Arthur Ria
7.9 KiB
title, type, sources, related, last_compiled
| title | type | sources | related | last_compiled | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidation | concept |
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2026-04-10 |
Consolidation
Overview
Consolidation in EasyWMS is the process of moving stock from multiple partially-full containers into a single destination container, eliminating peaks and optimizing space usage in the warehouse. It is designed to run during periods of inactivity, interfering minimally with active warehouse operations.
Two types of consolidation exist:
- Stock consolidation (warehouse) — covered here. Compacts incomplete containers in storage to reduce the number of occupied locations.
- Shipping consolidation — reorganizes prepared stock for outbound orders (see shipping). Not covered here.
Stock consolidation applies to both manual and automatic warehouses.
Supported Use Cases
| Use case | Warehouse type | Container type |
|---|---|---|
| Single-reference container (one item), manual warehouse | Manual | Container with "full quantity" configured per item/container type |
| Single-reference container (one item), automatic warehouse | Automatic | Container with "full quantity" configured per item/container type |
| Multi-reference container with business areas, automatic warehouse | Automatic | "Full quantity" configured per business area type/container type |
Stock of different item presentations is never mixed in a single consolidation order.
Architecture: Process → Orders → Tasks
Consolidation Process (criteria, priority, destination station)
│
▼ [Release]
Consolidation Orders (N orders = N destination containers)
│
├── Destination consolidation task (1 per destination container)
└── Source consolidation tasks (1 per source container)
Consolidation process: A filter definition created by a user specifying which containers are candidates and where consolidation should happen.
Consolidation order: Groups source containers (to be emptied) → destination container (to receive all stock). One order = one destination.
Consolidation order lines: Each line represents one source container.
Process Configuration
When creating a consolidation process, the user specifies:
Process Definition
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Code | Unique process identifier |
| Priority | Determines task priority for this process's orders |
| Maximum duration | When exceeded, no new consolidation orders are generated |
| Maximum number of orders | Stops generating new orders when this total is reached |
| Maximum simultaneous orders | Controls how many active orders exist at once; new ones created as old ones finish |
Filtering Criteria
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Item | Restrict to a specific item |
| Item type | Restrict by item type |
| Hazard | Filter by hazard classification |
| ABC classification | Filter by ABC rotation class |
| Owner | Filter by stock owner |
| Supplier | Filter by supplier |
| Max occupation % | Skip containers whose fill % exceeds this threshold |
Regardless of item filter, each consolidation order is always for the same item and conversion (UoM). Different item presentations are never consolidated together.
Allow Mixing
Logistic attributes that can be mixed within the same item (e.g., different lots in the same container).
Destination Station
The picking conveyor or buffer where consolidation will physically occur.
Process Lifecycle
Standby (created)
│
▼ [Release]
Released ← EasyWMS evaluates and generates orders
│
│ [Pause]
▼
Paused ← can be re-released
│
▼ [Cancel]
Canceled ← all associated orders, lines, and tasks canceled
A process can only be released from Standby or Paused status.
Consolidation in Automatic Warehouses
For automatic warehouses, consolidation is a guided, task-driven process. Containers must be extracted to a picking station.
Consolidation at Picking Conveyor (2 Locations)
Containers arrive sequenced at the PK:
- Destination container arrives first and occupies one PK location
- Source containers arrive one by one at the second PK location
- Operator confirms source → destination transfer at the workstation
Issues the operator can report:
| Issue | Result |
|---|---|
| Incorrect quantity in origin | Stock adjustment on source container; if less than expected, consolidation line also adjusted |
| Item not found in origin | Consolidation order line canceled |
| Item not found at destination | Entire consolidation order canceled |
| Capacity exceeded at destination | Line adjusted; source remains non-empty |
Transactions:
CON.MOVE— container location changes (warehouse → PK → warehouse)STK.MOVE— stock moved from source to destination containerCON.SEND.L&F— if empty source container is sent to Lost & Found
Consolidation at Picking Conveyor with Manual Preparation Zones (MP)
- All source containers arrive first at the PK and stock is extracted to MP tables
- Destination container arrives last; all MP stock dumped onto it
- Mixing of different items within the same MP table is not allowed
Consolidation at Buffer
- All source containers arrive at the buffer station first
- Destination container arrives last
- Stock movement between containers is not guided (no task confirmation) once containers are out of the warehouse
Hardware: PC + RFT (buffer consolidation supports both)
Configuration Requirements
For consolidation to work correctly:
- Full quantity must be configured per container type, item, and unit of measure
- If the warehouse uses divisions: full quantity per business area type, container type, item, and UoM
- If consolidating at a picking station with preparation zones: allocation mode must be set to Automatic
- Picking station working mode must be All Modes or Consolidation Only
Interface
| Path | Equipment |
|---|---|
Consolidation > Consolidation processes |
PC |
Consolidation > Consolidation orders |
PC |
Consolidation > Consolidation order lines |
PC |
Warehouse > Tasks (task monitoring) |
PC |
Workstations > Picking (execution at PK) |
PC |
Common Errors
| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| No consolidation orders generated after release | Full quantity not configured for item/container type | Configure "full quantity" in item/container type master |
| Consolidation orders generated but no tasks | PK station not in "All Modes" or "Consolidation Only" | Update picking station working mode config |
| Process stuck at maximum simultaneous orders | All slots occupied; waiting for existing orders to finish | Wait for current orders to complete or cancel stale ones |
| Source container not empty after consolidation | Stock in another division or incident reported | Create return-to-warehouse task manually if needed |
Related
- container — Consolidation moves stock between containers; source containers are emptied, destination receives all stock
- location — Consolidation frees up locations by eliminating partial containers
- stock — STK.MOVE transactions update stock records during consolidation
- task — Consolidation generates source/destination task pairs; priority set by process priority
- shipping — Shipping consolidation (distinct concept) reorganizes prepared stock for outbound orders