick from primary locations only, and

• You typically print more pick slips at once than you could actually pick from the current on-hand quantities in primary locations

In this situation, you might choose to allow the manifest upload records to accumulate until you have replenished the primary locations and recorded the replenishment on the system. By timing the processing this way, you would avoid an inventory transaction error when the system attempts to process a shipment against a primary location that, on the system at least, does not appear to have sufficient inventory to fulfill the pick slip.

PC manifesting setup: You would use the Submit Interactive PC Manifest menu option if you have your system set up as follows:

• The Use PC Manifesting (B80) system control value is set to Y.

• The PC Manifest Tool (B81) system control value is set to TRACER1. Among other things, this causes the system to use the PCINTASYNC asynchronous job for processing shipment confirmations.

• The Use Pick Label Tracking in Manifest Interface? (D48) system control value is set to Y. With this setting, the system uses the: Manifest Download New (FLMNDL) and Manifest Upload New (FLMNUL) files to communicate with the manifesting station. (The Number of Pick Control Labels (D47) system control value indicates the number of label records to send to the manifesting station for possible wanding.)

• The Interactive Processing (E56) system control value is set to M (manual), which means that you “kick off” processing the manifest records on demand rather than having the asynchronous job process each record automatically as it is received through the upload.

For more information: Refer to PC Manifest Socket Interface.

Remain active? When you submit the interactive PC manifest job manually using this menu option, you must specify whether the job should remain active until you bring down all of the asynchronous jobs, or simply process all current manifesting records before ending. You need to make this decision based on the particular situation in your warehouse, taking into account whether the remaining manifest records you will process that day present any possible problems as described above.

Submit Interactive PC Manifest Screen

Purpose: Use this screen to start the PCINTASYNC job and process the information in the Manifest Upload New file.

How to display this screen: Enter SPCI in the Fast Path field at the top of any menu or select Submit Interactive PC Manifest from a menu.

Note: If the PCINTASYNC job is already running, the following message displays:

Interactive PC Manifest ASYNC job already active.

FLR0572 ENTER Submit Interactive PC Manifest 12/12/97 12:21:10 Remain Active . Y (Y=Yes, N=No) F3=Exit F12=Cancel

How to complete this screen: Press Enter to process the records in the Manifest Upload New file and leave the PCINTASYNC job up and running until you bring down all of the asynchronous jobs.

Enter N to process the records in the Manifest Upload New file and bring the PCINTASYNC job down when processing of all current manifest records is complete.

When you press Enter at this screen, a message such as the following displays:

Job511933/EKAPLAN/PCINTASYNCsubmitted to job queueASYNCin library CWMPGPL .

Updates performed:

• Creates Order Transaction History records for each pick label scanned. Information on the Order Transaction History record includes the pick control number, meter charge, weight of the package, ship via that was used to actually ship the package, and tracking number. You can review this information in order inquiry by pressing F18; see Customer Service Chapter 52: Using the Order Inquiry Scan Screens (OIOM).

• Creates Manifest Audit records for each pick label scanned. Manifest Audit records are used to be sure that every package that was scanned and uploaded was billed. You can use the Manifest Audit Report to review this information.

• Sends records to the Billing ASYNC job so that the items that were shipped can be billed.

• Deletes the records from the Manifest Upload New file.

See System Operations Chapter 3: Working with the BILL_ASYNC Job for more information on the asynchronous jobs.