Using ASPluris WMS
- Julie Hanlon
Detailed guidance on using ASPluris with Jiwa is documented in the manuals: Warehouse Management System | Documentation
However, here is some commonly used guidance on the basics.
Operators
An Operator is a user login to the scanning handset. The list of Operators in the handset is created from the Jiwa staff maintenance records. However an Operator doesn’t necessarily need to be a Jiwa user and doesn’t need to be assigned a Jiwa licence. Once the list of Operators is in the ASPluris system from Jiwa, the Operator record can then be further configured inside ASPluris.
Create the staff record in Jiwa
Login to Jiwa and open System Settings > Staff Configuration > Staff Maintenance
Create a new staff record, or Copy an existing staff record that’s configured for ASPluris. The staff member needs to be Active and Enabled, but doesn’t need to belong to a User Group, nor have a Jiwa licence assigned. No licence means they can’t log in to Jiwa and no user groups means they won’t have permissions even if they do login to Jiwa.
Save the staff record, then give it a moment for it to sync with ASPluris.
Configure the operator record in ASPluris
Now login to the ASPluris service through your web browser. Click on the Operators tab and you will see a list of all the users from Jiwa.
Click on the blue edit icon next to the user name to configure your Operator. For example, you can
Set a logon Pin for the handset
Assign them a to warehouse, so they only see sales orders and purchase orders pertaining to the warehouse they work in
Restrict the type of transactions they can do
Make them Inactive - for example if they are a Jiwa user but don’t work in the warehouse.
Remove an Operator
If a warehouse employee leaves the organisation, update their Jiwa record by unticking Account Enabled and Active Staff Member. They will then disappear from the list of Operators in ASPluris.
Locations
Bin Locations in Jiwa are set by Logical Warehouse, and have a Description and Short Name. Short Name has a 10 character limit.
Jiwa’s Description = ASPluris Location
Jiwa’s Short Name is not used by ASPluris.
The Barcode and Sequence Number are set independently by exporting the Locations from ASPluris into a spreadsheet, setting the data, then reimporting back into ASPluris.
Bin Location Sequencing
Bin Location sequencing is handled by the ASPluris service, rather than by Jiwa (although see DEV-10437 for future developments on this). In ASPluris, the Sequence Number field handles the pick path. Associating a Sequence Number with a location allows for efficient picking and receiving. By using a sequence number, goods which form an order can be picked in the most efficient manner as they can be presented to the picker based on their location within the warehouse, therefore avoiding unnecessary travel back and forth between bins or shelves. If more than one location has the same sequence number (or some or all locations have no sequence number), items in those locations will still be presented together, but the exact order in which they will be presented is not defined.
The Sequence Number a numeric number which is entered by exporting the Locations data in ASPluris to a spreadsheet, entering the Sequence Number column using the Fill Down feature in Excel, then re-importing the Locations data. We recommend leaving a gap of 5 between each bin location, so you can easily insert a small number of bins in the future, without re-jigging every one that follows.
The relevant configuration setting in ASPluris is under Dispatch > Presentation > Sort Lines. Entering LocationSequence here will send the operator to the next closest bin location for that order, rather than, for example, the next item on the sales order lines.
If you still need a paper Pick Sheet report printed from Jiwa and you want the items sorted by Bin Location sequence, we recommend you use the Short Name field in Jiwa for the sequence number. Short Name holds 10 chars and doesn’t map to ASPluris. It’s the Description field in Jiwa that you see as the Default Bin Location and S.O.H. > Transaction Detail so there won’t be any confusion if you use Short Name.
Alternatively, use Item No. But be aware that Item No is not visible in Jiwa Inventory > Warehouse Configuration and can’t be edited by the user except by manually dragging rows up and down in that form. Item No is only visible in the Search Bin Location form in Inventory.
Stock Take
The first step in a stock take is to create the stock take in Jiwa. Leave the form in a non activated state. Jiwa will pre-populate the Quantity Found, but ASPluris will update these based on scanning.
In ASPluris, select Stocktake from the main menu, then select the relevant Jiwa stock take number.
Scan or select the bin you are counting now.
ASPluris assumes you may have multiple different items in one bin. So when the items in that bin have been counted, whether that be one or many, ASPluris prompts you to submit the count. It’s a bit onerous to do this after every bin, therefore let’s move to the next bin before submitting.
Use the burger icon on the top right, and select Change Location.
Scan the next location
Continue counting. When you’ve finished scanning all the bins, then choose Submit from the menu.
Warehouse Transfers
Warehouse Transfers Out
ASPluris facilitates the picking of stock for warehouse transfers out. The following system settings are required for this workflow:
Turn on Systems Setting: Purchase Orders > UseInTransitWarehouse
Turn on Systems Setting: Warehouse Transfer > UseInTransitWarehouse
Turn on Systems Setting: Warehouse Transfer > EnablePicking
Make sure all warehouse transfers are closed before you change your system settings in this area.
The following plugin is also required for this workflow. It sets the Quantity Transferred to 0 instead of the Quantity Ordered when the transfer is created. If the quantity transferred is not 0 initially, the scanners will think the item has already been fully picked.
The first step in a warehouse transfer is actually a warehouse purchase order. When the warehouse purchase order in the receiving warehouse is set to Sent, this automatically creates a Warehouse Transfer Out (WTO) in the dispatch warehouse. The created WTO has a status of Entered (see Warehouse Transfers | Warehouse Transfer Statuses ). It’s not visible on the scanners yet. This allows the dispatch warehouse management to review the transfer first and make any necessary adjustments. You don’t want the receiving warehouse to take all your stock!
Click Activate to set the status to Picking. Now the WTO is available on the scanners.
Select the transfer and start picking items, in the same way you might pick a sales order.
For particularly long transfers, we recommend submitting your picked quantities at frequent intervals. Use the submit icon (paper plane), from the hamburger menu (3 dots top right) of the W/H Transfer Out screen.
When the transfer is completely picked, the scanner will automatically update the transfer to In Transit status and the stock will be moved from your dispatch warehouse to the In Transit warehouse. There it’s available to be transferred in, via a Warehouse Transfer In in the receiving warehouse.
If you can’t pick all the ordered quantities because you’re out of stock, to submit a short pick or no pick, select the item again and click Complete Line from the hamburger menu.
Serial vs Batch Items
As we know, Jiwa version 7 has one setting that covers both serial and batch items. (Watch this space for version 8 changes DEV-8991: Distinguish between serial and batch tracked itemsSelected for Development ). In the scenario, where you only want to allow unique serials per partno for a serialised item, then ASPluris covers this workflow with a custom field. The plugin ‘REST API - ASPluris’ (deployed here C:\Program Files\ASP\ASPluris V3.0\JiwaPlugins when you install ASPluris) provides custom field ‘IsSerialTracked’. When ticked the ASPluris workflow allows you to scan an Item, then scan serial number after serial number to enter multiple quantities of that item. When unticked, you scan an item, update the number of quantities of that item, then scan a serial that applies to every quantity.
IsSerialTracked = True (ticked)
Example with Receiving
Scan your item
Scan the location you’re receiving into (if Receiving Dock not set)
Scan serial after serial until all received
IsSerialTracked = False (unticked)
Scan your item
Scan your location, note quantity received defaults to quantity ordered.
Entering the serial number at this point will apply that serial to all 5 items.
Or change your quantity to 1 to apply this serial (batch) number to just one item of the five.
ASPluris Custom Fields
Part of the installation with ASPluris requires a Jiwa plugin to be installed in Jiwa. This plugin provides some Inventory custom fields described here
Custom Field | Description |
|---|---|
EnableManualQtyEntry | When Disable Manual Entry is on (forcing the operator to scan every item, rather then edit the quantity field), then this setting will over-ride that enforcement. E.g. Most of your stock is in barrels which are easily scanned, but a couple of items come in 1000s of mini bottles which are too onerous to scan individually. |
DefaultIssueBin | A text field for display purposes when picking items. There is no validation against Jiwa’s actual bins. The contents must match otherwise it’s useless. Best to leave this blank so ASPluris uses the Default Bin Location lookup in Jiwa. |
DefaultReceiveBin | A text field for display purposes when receiving items. There is no validation against Jiwa’s actual bins. The contents must match otherwise it’s useless. Best to leave this blank so ASPluris uses the Default Bin Location lookup in Jiwa. |
PickingControl | When picking a sales order, it forces the operator to pick the exact batch/serial number on the Jiwa sales order. This is generally used when you are not using FIFO, but are using back to back orders instead. When set to 0: Any available item can be picked. When 1: Item must match bin, expiry date, and serial/batch number. When 2. System warns but allows the operator to override. |
IsSerialTracked |
Put Away
The Put Away function involves moving stock from one bin location to another. Usually this relates to moving stock from the Receiving Dock to the pick bin. In Jiwa, a Put Away results in a stock transfer From/To the same part.
The Receiving Dock is configured in the Receiving configuration tab. It means, when receiving, stock it will go to this bin by default. I have mine set to bin 90010000.
The main ASPluris Putaway configuration setting I have for this example is ‘Show Default Location’, set to 1.
From the Receiving menu, select Put Away
Select/scan the bin you are putting away FROM. I have selected the Receiving Dock bin ‘90010000’
The app will now display all the stock in that bin, sorted by partno.
Take line two, for example. The app is telling us that we have 4 Test-HW in bin 90010000. We haven’t picked any yet. The default bin location for Test-HW is 20071101 - that’s where I should put away TO.
Select/scan the item you want to put away first. I’ve chosen Test-HW. The app is still showing you the default pick bin, ‘20071101’ in the header, but according to my configuration settings I need to scan the bin I’m actually putting away to. I can choose a different bin.
This is the TO location.
Scan/enter the quantities
When you’ve scanned all the available quantities for that part in bin 90010000, then you will be returned to the list of other parts in this bin. The item you’ve just completed scanning has disappeared from view, pending upload to Jiwa. The number of parts left in this bin is now 3.
If you don’t want to put away any more, click on the vertical ellipses to expose the menu row. Then select the paper plane to submit the Put Away.
After upload you’ll be returned to the main menu.