Hello All.
I’ve been looking for a solution to a question Mgmt has asked me regarding the manner in which pallets are assembled for shipping.
Like many of you (I believe) we use Tops Pro in order to setup our standard pallet configurations, but due to the way we’re changing the order fulfillment process, our pick/pack workers spend a lot time eyeballing pallet configurations, by stacking cases this way, then that way, then measuring (sometimes incorrectly) overall dimensions to provide details to carriers.
I’m curious to know if anyone ‘out there’ has found or created some level of accommodation, within Epicor, where case dimensions and weights are already available.
Unfortunately, Package Control doesn’t appear to be quite what I was looking for (Plus, we don’t have AMM).
I’m not so much needing to group items for transaction processing, I’m looking to take the items on the customer shipment and physical place them onto a pallet in specific configurations.
I’m basically looking Epicor to tell warehouse personnel how to stack the items (place Item A first, then Item B (3 across), followed by Item C (maybe 2 layers)) for the specific shipment.
The resulting assemblage would provide overall dimensions, since Epicor has the dimensions of all the parts being shipped.
One of the things I did like about the package codes is the fact that form has a fair bit of the data that I thought you you would need to be able to define your dimensions, as well as weights an volumes.
That could well be the basis of a customization. Perhaps using a UD table to establish the rules based on your packages (i.e stacking priority, number of packages per layer etc)… Then use a BPM with custom code on packout.
Someone might have a better idea, like a integration to a third party product. I’ll admit I’m curious as what the alternatives are.
A quick google for Pallet packing yeilded a mirad of solutions.
Thanks @Hally. I’m going to take a look at that Stack builder software. But for now, since we already use Tops Pro for package design, we’re going to look at an option they (Tops Engineering) suggested.
Their MaxLoad Pro software can be made to interface with an SQL DB like Epicor’s.
It is possible to copy data from Epicor’s shipment tables (programmatically) to the MaxLoad “Import” table.
From there, the MaxLoad software prepares the palletization document we’re looking for.
So, its a few steps, and another piece of software that my order processing folks will have to use, but it looks like it will work. We have a demo coming up; I’m providing order data to them so we can see what the software produces. It ain’t free, but it may fill the bill.