Labeling in WMS & MSCA

Review of Basic Functionality

David Wertheimer
Product Manager, Oracle Inventory and WMS

WMS / MSCA
Labeling

MSCA vs WMS
MSCA Offers
Automated Label Printing
based on Mobile business
events
Automated printer
selection
Automated label type
selection

WMS Offers
MSCA Capabilities
Rules based label format
selection
LPN labels
Additional business flows

Label Printing Strategy

Label Printing Integration Kit

Oracle WMS
2.

WMS labeling setup

3.

Label print requested

4.

Printer / format determined

5.

WMS creates XML label request

Label Printing Partner

1.

Design label format

6.

3rd party software prints label

Hardware vs. Software partner

Oracle has two types of label printing partners

Hardware: Oracle sends the XML directly to the printer

WMS

XML

Software: Oracle sends the XML to a print server

WMS

XML

Each mode has its strengths but becoming blurred

Ease of manipulating XML document

Simplicity & speed of solution
Total cost of solution

Same integration framework & Oracle support regardless

Label Printing ERD

Business Flows

Printers

Label Types

Label Formats

Label Types

LPN : License plate information

LPN Content : LPN plus content information
LPN Summary : Nested contents summarized
Material : Item, quantity, lot, etc.
Serial : Material information plus serial number
Location : Subinventory & locator information
Shipping : Customer & address information
Shipping Content : Shipping plus material info
WIP Contents : LPN plus discrete job information
Flow Contents : LPN plus flow schedule details

Printing Business Flows

Receipt
Inspection
Put Away
Pick Drop
Ship Confirm
Crossdock
Cycle Count
Physical Count
Cost Group Update

Cartonization
Lot Split / Lot Merge
Sub Transfer
Inter-org Transfer
Miscellaneous Receipt
LPN Generation
Serial Generation
Replenishment Drop
Status Update

Partner Selection
Oracle has no preference on partner
Different partners have different strengths

Full document solution vs. label printing

Ease of pulling in fields missing from WMS/MSCA
Simple user-interface for defining format
Cost of label printing software
Total cost of ownership

Organization may have corporate preference

Flexible Integration
Any package that can interpret XML

Tested & verified with partners

<!ELEMENT
<!ATTLIST
<!ATTLIST
<!ATTLIST
<!ATTLIST
<!ELEMENT
<!ATTLIST
<!ATTLIST
<!ATTLIST
<!ATTLIST
<!ELEMENT
<!ATTLIST

labels (label)*>
labels _FORMAT CDATA #IMPLIED>
labels _JOBNAME CDATA #IMPLIED>
labels _QUANTITY CDATA #IMPLIED>
labels _PRINTERNAME CDATA #IMPLIED>
label (variable)*>
label _FORMAT CDATA #IMPLIED>
label _JOBNAME CDATA #IMPLIED>
label _QUANTITY CDATA #IMPLIED>
label _PRINTERNAME CDATA #IMPLIED>
variable (#PCDATA)>
variable name CDATA #IMPLIED>

Some partners have extensible logic

Other label printing solutions also used

Asynchronous Mode

Oracle WMS
XML file created

Label Printing Partner

Target directory monitored

Applicable only for software / print server partners

Available since the initial release of the product

Synchronous PL/SQL

Oracle WMS
XML string created
& API called

Label Printing Partner

void printRequest (XML)

PL/SQL package
implemented

Applicable for all partners

Available since the initial release of the product

Synchronous TCP/IP

Oracle WMS
XML string created
WMS
& sent to pre-specified
IP address

Label Printing Partner

XML

Applicable for all partners

Available since the 11i10 release

Listener or print server

Monitoring TCP/IP port

Printing to Zebra or via Loftware from ADS

Oracle

Third Party

XML file created

XML string created

& API called

Target directory monitored

void printRequest (XML)

XML string created

WMS
& sent to pre-specified
IP address

XML

PORT 8010

PL/SQL package
implemented

Listener or print server

Monitoring TCP/IP port

Setup Steps Within

Oracle WMS / MSCA

Register Printers

Define Label Printing Profile Options

Set profile options for label printing

Define print mode

For asynchronous define drop directory & file prefix

Install PL/SQL stub if necessary

17

Enter IP Address for TCP/IP Mode

Enter IP address & port in Oracle for each printer

May be printer IP or Print Server IP if using software solution

Be sure to test connection using Test button
Tests DB tier to printer / print server tier
Should use static IP addresses

Port 8010 necessary for communication with ADS

Loftware or Zebra listening on port 8010

Oracle sending on port 8010
No firewall at customer site blocking port 8010

18

Label Types to Flows

Register Label Formats

Define Fields for Formats

Printer Assignments

Managing EPC Assignment from GTIN

Automating Unique Assignment

Store on your Organization

record. Also store next available
Object Class number.
Assign by item & org.
Assign next number from above, then store
that number on your Item record. Also on the
Item record, store the next available Serial.

Scheme to map existing numbering standards to EPC

GTIN, SSCC, GLN, GRAI, GIAI,
Unlike those schemes, however, EPC meant to be parsed

Unlike SSCC, EPC intended to be parsed

Requires flexible enablement in your Item Master (PLM) system

23

EPC Support in Oracle WMS with CU#1

Extension of Standard Label Printing Functionality
Automatically generate EPC
labels for LPNs

Only when label format selected by

Rules Engine specially marked
Generate fixed label format that
includes EPC
Correct format automatically
selected (SSCC-xx or SGTIN-xx)
based on generation rule

Use to automate shipment txn

Verify pallet & case manifest

24

EPC Generation Rules Pre-Defined in ADS

Flexible generation supports SSCC & SGTIN EPCs
Standard pack

LPN corresponds to a GTIN: single item, quantity in primary corresponds to GTIN x-ref
GTIN forms the basis of the EPC
GTIN cross-references must be defined for item
EPC generated using SGTIN-96 or SGTIN-64 encoding

Non-standard pack

LPN does not correspond to a GTIN: multiple items, non-standard quantity

SSCC forms the basis of the EPC
Organization parameters must be setup for SSCC generation
EPC generated using SSCC-96 or SSCC-64 encoding

Variation in encodings based on the length of manufacturer prefix

White Paper describes EPC generation rules

Basic 96-bit rule defined in Vision 11i10+CU1 environment for demo purposes

25

EPC Generation Available in ADE

Only LE2018 has feature but EPC can be faked by LPN

EPC Generation is a 11i10 CU1 feature
LPN generation can be manipulated to make LPN look like EPC w/o CU1

EPC is a 96-bit or 24-hex digit number

EPC begins with 0x3
Subsequent digits just must be unique

Set LPN generation values

Total length: 24
Prefix: 3..
Starting LPN Number: anything
UCC-128 Suffix: Disabled
Suffix: Blank

26

Printing
Execution

Mobile Printer Sign-On

User can log on & off of any printer via the mobile

Re-directs work to printer closest to user

Ability to easily use mobile printers

Transaction & Manual Requests

Label print requested automatically during transaction

User need not do anything explicit to get label

Label request generated inline

Additionally user can manually request label

Can provide certain data elements or let setup derive information

Desktop & Mobile Reprint Capability

Printer may error or label may get damaged

Complete label history visible to manager on desktop

User-specific label history visible to mobile user
Label request can be reprinted to same or different printer

Q&
A

QUESTIONS
ANSWERS

Information Age Applications