Common Warehouse Automation Flows
See the following topics for more details aboutcommon MHE flows:
Pick to Light
In a Pick to Light (PTL) flow, after WMS Cloud runs a wave and creates allocations, these are then communicated to the PTL system. The PTL will have information on each allocation, container, location and item quantities to be picked.
As a container is scanned at the start of the picking module, lights light up corresponding to the allocations in that container. As the operator pushes the light buttons to confirm picks, the PTL system sends messages. Once the container is complete, a close message is received from the PTL and the container can proceed to staging. Exception scenarios such as short picks are also covered through these APIs.
Pick to Light Flow Steps
- Run cubed or non-cubed wave.
- Generate Wave Pick information as an output interface file to be sent to MHE’s control system.
- Scan LPN to start packing.
- Pick and Pack into LPN. As the lights glow, use Pack API.
- Send short API if picked short.
- Send Close LPN (non-cubed or automatically packed)
- Send Complete command if all picking for given OBLPN is complete to short all remaining picks.
Load Balancing
Oracle WMS Cloud contains a load balancing feature to spread workloads across mirrored areas of a distribution center. This load balancing can be used with or without MHE systems.
Your operation can determine the number of different zones to consider when running a wave by creating a group. Oracle WMS Cloud allows you to evenly spread the requirements from the wave across the different zones in terms of number of orders, units, volume or weight, depending on the most applicable metric for the customer.
Wave Load Balancing Flow
The following table indicates the order and actions involved in a typical Wave Load Balancing flow:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Wave Load Balancing – wave group has order selection and capacity to create balanced waves
|
| 2 | WMS sends Wave Pick Information message |
| 3 |
Pick to Light System receives Wave Pick Information message |
| 4 |
Pick and Packing is performed using Pick to Light System |
| 5 |
Pick to Light system makes an API call when Picks are performed |
| 6 |
WMS updated with pick and pack information |
This flow diagram illustrates the Wave Pick Information being sent to the Pick to Light System and the Pick to Light System generating and API call to WMS as picks are confirmed. WMS then performs the pick and pack updates:
