Managing Resources

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Manage resources
Work with the Pick by Cart app

Resources in EWM

A resource is an entity representing a user or equipment that can execute work in the warehouse.

It can log on to a radio frequency (RF) or non-RF environment. When the resource is logged on to the system, it can receive work for execution and it can be tracked and displayed in the warehouse management monitor.

A resource belongs to a resource type (a grouping of resources with similar technical or physical qualifications) and a resource group (a grouping of resources for queue assignment purposes).

Note

Although a resource can work in a non-RF environment, several features of working with resources are only available when using mobile devices.

Two images: the left displays a forklift operating on a warehouse floor, and the right shows a person scanning barcodes on boxes in a storage area.

Resource Management

Resource management maximizes the efficiency of warehouse processes by doing the following:

Facilitating the management and distribution of work using queues
Enabling the execution of work by resources in an RF and non-RF environment
Optimizing the selection of warehouse orders for resources requesting work
Enabling effective monitoring and controlling of resources

Assignment of Warehouse Orders to a Resource

Warehouse Orders (WOs) can be assigned to resources in RF and non-RF environments.

In an RF environment, WOs can be assigned manually or automatically. In a non-RF environment, WOs are assigned manually.

For automatic WO assignment to a resource, the WOs must belong to a queue to which the resource is assigned.

Warehouse order processing. Order can be assigned via system, manually by a person at a computer, or manually selected. Resulting in a forklift operator moving stacked boxes.

Warehouse Order (WO) Assignment to a Resource

	Non-RF Environment	RF Environment
1	-	A resource logs on to the RF environment
2	The warehouse manager assigns the WO to the resource using the Assign Rsrce monitor method.	One of the following occurs: The warehouse manager assigns a WO to the resource using the Assign Rsrce warehouse management monitor method. The resource requests work by choosing a system-guided option from the RF menu. In such a case, the system assigns the most appropriate WO to the resource. The resource requests work by choosing a manual option from the RF menu (for example, Pick by HU). In such a case, the system assigns to the resource the specific WO.
3	The warehouse manager prints out the WO and gives it to the resource.

Hint

Any available WOs can be manually assigned to a resource, including those from queues to which the resource is not assigned.

Queues

A queue is a logical file to which warehouse orders for processing are assigned. Queues define movements by which work in the warehouse is managed and assigned.

The management and distribution of work in the warehouse is accomplished by the assignment of resources and WOs to queues. In addition, a resource working within a particular operating environment may execute only those WOs that belong to a queue in the same operating environment.

Note

You assign the operating environment of a queue during queue definition in customizing. The operating environment of a resource is determined when the resource logs on to the RF or non-RF environment.

Process of handling a warehouse order, showing the order transitioning into a queue of tasks, which are then managed by a resource, represented by a forklift.

Assignment to Queues

Resource Assignment to Queue

You can assign a resource to a specific queue, or assign its resource group to a sequence of allowed queues. WO selection is performed according to the resource’s assigned queue, and, in the absence of an assigned queue, according to the resource group’s queue sequence.

Warehouse Order Assignment to Queue

When the system creates a WT, it searches for an appropriate queue to assign to it, based on the following WT parameters:

Source activity area
Destination activity area
Bin access type
Warehouse process type
Activity

Note

That means that the queue determination is for each warehouse task, but in the end the queue is only visible in the warehouse order, which also means that the WTs in one WO must find the same queue. It is an automatic grouping criteria in the warehouse order creation rule (like the activity area).

Resource Setup

You define a resource in the transaction for resource maintenance. On the EWM Index screen, choose Extended Warehouse Management → Master Data → Resource Management → Maintain Resource.

Resource Type

A resource type is a grouping of resources with similar technical or physical qualifications.

The resource type determines the following for its corresponding resources:

Horizontal and vertical velocity:
The velocity of a resource can influence the latest starting date (LSD) of a warehouse order.
Applicability of position management:
Position management enables an RF device user to validate HUs by their position number, rather than by their HU number. This is particularly useful when the HU number tags are not readily accessible, such as when the HUs are stacked on top of each other.
Layout type:
The layout type is used for the pick by cart app and for the resource-based warehouse order optimization.
Resource Type Category:
This is used for distribution equipment.
Qualifications and preferences (reflected by priority values) regarding bin access types and HU type groups.

Resource Group

A resource group is a grouping of resources for queue assignment purposes. The resource group determines the sequence of allowed queues for its corresponding resources, which can influence which warehouse orders are selected for a resource.

To use system-guided processing, the queues must be assigned to the resource groups in the desired sequence. As the WOs are selected from the queues according to the queue sequences, this represents a prioritization of the WOs for this resource type.

Resource Execution Constraints

Resource execution constraints allow you to control the number of working resources in defined areas of the warehouse. You define these areas by assigning a resource execution constraint (REC) storage group to your storage bins.

The individual REC storage groups can correspond to an aisle, storage section, storage type, or another area in your warehouse. You can define the maximum number of permitted work resources for these REC storage groups in such a way that the resources can perform your work without disruption.

Resource Execution Constraints in two warehouse areas, with limits indicated. Below are stop and go conditions for forklifts: stopping when waiting time (WT1) is high and going when waiting time (WT2) is low.

Resource Types

The REC consists of a group of different resource types, each having a maximum number of work resources. You identify the group uniquely using an ID. You can assign the same ID to different REC storage groups, and define whether:

Only one resource type is allowed to be kept in the REC storage group at a time (parameter OR).
Multiple different resource types are allowed to be kept in the REC storage group at a time, for example, a forklift and a warehouse worker. For each resource type, the maximum defined number of work resources in the REC storage group is allowed (parameter AND).

For example, resource types RT01 and RT02 are assigned to resource execution constraint A1, with a maximum number of two and three respectively. REC storage group GAN is assigned to constraint A1 with the parameter "AND". This means that a maximum of three resources of type RT02 and two resources of type RT01 can work in A1 at the same time.

Calculated Times

The REC control is based on calculated times. Each time a resource enters the REC storage group, the system calculates the estimated exit time. This time includes the following:

Move time for moving the resource from the current position to the entry point of the REC storage group
Working time in the REC storage group
Exit time of the resource from when it leaves the location of the last completed warehouse task to the exit point of the REC storage group

When a resource wants to enter the REC storage group, the system compares the estimated exit times of the resources working in this area with the entry time of the resource. The system calculates the times, compares the calculated values with the number of permitted resources, and allows or denies the resource access to the REC storage group.

The system calculates optimal routes for the resources based on the travel distance calculation. The actual times may deviate from the optimal times.

This function works using the average confirmation time for warehouse tasks. If you have activated LM in your SAP EWM system, the system uses the engineered labor standard values. If you are not using LM, you must define the extract time determination for warehouse tasks.

Pick By Cart

With the Pick By Cart app, you can pick multiple orders with a pick cart in a single trip through the warehouse. For the app, you have a tablet which shows you the individual positions of the pick-HUs on the pick cart.

The app works inside the standard RF framework. The user works with a warehouse order which is automatically assigned by the queue, or he chooses a warehouse order manually. The user can also choose the queue in which they want to work.

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