Interfacility transfer
Last updated
Last updated
Interfacility transfers on the fulfillmenttools platform involve moving items between facilities when a click & collect order is split during routing due to missing items in the receiving facility. While the pick job in the supplying facility is processed as usual (picking, packing, handover, and purchase order creation), the other pick job at the receiving facility remains pending, displaying the expected items.
A step-by-step implementation guide can be found under Products – Use Cases.
The interfacility transfer process involves two types of facilities: receiving and supplying. The process covers the following steps:
Receiving Facility: The receiving facility's pick job lists expected items. Available items can be picked immediately, but picking may pause until all items arrive.
Supplying Facility: The supplying facility sends missing items to the receiving facility, working like a "ship from store" process. Once handed over, a purchase order is created that includes a transfer ID (which helps identify the parcel).
Item Transfer & Receipt: When the shipment arrives in the receiving facility, scanning the parcel triggers the receipt, which updates the pick job in the receiving facility with the newly arrived items.
Final Picking: Once all items are available, the pick job is completed, and the order is ready for the customer.
The inter facility transfer process is initiated when a click & collect order includes items that are unavailable at the receiving facility, prompting a transfer from another location to fulfill the order.
Order Creation and Facility Selection
To initiate an order involving an inter facility transfer, the following steps must be taken:
Delivery Preferences: In the order's delivery preferences, the supplying facility must be explicitly set to indicate where the items will be sourced from.
Supplying Facility Configuration: The system can be configured (through supplyingFacilitiesConfigurations) to define how missing items will be handled. This must be set to: Transfer to a preferred Facility before final pick up.
Order routing and splitting
Requirement: It is necessary that Order Split is enabled. When an order is created and split between different facilities due to item unavailability:
The routing plan will contain critical details, including:
The receiving facility and supplying facility
Information on potential available items and expected items from each facility
A unique transfer ID linking related pick jobs from different facilities, indicating which jobs are part of the same transfer process.
Transfer identification
The transfer ID is a key identifier used throughout the order fulfillment process. It helps group the various pick jobs associated with an order across multiple facilities, ensuring smooth coordination and tracking of items during transfers.
No items available in the receiving facility If no items are available in the preferred facility, the system will route the order to the next best facility for fulfillment according to the configuration settings. As a result, a pick job is created in the preferred facility with no actual items but expected items.
In the Operations domain, the transfer of inventory between facilities distinguishes between a receiving facility and a supplying facility. This process involves the creation and handling of pick jobs in both facilities.
Pick job creation:
The supplying facility initiates a regular pick job, which is similar to standard pick jobs, except that the items are intended for transfer to another facility rather than sent to the customer.
Handover job completion:
Once the pick job is processed and the items are packed for transfer, the handover job is completed. At this stage, the supplying facility generates an inbound process to log the items leaving the facility for the receiving facility.
Upon receipt of items from the supplying facility, the receiving facility will create its own pick job and handle the incoming items based on their availability. There are two cases with different configurations for handling the pick job in the receiving facility:
Case 1: Put on hold status after pickJob creation (WAITING_FOR_INPUT)
pick job Creation:
The receiving facility creates a pick job that includes potentially available items and expected items (that are in transit but not yet received or finished in the supplying facility).
Put on hold Status:
The status of the pickJob is set to WAITING_FOR_INPUT, this means the pick job cannot proceed until all expected items arrive. However, the system allows users to view both available and expected items.
After the inbound process is completed and all expected items are received, the system updates the pick job:
Converts the expected items into regular items.
Changes the status of the pickJob to OPEN, allowing the picking process to begin.
Case 2: Open status after pick job creation (OPEN)
pick job creation:
The receiving facility creates a pick job that is immediately open (OPEN), allowing picking to begin for any available items. The pick job tracks both available and expected items.
Partial picking:
Users can start picking the available items while the expected items remain in the system as not yet received. Once all available items are picked, the status of the pick job is automatically changed to WAITING_FOR_INPUT.
Transforming items and set the status to OPEN
When the inbound process is completed and at least one or all the expected items are received:
The system converts the expected items into regular items.
The status of the pick job is updated back to OPEN, allowing the remaining items to be picked.
If only a part of the expected items arrive and the inbound process for those items is finished, users are able to continue the partial picking.
Until all expected items arrive and are received, a partial picking can continue. Only when all items (both available and expected items) are picked, the pick job is finalized and marked as finished.
"No available items in the receiving facility":
If no items are available in the preferred facility, the status of the pick job is set to WAITING_FOR_INPUT regardless of the configuration. Only after receiving the expected items the pick job status changes to OPEN.
Supplying facility
The stock in the supplying facility is reserved from the moment the order arrives in the receiving facility.
Once the items in the supplying facility are picked and handed over for transfer, an inbound process with a purchase order is created automatically. The purchase order includes a transfer ID which makes it identifiable as an internal transfer process. The transfer ID is set automatically and cannot be edited by external parties. However, it can be queried via the purchase order REST API endpoint if needed.
Stock is reduced in the supplying facility after it was handed over for transfer.
Receiving facility
When the delivery has arrived in the receiving facility, it can be identified by scanning the transfer ID. As soon as all items are accepted and the goods receipt has been completed, a receipt must be added to the respective inbound process.
After the receipt is set to status FINISHED, the expected stock is added to the inventory of the receiving facility. The stock is instantly reserved for the respective order.
After the items have been booked to the receiving facility, the pick job is updated, and the remaining line items can be picked.
As soon as the purchase order was created, the included items are announced in the receiving facility as expected stock. The transfer can be monitored in the in the Backoffice where it is marked as "internal".
