Understanding Allocations and Pre-Allocations

In PeopleSoft Inventory demand fulfillment, an allocation occurs when an item quantity in a specific material storage location (MSL) within the inventory business unit has been reserved for a particular demand line. For example, assume that an order number CEN123 has an order line for 100 units of widgets. The order line is allocated when the system defines that the 100 units will be picked from Area 2, Row 12, Bin 14 (MSL) of the inventory business unit.

Allocation usually occurs when the Order Release process (IN_FUL_RLS) is run, moving the demand line from the Releasable fulfillment state to the Released state. However, allocations can take place earlier in the demand fulfillment cycle; this is called pre-allocation. Pre-allocations can be generated by the pegging feature or the lot-allocation feature, or by allocating any demand line before the Released fulfillment state.

PeopleSoft Inventory defines the following types of allocations:

  • Standard Allocation: An allocation that is created within the picking fulfillment step, that is, when the demand line is moved to the Released fulfillment state.

    See .Understanding the Picking Process

  • Pre-Allocation: An allocation to a MSL that is created before the picking fulfillment step, that is, while the demand line is in the Unfulfilled or Releasable state. Pre-allocations can occur when pegged stock is put away in the inventory business unit or when you pre-allocate stock to a demand line.

  • Lot Allocation: Allocating a specific lot ID to fulfill a lot-controlled item on a demand line. This is a type of pre-allocation because it takes place when the demand line is in the Unfulfilled or Releasable fulfillment state. It differs from other pre-allocations in that the demand line is allocated to a particular lot ID.

The type of allocation used on a demand line is stored in the ALLOCATE_SOURCE field of the DEMAND_PHYS_INV record and can have the value of:

  • SA for standard allocation

  • PR for pre-allocation

  • LT for lot allocation

The allocation type is displayed on several pages within the demand fulfillment cycle. You can view the type of allocation on the following inquiry pages:

  • Stock Requests - Picking Details page (Inventory > Fulfill Stock Orders > Review Fulfillment Information > Review Stock Request Status Click the Picking Details link on the Stock Requests page.) This page displays the type of allocation by the order line within demand fulfillment.

  • Allocated Items by Location page (Click the Qty Reserved link on the Item Balance by Location page or the Inventory Inquiry by Location Details page. Both pages are under the navigation path of Inventory > Manage Inventory > Review Inventory Balance Info). The Allocated Items by Location page displays the type of allocation by the item ID within a specific material storage location of the inventory business unit.