Zone Overview

Purpose of this document

This document describes the parameters available for a Zone. Zones and Bins comprise the basic structure of a Location (warehouse/building). Zones are continuous areas within a Location that are distinguished from adjoining areas by the function for which it is used, such as receiving, storing, staging, and shopping. Zones and Bins are subsets of a Location. The warehouse hierarchy within Ceres is Location à Zone à Bin. Parameters that are defined at the Zone level flow to Bins underneath it. This document describes the parameters available for a Zone.

Ceres Object release 6.00.00 is required for the functionality described in this document.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Accessing Zones

Accessing Zones

1. Zones can be accessed by selecting “Search” from the Dynamics 365 Business Central Banner and entering “Locations” in “Tell me what you want to do” then selecting “Locations” from the results in the Go to Pages and Tasks section OR by selecting the “Locations” menu action (if present) from your Role Center home page.

2. Select a Location from the List that displays.

3. Select Zones. You will see a list of Zones that exist within that Location.

Note: Fields listed on the Zone List may be in a different order depending upon user applied customizations. Additionally, not all fields are displayed here.

4. Select New to create a new Zone within the Location. Update the Zone fields based on how your warehouse is configured and how you would like the warehouse functionality to work in Ceres.

Code: This is the main identifier for the Zone, which can be entered as any combination of text and numbers (up to 10 characters).

Description: This field provides the description of the Zone. Up to 30 characters (text and numbers) can be entered in this field. 

Location Code: This is the Location the Zone is attached to.

Warehouse Class Code: This field provides the ability to designate a default Warehouse Class Code for Bins created within the Zone based on how you store an item. If used, Items stored in the Bin must have the same Warehouse Class Code as the Bin. The Warehouse Class Code can be selected from the List or can be entered manually.

Special Equipment Code: This field contains the code of the special equipment to be used when you work in this Zone and defaults to Bins created within the Zone. The Special Equipment Code can be selected from the List or can be entered manually. The Special Equipment Codes that can be entered are limited to the values in the edit assist list.

Zone Ranking: This field indicates the ranking of the Zone which is copied to all Bins (Bin Ranking field) created within the Zone. Ceres will suggest a pick from the bin with the highest numerical Bin Ranking. Items in the highest-ranking bins (bins with the highest number in the Bin Ranking field) will thus be picked first. Ceres also uses Bin Ranking to calculate bin replenishment, in which items in lower-ranking bins are moved to higher-ranking bins. This field is numeric only.

Exclude from Whse. Doc.: A checkmark in this field indicates that this Zone is excluded from requiring a pick document to be created when the “Require Pick” flag is checked on the Location. For example, the “Exclude from Whse Doc” field may be checked for a Shopping Zone within a Location that is setup as “Require Pick”. This way a pick document does not need to be created for a product that an Agency added to their order when they shop.

Note: Item quantities in an Exclude from Whse. Doc Zone will not be available on Agency Express 3.

Location Requires Pick: A checkmark in this field indicates that the “Require Pick” flag is checked on the Location the Zone is attached to, and a pick document must be generated to process transactions in this Zone unless otherwise excluded. This field is non-editable.

Bin Class Code: This field provides the ability to designate a default Bin Class Code for Bins created within the Zone. This allows the food bank to designate a class of Bin that an Item should be put-away in or dropped to. An example of their use would be if you have special bins for chemicals. The Bin Class Code can be selected from the edit assist list or can be entered manually. The Bin Class Codes that can be entered are limited to the values in the edit assist list.

Bin Type Code: This field provides the ability to designate a default Bin Type Code for Bins created within the Zone. The Bin Type determines how Ceres will use the Bin in warehouse activities related to the inbound and outbound flow of items. The Bin Type Code can be selected from the edit assist list or can be entered manually. The Bin Type Code is used for filtering available quantities. Only quantities that are in a Bin with a Bin Type Code of Put Away, Pick, or both will display as available quantity.

Max. Pallets: This field is a guide as to the maximum number of pallets that should be placed in a Bin within the designated Zone, which is copied to all Bins (Max. Pallets field) created within the Zone. In determining the Max Pallets, Ceres counts only those pallets that have a remaining quantity greater than the Consider Pallet Empty % field on the Location Card.

Note: This is a guide and not a restriction as to the number of pallets that Ceres will allow to be placed in a Bin.

Cross-Dock Bin Zone: A checkmark in this field indicates that the Zone is a cross-dock Zone. This allows items to move directly from the receiving area to the shipping area.

Invt. Pick Nos.: Select a number series that will be used to automatically create unique Pick Numbers by Zone when the “Create Pick By” on the Location Card is Zone.

Invt. Pick Printing Option: Select an option to include/exclude the printing of items in this Zone on the Picking List and/or the Wave Pick List by Zone/Storage.

Both (Pick and Wave Pick) – Select this option to print Items in this Zone on both the Pick & Wave Pick Documents.

Pick Document Only – Select this option to print Items in this Zone on the Pick Document Only.

Wave Pick Document Only – Select this option to print Items in this Zone on the Wave Pick Document Only.

The setting of this field is either applied or not applied when printing either report based on the selection of the Apply Invt. Pick Printing Option on the request page of either report, as shown below:

New Page on Pick List Report: Toggling this field will cause a new page to be printed for each Zone on the Pick List Report when the “Create Pick By” field on the Location Card is blank. By design, pick documents created by Zone or FBC Storage Requirement already print on a new page.

Exclude from Voxware: A checkmark on this field will exclude pick documents for this Zone from being exported to Voxware.

Staging Area: Select a default Staging Area for this Zone. This will be the suggested Default Staging Area on a pick document when the “Create Pick By” field on the Location Card is set to Zone.

CMobile Route: A checkmark in the field indicates that this is a CMobile Route Zone and will display on the CMobile handheld devices as such. You must enable CMobile Routes in Inventory Setup before this field can be checked.

Default CMobile Bin: Select a default Bin. This is the default Bin that will display when processing transactions with the CMobile handheld devices. You must enable CMobile Routes in Inventory Setup before a Bin can be selected.

Not Available for AE: Checking this box indicates to Ceres that any product stored in bins in this zone will not be available for Agency Express (AE) ordering. This allows the food bank to utilize a single location yet separate one or more specific zones to be excluded from online ordering.

Exclude from WMS: Checking this box indicates to Ceres that any product stored in bins in this zone will not be synchronized with AGI WMS. This field is only available to be checked in Locations that are not already excluded from WMS. If the location is excluded, then this field will also be excluded and cannot be changed.