Cartonization FAQ
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Cartonization FAQ

Question: What is the cartonization functionality?

Answer: Cartonization attempts to optimize the number of cartons used to pack and ship an order to minimize freight and packing expenses.

Question: What set up is required to use the cartonization functionality?

Answer: To use cartonization, perform the following steps:

  1. In Product Category Maintenance, select the Can be Packaged check box on the U/M tab for every category/unit of measure combination that can be packed in a carton. This is used to populate the product when creating a new product.

  2. In Product Maintenance, select the Can be Packaged check box on the Unit of Measure tab for every product/unit of measure combination that can be packed in a carton. This setting can be copied to some or all product locations, and is not used by the cartonization logic (only the product location setting is used).

  3. In Product Location Maintenance, select the Can be Packaged check box on the Units of Measure tab for every product location/unit of measure combination that can be packed in a carton.

Note A product location/unit of measure that cannot be packaged will be considered a carton by itself.

  1. In Product Import and Product Unit of Measure Import, enter Yes in the Can Be Packaged (Cartonized) field if setting up product/unit of measures with these import programs.

  2. In Location Maintenance, select the Pre Build Cartons check box on the Picking Demands tab for each warehouse that can use the cartonization functionality

  3. In Customer Maintenance, select the No Cartonization check box on the Options tab if you want to indicate that the cartonization logic cannot be used for a customer’s orders. Select the Allow Mixed Cartons check box if you want to allow the cartonization logic to put different products in the same carton.

  4. In Customer Product Maintenance, select the Can be Packaged check box to override a product location’s setting (set up in step 3). Optionally, enter a default package unit of measure in the Default Pkg U/M field to override the package unit of measure used.

Example The Can be Packaged check box is selected for product ABC in location CA. The Can be Packaged check box is cleared for Customer DEF for product ABC. Whenever Customer DEF orders product ABC, the cartonization logic will be bypassed for that product.

  1. In Shipping Carton Maintenance, define all cartons that are used to pack customer orders.

  2. In Shipping Carton Zone Maintenance, define how cartons can be used for specific locations/zones and for specific customers.

Question: What is the logic used for the cartonization functionality?

Answer: The following table summarizes the business logic flow.

Business Logic

Comments

For each pick, sort the pick line items by bin sequence.

The bin sequence is theoretically the optimal pick path that minimizes a picker’s walk-around time.

Using the zone of the pick, select the appropriate carton.

Select the largest carton possible and pack products in it.

Determine if the customer disallows cartonization.

Check the No Cartonization check box for the customer to make this determination.

If the customer allows cartonization, then determine if there is a customer/product override to allow/disallow this pick line to be packaged in a carton.

Check to see if there is a customer product record setup, and if so, use the Can be Packaged setting to determine if the pick line can be packaged.

If there is no customer override, then determine if the pick line can be packaged in any carton.

If the Can be Packaged check box is cleared on the Units of Measure tab in Product Location Maintenance, then each quantity of this pick line is considered its own carton.

If the customer specifies no mixed cartons, then only one product code can be placed in a carton.

Check the Allow Mixed Cartons check box for the customer to make this determination. If not allowed, then stop adding other products to the carton, and search for an available smaller carton.

Continue adding products to a carton as long as it is less than the carton’s remaining available cube value.

The intent is to put as much in the carton as possible. The available cube is calculated by:

  1. multiplying the length times the width times the height times the cube fill percent, then

  2. subtracting the cube of products already in the carton

Sanity check that one of the dimensions of a product is not larger than one of the dimensions of the carton.

If this happens, then there are several options:

  1. Find a larger carton that works for this product, and use that carton to continue adding more products.

  2. If no larger carton can be used, that product becomes its own carton for every quantity on the pick line.

If the entire pick line quantity cannot fit into the carton, reduce the quantity until it fits.

The balance that could not fit into the carton will go into the next carton.

Check the quantity count as pick lines are being added so that the carton maximum units is not exceeded.

The maximum units must be set up as greater than zero for it to be checked. When the maximum units is exceeded, remove quantities of the most recently added pick line until the maximum units is not exceeded.

Check the weight as pick lines are being added so that the carton weight capacity is not exceeded.

The weight capacity of the carton must be set up as greater than zero for the capacity to be checked. When the weight is exceeded, remove the quantities of the most recently added pick line until the weight is within the capacity.

When the carton is full, close the carton and start a new one.

The largest carton is re-selected and the process starts over again.

If this is the last carton (no more pick lines), try to put the products in as small a carton as possible.

Try the smallest available carton, and progress to the next largest carton if it fails to fit in the carton.

Question: Do zones need to be set up to use cartonization logic during picking?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Can the cartonization logic be run in Order Entry, and can you preview every carton’s contents?

Answer: Yes. After all products have been entered for an order, click the View Carton button in the ribbon on the Items tab in Order Entry and the cartonization logic will run for allocated quantities only. This is only a best guess at this point since no actual picking is occurring, and it uses the primary pick bin for its sequence.

Carton Preview appears with a grid that includes the following columns (this window is also used after picks have been printed):

The summary on the bottom of the grid indicates the total number of cartons, the total weight of cartons, and the total volume of cartons.

Question: How does cartonization work within the pick process?

Answer: When picks are created, nothing yet happens with cartonization. It is only when picks are printed that carton and package records are created using the cartonization logic to determine what products go in what cartons. When picks are printed, the Pre Build Cartons check box must be selected to run the cartonization logic. A UCC128 record (for UCC128 labels) is printed for every carton before the actual picking. The actual pick demand will sort and display by carton in bin sequence. During pick demand confirmation, changing and moving of products/cartons is done using the Pre Pack functionality.

Question: How does cartonization work with Wireless Warehouse?

Answer: If Wireless Warehouse is being used, then when picks are printed, they are converted into pick tasks. During the Wireless Warehouse pick process, the user is prompted to select (scan) a carton and then fill the carton with the pre-defined pick lines. The user can change what goes into the carton. If the product does not go into the recommended carton, then it will go into the next carton and subsequent cartons will be automatically re-cartonized. UCC128 labels can optionally be reprinted for those cartons that have changed by using Shipping Label Print or during the pick confirmation process. An alert report will be created if label information has changed to the point of needing a reprint.