mcp-wms-wiki/wiki/concepts/order-outbound.md

title, type, sources, related, last_compiled

title	type	sources	related	last_compiled
Outbound Order (Shipping Order)	concept	areas/shipping/shipping_admin/shipping_order.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/shipping_order_type.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/shipping_order_class.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/index.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/shipping_orders_monitorize.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/shipping_order_creation.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/shipping_order_cancel.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/shipping_orders_close.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/stock_assign.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/stock_reserve.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/order_release.md areas/shipping/shipping_admin/sequencing.md areas/ERP/shipping/sor.md areas/ERP/shipping/soc.md areas/ERP/shipping/sof.md areas/ERP/shipping/soc.md areas/ERP/shipping/lof.md areas/ERP/shipping/wof.md areas/ERP/shipping/sor.md sources/archives/12_Articles_alternatifs.md sources/archives/18_ASN_DirectTransfer.md sources/archives/19_ASN_Transfer.md sources/archives/32_Fusion_commandes_Merge.md	concepts/shipping.md concepts/picking.md concepts/stock.md concepts/container.md concepts/task.md concepts/replenishment.md concepts/order-inbound.md concepts/crossdocking.md concepts/erp-interface.md	2026-04-17

Outbound Order (Shipping Order)

Overview

A shipping order (outbound order) is the WMS document that drives the outbound fulfillment process. It is a list of items or containers that need to be shipped from the warehouse. Shipping orders represent customer sales orders, returns to suppliers, inter-warehouse transfers, and internal sub-warehouse replenishments.

Shipping orders are the primary driver of picking, consolidation, and truck loading operations. They arrive from the ERP via SOR messages in the vast majority of cases. Manual creation is possible for special cases (ERP unavailable, one-off requests). Every outbound activity in the WMS - from stock assignment to task generation to carrier document printing - traces back to a shipping order.

A shipping order consists of a header (common attributes) and lines (specific items/containers with quantities). The lifecycle spans from creation through preparation, consolidation, and final closure with ERP notification.

Types

The type determines the destination, the process, and how Easy WMS handles the stock:

Type	Description	Stock destination
Client	Ship stock to a customer (sales order)	External; carrier delivery
Return	Return stock to a supplier	External; supplier
Transfer	Transfer to another warehouse in the organization. When closed, creates an inbound order at destination + ASN containers (same stacked structure as loaded). See Transfer flow.	Another warehouse
Direct transfer	Same as Transfer but destination doesn't need to receive - see ASN - DirectTransfer flow below. ASN containers created at destination. Can transfer to the same warehouse.	Another warehouse (no receipt)
Manual	Created and prepared directly at RF terminal	Manual picking process
Kits assembly/unassembly	Supply kit components for assembly or collect kits for disassembly when work order released	Assembly/disassembly station
Desk	Created from a desk operation	Desk output
Transfer between sub-warehouses	Maintain configured stock levels in a sub-warehouse	Internal sub-warehouse

Shipping orders also have a class for additional process customization (different consolidation behaviors, label types, document formats).

Structure

Order header

Field	Description
Priority	Preparation priority: Urgent / High / Normal / Low / Very Low. Lower number = higher priority. Determines task sequence and equipment assignment order.
Type	Client / Return / Transfer / Direct Transfer / Manual / Kits / Desk / Transfer between sub-warehouses
Class	Optional sub-classification for process customization
Owner	Owner of the stock (mandatory with Owner Extension / Billing / 3PL Portal modules)
Account / Supplier / Destination warehouse	Attribute varies by type: account for Client, supplier for Return, warehouse for Transfer
Document	Delivery note or reference number
Staging location	Consolidation location where picked stock is assembled before shipment; for grouped orders, this is where ungrouping and distribution occurs
Ship expired stock	If true, only expired stock is eligible for this order; lines with undated items will never complete
Follow sequence	Enforces line-number order during shipping for ordered delivery note verification
Preparation state	Visual indicator of progress (reserved, stock failures, assigned, tasks pending/running, ready to load, loaded, shipped)
% completed	Percentage of ordered quantity prepared and loaded
Transport	Carrier + transport type (informational)
Route	Route code and stop number
Delivery address	Customer delivery address (printed on delivery note and transport document)
Planning	Release/shipping/loading dates; planned dock; number of packages
Preparation	Consolidation station; container types for packages; label/packing-list print settings

Order lines

Field	Description
Line number	Unique within the order; used for sequenced shipping
Item + Owner	Identifies the SKU to ship
Container	Request specific container; if combined with item, forces stock from that container
Required quantity + UoM	Quantity in specified presentation. If LneQtyUoMRequired = 1, only that presentation is accepted.
Preferred presentation (LneTrmPrefUoMCode)	As much as possible shipped in this presentation; fall back to others if insufficient
Stock status preferences	Preferred/required/rejected status; preferred container type
Critical line (LneTrmCritical)	All-or-nothing: this line must be completely prepared or nothing on this line is prepared
Required line to ship (LneTrmRequired)	If this line cannot be fully shipped, nothing in the entire order is prepared
Allow excess (LneQtyAllowExcess)	Allow shipping more than requested if exact quantity cannot be allocated
Alternative items	Substitute items when stock fails (mode from shipping profile, or explicit via LneAltItmCode)
Logistic attributes	Request stock with specific lot, serial, expiry date, quality, color, caliber, etc.
Max lots (LneMaxLots)	Maximum number of distinct lots across all stock assigned to this line
Days of life	Minimum days of life required on stock assigned to this line
Expire date after (LneAttExpDate)	Only stock expiring after this date is eligible
Client codes	Customer item code and line code (informational; for delivery documents)
Costs	Line cost and currency (informational)

Lifecycle

[ERP sends SOR or manual creation]
              ↓
          CREATING
    (manual creation in progress)
              ↓
          WAITING
    (ready; no preparation started)
              ↓
[Optional: stock reserved] → RESERVED
              ↓
[Order released] → RELEASED
    (stock assigned; tasks generated)
              ↓
[First task executed] → WORKING / IN PREPARATION
              ↓
[Paused by user] → PAUSED (assigned stock held)
[Stopped by user] → STOPPED / WAITING (assigned stock released)
              ↓
[All stock prepared + loaded] → AUTO-CLOSE → CLOSED
[Partial close triggered] → partial SOF sent → remains active
[Force close with stock failures] → CLOSED (partial)
              ↓
          ARCHIVED

[Any time before CLOSED]
    → CANCELED (no stock shipped)

SOC messages are sent by WMS to ERP on every status transition.

Status details

Status	Available operations
Creating	End creation, Close, Change priority, Group, Fuse, Route association
Waiting	Reserve, Assign, Release, Cancel, Close (partial), Force close, Change priority, Group, Fuse, Paper pick, Assign to equipment/dock
Reserved	Reserve, Assign, Release, Cancel, Close, Force close, Cancel reserve
Released	Re-release, Pause, Stop, Cancel, Close, Force close, Change priority
Working	Pause, Stop, Cancel, Close, Force close, Change priority
Paused	Release (restart), Stop, Cancel, Close
Stopped/Waiting	Release (restart), Cancel
Closed	Archive

Business rules

• Orders cannot mix lines from different owners when the Owner Extension module is installed.
• Priority affects task sequencing across all active orders: urgent orders get their picking tasks executed first, at the cost of more picking rounds.
• Critical lines (LneTrmCritical): if the line cannot be fully assigned, no stock is prepared for that line (the rest of the order is unaffected).
• Required lines to ship (LneTrmRequired): if the required line cannot be fully shipped, the entire order blocks - nothing is prepared.
• Stock assignment respects the configured stock assignment strategy (logic to minimize movements, maximize container use, minimize lots, etc.).
• Excess shipping (LneQtyAllowExcess): if exact quantity is impossible due to containerized stock, the system may over-allocate and then returns surplus.
• Substitute items: used when the ordered item is short. The substitution mode (partial/all-or-nothing) is defined in the item's shipping profile; explicit alternatives in the SOR override the profile.
• Expired stock: orders normally exclude expired stock. If ShipExpiredStock = True, only expired stock is used. Lines on items without expiry dates cannot be prepared in this mode.
• Reserve recalculation on stock lock: if locked stock had reserves, the system re-prioritizes reserves for the highest-priority orders that reserved earliest.
• Orders stopped via Pause retain their assigned stock; orders stopped via Stop release their assigned stock.
• Partial closes: a SOF message is sent for each partial close. Each SOF includes only the lines closed in that partial. The order remains active after a partial close.

ERP integration

Messages: ERP → WMS

SOR - Shipping Order Request

Creates, modifies, or cancels shipping orders. Two versions:

• SOR01: standard shipping orders
• SOR02: prepackaging - ERP specifies number/type of packages, stock per package, working mode (strict/non-strict). Also used with VAS (Value Added Services) module.

Operation	Fields
S (create)	SorCode, Priority, SorType, Site, EnableReplenishment, PrpPackingLocation, PlnAssignedDock
U (update)	Modify header (priority, etc.) or individual lines
D (cancel)	Cancel the entire order
Line C	Create new line with LneItemCode, LneContCode, LneQtyOrder, LneQtyUoMCode, LneAttributes
Line U	Modify line (qty, UoM, attributes - restrictions apply if stock already prepared/shipped)
Line D	Cancel specific line

Key SOR fields:

• SorType: Customer / Return / Transfer / DirectTransfer
• Priority: Urgent / High / Normal / Low / VeryLow
• EnableReplenishment: triggers automatic replenishment of PDLs for items in the order
• LneTrmRequired: required-to-ship line flag
• LneTrmCritical: critical line flag
• LneQtyAllowExcess: allow over-allocation
• LneQtyUoMRequired: presentation is required (not just preferred)
• LneTrmPrefUoMCode: preferred presentation
• LneMaxLots: maximum lot count for this line
• LneTrmAlternative: activate substitute items from master
• LneAltItmCode + LneAltItmQttyFrom + LneAltItmQttyTo: explicit alternative item and ratio
• LneQtyReserve: quantity to pre-reserve for this line
• ShipExpiredStock: ship only expired stock
• LneTrmStaReq / LneTrmStaRejC / LneTrmStaPref: required/rejected/preferred stock status
• LneAttExpDate: minimum expiration date for assigned stock
• PrpContTypeRequired: required client container type (SOR02)

Messages: WMS → ERP

SOC - Shipping Order status Change

Sent on every status transition of a shipping order.

Status reported	Trigger
Release	Order released for preparation
StockFailure	Stock cannot be fully assigned to one or more lines
Working	First task executed; preparation has begun
Waiting / Secured	Order stopped (stock may or may not be released)
Paused	Order paused
Closed	Order closed (fully or partially)
Canceled	Order canceled

Note: Grouped/fused orders do not report status changes for the grouped order or its components during grouped preparation.

SOF - Shipping Order Finalization

Sent when an order is closed or canceled.

Two versions:

• SOF01: full data - includes MultiCarrier delivery info, VAS details, all lines. Sent at every partial close (with close number) and at final close/cancel.
• SOF02: modular - excludes MultiCarrier and VAS data. Created when communications became modular so each application manages its own messages.

Key fields:

• SorCode, Status (Closed / Canceled)
• ClosingNum: closing sequence number (for partial closes)
• PrpContainers: containers shipped in this closing
• Per line: LneDItemCode, LneDQtyShipped, LneDQtyUoMCode, LneDClientContCode, LneDAttributesLine
• VAS fields (SOF01 only): LneVASsTemplate, LneVASsPreparedQuantity, LneVASsComment

If order is forced to close without shipping any stock, no line data is sent. If canceled, no line data is sent.

LOF - Load Finalization

Sent when a load is finalized (truck loading complete). References shipping orders in the load.

Parameters

Parameter	Effect
AutoCloseOutboundOrder	Automatically closes a shipping order when all ordered quantities are prepared and loaded
EnableReplenishment (per SOR or order)	Triggers automatic replenishment of PDLs for items in the order when released

Interface

Function	Hardware	Menu path
Shipping orders view	PC	Shipping → Shipping orders
Shipping order lines view	PC	Shipping → Shipping order lines
Manual creation	PC	Shipping → Shipping orders → New
Monitoring	PC	Shipping → Shipping orders (status column + preparation state)
Waves / Groups / Fusions management	PC	Shipping → Waves / Groups
Routes management	PC	Shipping → Routes
Loads management	PC	Shipping → Loads
Paper pick	PC + Printer; RFT or CB reader to confirm	Shipping → Shipping orders → Paper pick

Available operations from Shipping orders view

Operation	Notes
Create shipping order	Manual; complete creation before any actions
Reserve stock	Pre-reserve specific stock or as much as possible
Assign stock	Run stock assignment (selects specific stock; unassigns previous if re-run)
Release	Triggers assignment + task generation; ERP notified via SOC
Release by sub-warehouse	Partial release per sub-warehouse
Pause	Retains assigned stock; pauses task generation
Stop	Releases assigned stock; ERP notified
Cancel	Remove order entirely; all prepared stock unassigned
Close	Confirm shipped quantities; send SOF to ERP
Force close	Close with stock failures (partial shipment)
Change priority	Update at any active status
Assign to equipment	Restrict picking preparation to specific equipment
Assign dock/stage	Set shipping dock or staging area
Increase/decrease line quantity	With restrictions if stock already prepared/shipped
Cancel line	All statuses while order active
Stop lines	Release stock from individual lines
Print documentation	Delivery note, packing list, differences report
Archive	After closure

ASN - DirectTransfer flow

A <DirectTransfer> order (<SorType> in SOR02) requires at least two warehouses in the WMS. It ships stock from a source warehouse to a destination warehouse without generating any inbound order or receipt at destination - only ASN containers.

Preparation - identical to a standard client order. After the outbound order closes on the source warehouse, the shipped containers automatically appear on the destination warehouse's Asn location (visible in SmartUI via Entrepôt → Conteneurs ASN).

Receiving an ASN container (destination warehouse) - RFT menu Réception → Préavis of the destination warehouse :

1. Receive onto the buffer or the equipment.
2. Scan the container (no other validation required).
3. An ASO01 file is generated automatically.

By design, the direct transfer skips re-inspection of the merchandise at the destination.

Deleting / rejecting an ASN container (container not arrived or not conforming) - SmartUI Entrepôt → Conteneurs ASN → select the container → Supprimer. This generates an ASK01 file.

⚠️ Both ASO01 and ASK01 files carry no reference to the origin transfer order. The ERP itself must reconcile every ASO/ASK container against the originating DirectTransfer shipping order to confirm or invalidate the completeness of the transfer.

Transfer - two-warehouse flow (inbound order created)

A <Transfer>-type order (<SorType> in SOR02) also requires at least two warehouses in the WMS. Unlike <DirectTransfer>, closing the outbound at source automatically creates an inbound order at destination with the same code as the source order. Containers arrive on the Asn location of the destination warehouse.

Key differences vs <DirectTransfer>:

Aspect	<Transfer>	<DirectTransfer>
Inbound order at destination	Yes (auto-created)	No
Receipt mandatory at destination	Yes	No
Authoritative ERP message	ROF02 (at inbound close)	ASO01 per container
Deletion feedback	ASK01 on partial-close of inbound order	ASK01 on container deletion
Re-inspection of goods	Possible at destination	Skipped by design

Destination-warehouse settings:

• AutoCreateReceptionFromRecorder = true → reception auto-created on first container scan.
• AutoCloseInboundOrder = true → closing the reception auto-closes the inbound order and emits ROF02.

⚠️ ASO01 and ASK01 still carry no transfer-header info. For <Transfer> flows the ERP must consume ROF02 - which contains the full list of received containers.

See Reception for the receiving procedure.

Merge (order fusion)

Merging consolidates multiple outbound orders into one preparation, so picking/packing/loading happens in a single pass. Merge applies to outbound orders - not to deliveries (a delivery is the result of a merge, not an input).

Eligibility

Required - every candidate order must match on:

• Complete <ShippingAddress> (every sub-tag)
• Complete <DeliveryAddress> + <DeliveryContact>
• Same order type (Client, Transfer, …)
• Status Waiting
• Identical ExtraData

Disqualifying - an order cannot be merged if it is already:

• In another merge
• In a group
• In a wave
• Assigned to a route

Process

Step	Action	Initiator
1	Create orders targeting the same address	ERP/client
2	Trigger the "Fusion" action	Operator (or auto if customised)
3	Prepare stock (picking, packing, loading)	Operator
4	Close the merged order → packages produced	Operator
5	Delivery generated	System

The merged order owns its own code, status and shipping date and is treated as any standard order. ERP traceability stays individualised per source order (each original SOR produces its own SOC/SOF lineage).

Configuration

<Delivery>
    <DlvShareDeliveries>true</DlvShareDeliveries>
</Delivery>

Parameter: ALLOW_MERGE_DIFFERENT_ACCOUNT - if set, allows merging orders from different customer accounts.

⚠️ No automatic merge is shipped in standard. Default is manual. Any automation is a custom scope.

Limitations & anomalies

• Merge is possible only from Waiting.
• Once picking has started, merge cannot be undone.
• Returns and SAV are treated individually.

Anomaly	Standard behaviour
Partial stock-out	Merge flips to Postponed until full availability
Cancel before picking	Order can be removed from the merge
Cancel during picking	Manual intervention required
Cancel after packaging	Un-pack, then re-process
Address change	Order must be excluded from the merge
Carrier error	Stock blocked in the packing zone; status fixed manually

Client responsibilities: consistency of SOR addresses / ExtraData, DlvShareDeliveries config, business rules for which orders to merge, anomaly handling.

Alternative Items (SOR flag + SOF feedback)

At order line level, the SOR(01|02) can enable the substitute-item feature :

<LneTerms>
  <LneTrmAlternative>true</LneTrmAlternative>
</LneTerms>

The WMS uses the shipping-profile substitution mode (Partiel / Substitution / Tout ou rien) + the article-level "Ajouter Alternatif" table to decide what gets picked. The SOF then reports the outcome via the <LneDIsAlternative> flag on each <LneDetail> (see Product / Item for the full matrix).

Common errors

Symptom	Cause	Solution
Order stuck in Released (no tasks created)	All required items missing from PDLs; no stock assignable	Check stock assignment results; trigger replenishment or manual stock movement
Stock failure on line	Insufficient stock for the requested item/attributes	Check stock levels; review lot/status restrictions in SOR line; consider substitute items
Cannot modify line (UoM or attributes)	Stock already prepared or shipped for this line	Only quantity can be reduced; attributes locked once prepared
SOF not sent	WMS-ERP integration issue or order closed without ERP connection	Check communication configuration; retry closing via forced resend if available
Order cannot be canceled	Stock already prepared (tasks completed)	Undo preparation (un-prepare from consolidation or truck loading view), then cancel
Required-to-ship line prevents all preparation	Required line has stock failure	Resolve stock failure on required line; or remove the required-to-ship flag (if ERP allows)
Excess stock prepared on line	Over-allocation due to containerized/indivisible stock	Use the "Return excess" operation before closing, or configure LneQtyAllowExcess = 0
Route not found	Route code in SOR does not exist in WMS	Create or sync route in Easy WMS; check RUT message from ERP

Related

• shipping - the physical shipping process (consolidation, truck loading, PS groups, auto shipping) that fulfills outbound orders
• picking - picking processes execute tasks generated when outbound orders are released; waves/groups/fusions batch multiple orders
• stock - stock assignment links specific stock lines to order lines; reserves block stock for specific orders
• container - client containers hold prepared stock; container type requirements configurable per order/line
• task - release generates Picking and Shipping tasks; task priority driven by order priority
• replenishment - EnableReplenishment flag on SOR triggers automatic PDL replenishment when released
• order-inbound - Transfer-type outbound orders create receipt orders at destination + ASN pre-notifications
• crossdocking - ASN containers with exclusive reserves for outbound orders enable direct crossdocking on receipt
• erp-interface - SOR (in), SOC (out), SOF (out), LOF (out), WOF (out), RUT (in for routes), SCR/WSC (stock contrast)