Why is pick and pack order based?

[Ean Schuessler <ea...@brainfood.com>]

I've been going over the code for purchase returns to suppliers. To me
it looks like that code must have broken when package route segments
were introduced. The code to convert a return to a shipment only creates
a Shipment and ShipmentItems without creating packages. The result is
that you can't print a shipment manifest because you don't have a chance
to create shipment routes and you never get a chance to create them.
Some of this seems to be due to a bug with Purchase Return shipments not
having the ability to configure routes and packages which looks like it
needs to be enabled.

This sets me to wondering why orders are picked and not shipments. I
understand that the "picklists" screen currently scans for orders that
are ready to pick and then initiates the process of creating shipments
for them. I wonder if that should be its own screen which is only used
for converting orders to shipments and perhaps be part of the order
application. The "picklists" page would then become a list of shipments
which are approved to go out with inventory assigned to them which can
be packed into packages and shipped.

Has anyone else spent much time in this code and have an idea what it
should be doing for purchase returns? Any comment on the larger problem
of managing shipments that are not attached to orders?

-- 
Ean Schuessler, CTO
ean@brainfood.com
214-720-0700 x 315
Brainfood, Inc.
http://www.brainfood.com

Re: Why is pick and pack order based?

[Ean Schuessler <ea...@brainfood.com>]

I'm processin a single large return that encompasses items from many
purchase orders (like magazines, where large quantities of stock are
returned on a regular basis because they didn't sell). These returns
convert to store credit with the supplier. Basically I walk all the ATP
inventory that is over a certain age, separate it by supplier and
generate a bulk return to each supplier.

David E Jones wrote:
> Are you working on handling the receipt of incoming return shipments, or on the fulfillment of replacements for returned items?
>
> If it's the replacement there is typically an order created in response to the return item(s), and when that order is created depends on how the return item is setup (ie to cross-ship, wait, etc). From what you said it sounds like you're trying to do that without an order, is that correct?
>   
-- 
Ean Schuessler, CTO
ean@brainfood.com
214-720-0700 x 315
Brainfood, Inc.
http://www.brainfood.com

Re: Why is pick and pack order based?

[David E Jones <de...@me.com>]

Are you working on handling the receipt of incoming return shipments, or on the fulfillment of replacements for returned items?

If it's the replacement there is typically an order created in response to the return item(s), and when that order is created depends on how the return item is setup (ie to cross-ship, wait, etc). From what you said it sounds like you're trying to do that without an order, is that correct?

-David


On Feb 17, 2010, at 5:22 PM, Ean Schuessler wrote:

> I've been going over the code for purchase returns to suppliers. To me
> it looks like that code must have broken when package route segments
> were introduced. The code to convert a return to a shipment only creates
> a Shipment and ShipmentItems without creating packages. The result is
> that you can't print a shipment manifest because you don't have a chance
> to create shipment routes and you never get a chance to create them.
> Some of this seems to be due to a bug with Purchase Return shipments not
> having the ability to configure routes and packages which looks like it
> needs to be enabled.
> 
> This sets me to wondering why orders are picked and not shipments. I
> understand that the "picklists" screen currently scans for orders that
> are ready to pick and then initiates the process of creating shipments
> for them. I wonder if that should be its own screen which is only used
> for converting orders to shipments and perhaps be part of the order
> application. The "picklists" page would then become a list of shipments
> which are approved to go out with inventory assigned to them which can
> be packed into packages and shipped.
> 
> Has anyone else spent much time in this code and have an idea what it
> should be doing for purchase returns? Any comment on the larger problem
> of managing shipments that are not attached to orders?
> 
> -- 
> Ean Schuessler, CTO
> ean@brainfood.com
> 214-720-0700 x 315
> Brainfood, Inc.
> http://www.brainfood.com
>