Use case #

Decanting mode allows Associates to load received products into the ASRS.

Decanting of products can be done only into empty bins.

However, the alert does not prevent the Associate from continuing to decant until the last empty bin is used. The Associate may use defragmentation mode to free up bins or empty bin reception mode to add more bins. The default value for empty bin alert is 10%. Site -> Overview page of Incloud UI highlights the number of empty bins and their percentage.

Workflow #

Two types of products can be decanted into the ASRS: products received from a supplier or products returned from a customer order that has been cancelled. When decanting products from a supplier, the Associate may either decant under a new supplier order or continue decanting under an already open suplier order. The same applies to decanting a returned customer order. The following flow describes decanting product under a new supplier order.

1. Associate activates decanting mode.
2. Robots start driving toward the workstation with empty bins. Incloud screen displays “Summoning robots” message.
3. Incloud shows the list of open reception orders for the current Instock site. Each reception order represents either supplier order or customer return order already open for decanting. Associate may also start a new supplier or new return order.
4. Associate taps “Create new reception order”.
5. Incloud generates the reception order ID and displays it on the screen. Such order ID will continue to be visible in UI while the Associate performs decanting.
6. If necessary, the Associate adds a description to the reception order via keyboard input. Here, associate may manually enter or scan PO or ASN.
7. One or several robots arrive with empty bins at the workstation’s channel(s).
8. Incloud indicates one channel for decanting and the respective put-to-light is glowing.
9. Incloud presents a choice of bin partition layouts for a given empty bin for Associate’s choice.Associate breaks carton/packaging of products to be decanted. Associate selects partition layout for a bin.
10. Associate inserts dividers respective to bin partition layout.
11. Associate scans the barcode of a product with the barcode scanner. Incloud informs about an error, if no article_id is found — such product cannot be decanted. Incloud doesn’t allow a mix of two different products in the same cell.
12. Associate puts a quantity of product into one of the cells inside the bin.
13. Associate taps on the respective cell in the UI
14. Asscoiate confirms product quantity put into selected cell.
15. Associate may continue to decant products to other cells within the bin. However, the product’s barcode must be read each time for every cell, even if two identical products are in two or more cells of the same bin. Associate may click on any already filled cell and correct the quantity or tap the button “empty” (essentially, it plays the role of “undo”).
16. Associate presses on put-to-light once the bin is filled. Robot leaves workstation with the decanted products.
17. Incloud switches the associate’s focus to another channel with an empty bin ready for decanting.
    If no empty bin is available at the moment, and robots are en route, Incloud shows “Summoning robots” message.

Exit workflow #

Associate has two ways to exit decanting mode:

1. Change mode
2. Logout

Associate can exit decanting mode at any moment. If only one workstation is engaged in decanting of the reception order, then Incloud offers two options to associate: “Close” or “Leave open”. “Close” indicates that all items on the reception order have beed decanted into the ASRS. The “Leave open” option allows continued decanting of the same reception order at a later time by any Associate at any workstation.