Introduce Custom Attribute Fields for Inbound LPN, Outbound LPN and Pallet Entities

Your warehouse operations are constantly evolving in terms of scope and complexity. This opens up a necessity to handle data attributes that are specific to your business or industry.

So, with this release, we’re introducing an enhanced capability in WMS to support “custom fields” on the UI as well as APIs. By facilitating the capture of more granular level of data as well as customizing such captured data attributes on various business objects, you can mitigate errors in material handling or fulfillment.

You can make use of custom fields (“Cust Field 1” to “Cust Field 5”) for the following existing entities:

UI SCREEN API RF MODULE RULES AND OUTPUT INTERFACES
Pallet

Outbound LPN (PATCH API)

 RF Post Packing OBLPN updates and handling Label Rules Engine
Inbound LPN/Outbound LPN

Pallet (PATCH API)

 RF IBLPN updates and handling Outbound LPN Putaway Type Determination Rule
Label Designer Container (PATCH API)   Putaway Type Determination Rule
Item Inventory by LPN Inbound LPN (PATCH API)   Outbound Audit Rule
  Composite Create API   Outbound LPN Shipping Info
  Manufacturing Transaction API   Pallet Shipping Info
  Close LPN API    

NOTE: 

  • You can input a maximum of 1000 characters for the cust fields. Special/alphanumeric characters are also allowed.

  • When you export data to a .csv file, the cust fields (if added) are also displayed.

CUST FIELDS FOR UI SCREENS

NOTE: By default, the cust fields are displayed on the UI screens. You need to add the cust fields to the datagrid for viewing. Then, the search functionality is also supported.

  • PALLET UI

You can update the cust fields for a Pallet using the Pallet PATCH API. You can also perform a GET API to display the cust field data via: ... /wms/lgfapi/v10/entity/pallet

  • INBOUND LPN/OUTBOUND LPN

For inbound LPNs, you can update the cust fields via the Inbound LPN UI (for statuses “Received” and “Located”) as well as the Container PATCH API and Inbound LPN PATCH API.

For outbound LPNS, you can update the cust fields via Container PATCH API and Outbound LPN PATCH API.

Use the following GET APIs to display the cust field data for:

  1. Inbound LPN: ... /wms/lgfapi/v10/entity/iblpn
  2. Outbound LPN: ... /wms/lgfapi/v10/entity/oblpn
  3. Container: ... /wms/lgfapi/v10/entity/container

NOTE:  When you set an LPN as a Physical Pallet on the Inbound LPN UI, the cust fields are also copied to its corresponding record in the Pallet UI.

  • ITEM INVENTORY BY LPN

When you add and use cust fields on the Inbound LPN or Outbound LPN UIs, the same cust field data is fetched from the respective UI and reflected to the Item Inventory by LPN UI.

  • LABEL DESIGNER

Any configured cust fields in the Inbound LPN, Outbound LPN and Pallet UIs will be reflected on the Label Designer UI as well.

For the Inbound LPN and Inbound Pallet label types, the Inbound LPN and Pallet cust fields will be reflected. Likewise for the Outbound LPN, Outbound Pallet, Outbound Contents and Shipping label types, the Outbound LPN and Outbound Pallet cust fields will be reflected on the Label Designer UI.

USE CUST FIELDS TO SUPPORT PATCH API

  • OUTBOUND LPN API

You can input Cust Fields for Outbound LPNs having the statuses “Outbound Created”, “In Picking”, “Picked”, “In Packing”, “Packing”, “Packed” and “Loaded”. For other statuses, the system displays an appropriate error message: “Container is in Invalid Status”.

URL: ...wms/lgfapi/v10/entity/oblpn/{id}

Sample Body:

{

"fields":

{ 

"length": "1.23",

"width": "2.24",

"height": "3.40",

"weight": "19.25",

"volume": "9.37", 

"cust_field_1": " ",

"cust_field_2": " ",

"cust_field_3": " ",

"cust_field_4": " ",

"cust_field_5": " "

}

}

  • PALLET API

You can input Cust Fields for Pallets having the statuses “In-Facility” and “Fully Allocated”. For other statuses, the system displays an appropriate error message: “Pallet Status is Invalid”.

URL: .../wms/lgfapi/v10//entity/pallet/{id}
  • CONTAINER API

You can input Cust Fields for Containers having the statuses “Quality Check”, “Received”, “Located”, “Allocated”, “Partly Allocated” and “Reserved” for Inbound Containers, and, “Outbound Created”, “In Picking”, “Picked”, “In Packing”, “Packing”, “Packed” and “Loaded” for Outbound Containers. For other statuses, the system displays an appropriate error message: “Container is in invalid status”.

URL: .../wms/lgfapi/v10/entity/container/{id}
  • INBOUND LPN API

You can input Cust Fields for inbound LPNs having the statuses “Quality Check”, “Received”, “Located”, “Allocated”, “Partly Allocated” and “Reserved”. For other statuses, the system displays an appropriate error message: “Container is in invalid status”.

URL: .../wms/lgfapi/v10/entity/iblpn/{id}

USE CUST FIELDS TO SUPPORT POST APIS

  • COMPOSITE CREATE API
URL: POST .../wms/lgfapi/v10/entity/iblpn/composite_create/
  • MANUFACTURING TRANSACTION API
URL: POST.../wms/lgfapi/v10/inventory/manufacturing_transaction
  • CLOSE LPN API

Cust Fields are displayed in the MHE Pick Confirm UI as well.

URL: POST .../wms/lgfapi/v10/pick_pack/close_lpn/

USE CUST FIELDS FOR RF MODULES

  • RF POST PACKING OUTBOUND LPN UPDATES AND HANDLING

To support the use of cust fields in RF Post Packing Outbound LPN updates and handling (rf.outbound.cwrfpostpackinglpnhandling), we’ve introduced a new screen parameter called “prompt-cust-fields”.

When you set the parameter “prompt-cust-fields” as YES, the system prompts you to input cust fields (i.e, “Cust Field 1” – “Cust Field 5”). However, inputting values for cust fields is not mandatory; you can press Tab and input values for desired cust fields. You can also edit/clear the pre-populated values for the cust fields.

NOTE: By default, the parameter value is set as NO.

Now, when you perform RF Update Outbound LPN/Pallet, the system populates the newly entered cust field value(s) on the corresponding cust field(s) of the scanned Outbound LPN/Pallet. When your container type is a pallet, the cust field gets updated only on the scanned pallet, and not on the Outbound LPN(s) in the pallet.

  • RF INBOUND LPN UPDATES AND HANDLING

To support the use of cust fields for Inbound LPNs and Pallets of Type I (i.e Pallet containing Inbound Containers), we’ve introduced a new screen RF Inbound LPN updates and handling (rf.inbound.cwrfiblpnupdatesandhandling) as well as a new parameter called “prompt-cust-fields”.

If you scan an LPN/Pallet that is LPN as a Physical Pallet, the cust field value(s) are updated on both the Inbound LPN as well as the Pallet.

USE CUST FIELDS FOR RULES AND OUTPUT INTERFACES

  • PALLET SHIPPING INFO

If a Pallet has cust fields data and you generate the Pallet Shipping Info for that record, the cust fields data is reflected on the Pallet Shipping Info header. This is applicable for both XML and One Line formats.

  • OUTBOUND LPN SHIPPING INFO

If a Outbound LPN has cust fields data and you generate the Outbound Shipping Info for that record, the cust fields data is reflected on the Outbound Shipping Info.

For XML and One Line format, when the Outbound LPN Shipping Info is generated, the cust fields are displayed in the Outbound LPN Detail body. However, for the JSON format, when the field is selected, the cust fields are displayed in the field selection on the Output Interface Config for Outbound LPN Shipping Info.

You can also use Cust Fields to configure selection criteria for the following rules:

  • Outbound LPN Putaway Type Determination Rule
  • Putaway Type Determination Rule
  • Outbound Audit Rule

Steps to Enable

  • To use cust fields in RF Post Packing Outbound LPN updates and handling (rf.outbound.cwrfpostpackinglpnhandling), set the screen parameter “prompt-cust-fields” value as YES.
  • To use cust fields for Inbound LPNs and Pallets of Type I (i.e Pallet containing Inbound Containers), set the screen parameter “prompt-cust-fields” value as YES for the RF Inbound LPN updates and handling (rf.inbound.cwrfiblpnupdatesandhandling).