Entering Picking Fulfillment Exceptions
You can enter a fulfillment exception when the fulfillment request has the status New or In Progress. To enter a fulfillment exception, you specify the exception quantity, the exception type, and the reason for the exception. The exception quantity you are able to specify depends on two factors: the exception type and the quantity of items already fulfilled.
The following screenshot shows how a picking fulfillment exception is entered on the fulfillment request record. The quantity requested is 1 (A) – this is usually the same as the quantity entered on the sales order. You enter the quantity of the items in the exception (B). You select the kind of exception – Picking or Picking Up (C). You enter the cause of the exception in the Exception Reason column (D).
If you change the exception type after entering an exception quantity, verify that the exception quantity is correct.
Using the Pickup Hold Field
To indicate an exception has been entered and further action is required to process the order, NetSuite sets the Pickup Hold field on the fulfillment request. The field is only set when all line items in the fulfillment request are either picked or have a fulfillment exception. You and other employees can then view a list of fulfillment requests according to the pickup hold status.
The status of the fulfillment request record is not affected by the Pickup Hold field.
The Pickup Hold field can have one of the following values:
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Customer Feedback Requested – NetSuite sets the Pickup Hold field to this value after a new fulfillment exception is entered on the fulfillment request and all other line items in the request are either picked or have a fulfillment exception. This is the first pickup hold status.
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Customer Feedback Received – After contacting the customer, you enter the customer’s instructions on the fulfillment request. NetSuite sets the Pickup Hold to this value when all items have an instruction. This is the second pickup hold status.
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Instructions Acknowledged – This is the final pickup hold status. NetSuite sets the Pickup Hold field to this value to indicate that you have viewed instructions on all lines. When viewing the list of fulfillment requests, you can then filter out fulfillment requests with this pickup hold status.
To enter a picking fulfillment exception:
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Go to Transactions > Order Management > Manage Fulfillment Requests and click Edit next to the fulfillment request you want to work with.
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Click the Fulfillment Exceptions tab.
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In the Item column, select an item. Only unfulfilled items in the fulfillment request appear in the dropdown list.
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In the Exception Type field, select Picking.
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In the Exception Quantity column, enter the number of items for the fulfillment exception.
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Select the reason for the exception. The list of reasons in the dropdown list depends on the selected exception type. See Exception Types and Reasons.
You can also enter a comment if you want to add more details about the reason for the exception.
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Click Save.
After you enter picking exceptions in a fulfillment request, NetSuite checks whether the pickup hold status needs to be updated. If the sum of the exception quantity and the picked quantity is equal to the requested quantity, NetSuite sets the pickup hold status to Customer Feedback Requested.
If the Pickup Hold field is not updated, make sure all line items in the fulfillment request are either picked or have a fulfillment exception.
The pickup hold status is independent of the fulfillment request status. The status of the fulfillment request remains In Progress (or New) regardless of the Pickup Hold status.
Examples of Picking Fulfillment Exceptions
Fulfillment Request with One Line Item
In this scenario, the fulfillment request has a quantity of five for item Blue Jeans Size M. During the picking stage of fulfillment, the store employee discovers that one of the items is damaged. The employee enters a fulfillment exception by specifying "1" as the quantity, "Picking" as the type, and "Damaged" as the reason. When the employee saves the fulfillment request with the exceptions, the Pickup Hold field is set to Customer Feedback Requested (because the sum of the picked quantity and the exception quantity is equal to the requested quantity).
|
Item |
Quantity |
Picked Qty |
Exception Type |
Exception Reason |
Exception Qty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Blue Jeans Size M |
5 |
4 |
Picking |
Damaged |
1 |
Fulfillment Request with Multiple Line Items
In this scenario, the fulfillment request has three line items (Blue Jeans Size M, Black Shirt Size M, and Scarf). The line item Blue Jeans Size M is fully available in the store, but the line item Black Shirt Size M is only partially available, and the item Scarf is not available. Because the line items for the black shirt and the scarf cannot be picked, the employee enters a fulfillment exception for the line items, specifying the "Picking" exception type and the "Damaged" and "Inventory mismatch" reasons respectively. When all lines have been fully picked or exceptions have been entered, the Pickup Hold field is set to Customer Feedback Requested.
|
Item |
Quantity |
Picked Qty |
Exception Type |
Exception Reason |
Exception Qty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Blue Jeans Size M |
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Black Shirt Size M |
2 |
1 |
Picking |
Damaged |
1 |
|
Scarf |
1 |
0 |
Picking |
Inventory mismatch |
1 |
Picking Exceptions + Automatic Location Assignment
If the Automatic Location Assignment feature is enabled and you enter a picking exception, NetSuite suspends automatic location assignment of the item. Entering a picking exception is typically an indication of an anomaly or problem with inventory of the item at the location. NetSuite therefore suspends automatic location assignment of the item to prevent further fulfillment requests being created for the location. After you save the exception on the fulfillment request record, NetSuite no longer assigns locations automatically to sales order lines that have the suspended items.
Store pickup orders are not affected by suspension of the item because the customer explicitly chooses the store pickup location at the time the order is created.
To start receiving fulfillment requests again at the location for suspended items, you must clear the Auto Loc. Assignment Suspended box on the item record. To restore an item suspended for automatic location assignment, go to Lists > Accounting > Items and click Edit next to the item you want to restore. On the Purchasing/Inventory subtab, in the Locations sublist, clear the Auto Loc. Assignment Suspended box for the location, and then click Save.