AX 2012 R3 : Do not enable WMS-II and the new Warehouse and Transportation management in the same installation

May 15, 2014May 15, 2014 / Kurt Hatlevik / 38 Comments

In DAX 2012 R3 we have received a new module for Warehouse and Transportation, that Microsoft acquired from Blue Horseshoe. In time it is expected that this will replace the WMS-II module that have been existing in Dynamics AX since version 2.0.

But there are some limitations that you need to be aware of. You should not enable both WMS-II and the new Warehouse and Transportation management configuration key. If you do so, then the following “red” issue will appear:

I asked Microsoft if they could come with an official statement regarding this issue, and here it is:

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 includes new Warehouse and Transportation Management modules that are enabled by a single configuration key, along with the previously released Warehouse Management II module. Users should enable the configuration key for ONLY ONE of these modules, but not both, in a single-instance, single-partition deployment. Although technically feasible, enabling the configuration keys for both of these modules in a single-instance, single-partition deployment is not supported by Microsoft. This combination may result in a serious loss of data or the creation of incorrect data, which could block or interrupt business processes, impair future upgrades, or cause other adverse effects to your system or business operations. Microsoft is not liable for damages that result from your use or enablement of both of these modules in a single-instance, single-partition deployment. If you use or enable, or attempt to use or enable, both of these modules in a single-instance, single-partition deployment, Microsoft’s maximum, aggregate liability for this unsupported configuration is limited to direct damages in an amount not to exceed US$1.00. By downloading, installing, using or attempting to download, install, or use Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, you have agreed to these terms, which are a supplement to the Software License Terms for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3. See License code and configuration key reference for more information about enabling the configuration keys for the new Warehouse and Transportation Management modules or the Warehouse Management II module. The Warehouse and Transportation management configuration key is enabled by the Trade and Logistics license code, and the Warehouse management II configuration key is enabled by the Warehouse management II license code”

What this means technically is that the two following configuration keys should not be enabled together:

Since the “Warehouse management II” is locked, it means that you need to remove the licensekey for Warehouse management II.

I have also been asked by customers, what is the WMS II, and what would we loose if we want to use the WAX/TRAX ? And here is a list of features that is depending on WMS-II.

WMS-forklifts
Picking locations on warehouse items
Location blocking causes
Shipping templates
Outbound rules
Shipment reservation sequences and reservation combinations
Store zones
Store area’s
Pallets and pallet types
Pallet transport handling
In addition everything related to consolidated shipping will also be removed, and just order picking will remain.

If you want to be support compliant, you need to take a clear choice of WMS-II or WAX/TRAX before starting any implementation or upgrade.

Running Dynamics AX R3 on Azure

May 14, 2014May 14, 2014 / Kurt Hatlevik / 7 Comments

To install and use Dynamics AX R3 on Azure is easy to setup is ready within 15 minutes.

All you have to do is to log into https://lcs.dynamics.com/

Then create a project, and click on the “Cloud hosted environments(Beta)”

Then click on the “plus” to deploy the image, and give it a name.

Let it run for 15 minutes, and the image is now available in the Microsoft Azure portal.

Then Click on the “Connect” button, and you will receive a RDP-file you can use to log into the image.

PS!

Here is some small tips for improving performance:

Change the power plan to High Performance
Set performance options in the VM to “Best performance”
Run index rebuild/re-organize on both data and model database, as described here.
I also “pimped-up” my VM images with 8 CPU and 56 Gb Ram, to get the best possible performance.(But it cost!)

Congratulation you are now “certified” for deploying Azure demo images for Dynamics AX 2012 R3:

AX 2012 R2 – Cross docking for smaller warehouses

May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 / Kurt Hatlevik / 1 Comment

Based on some customer requirements, a simplified generic “Cross-docking” solution have been created. When items is received, it was wanted that Dynamics AX should try to suggest a crossdock – putaway location on those arrival lines that could be sent within a spesified horizon. Also to mark the receipt and issue inventory transactions.

To accomplish this a new query based cross-docking setup screen have been created.

Here as many cross-docking rules as needed can be set up.

The main fields are:

Warehouse – where the rule is effective
Priority – search sequence of the rules
Crossdocking location name – Name of the rule/description of the location
Crossdocking horizon – number of days to look forward
Enable crossdocking – On/off parameter to enable/disable this crossdocking rule.

Then there are two query criteria that is used:
Receipt criteria : Is used to select what receipts that could be cross-docked, and is based on purchase and arrival lines. Create additional critiera like vendors, projects, items and item groups.
Issue criteria : Is used find crossdocking candidates, and is based on sales lines.

The grid is a view only, and shows show the query selection. This is for simplyfing the readability of the query.

To change the query, click on the “select values”, to get up a standard AX query Screen.

Some criteria lines are gray, meaning that they have been locked, and cannot be changed to the user. Some of the criteria is also dynamic values, like the confirmed shipdate that also handles orders there only requested shippingdates have been filled.

The receive process can be drawn like this:

This will result in a arrival journal that looks like this:

The Cross-docking feature will also work the same in the DCS/PDA solution.

Solution study in a medium complex crossdocking scenario.

Here I will show the crossdocking solution in action, when having multiple salesorders and where also some goods are crossdocked, and some are put to the warehouse.

First, the Crossdocking rules. I decided to test the scenario with 2 rules. One for each customer.

The first rule «priority1», covers ONLY item 100, and customer no-001, and outbound dock Out_01

The secound rule, covers all items, but ONLY customer DMO-100, and outbound dock Out_02

Then I create a small purchase order with the items 100 and 101, with 10 each.

I then create 2 sales orders both with the items.

I then want to use the DCS to create the receive:

As seen in the last DCS screen, we see that 5 lines is remaining. This because the 2 purchase lines, have been split to one line per destination. If we look at the Arrival journal in AX, we can see this split. The Yellow lines is the “cross-docking” lines.

If we look down at the inventory transactions, and check out the inventory marking we see the transaction effect of the cross-docking.

As seen here, the purchase is correctly marked against two sales orders. We also see that the inventory transactions for the sales order is reserved ordered:

If we continue with the DCS receive process, the user will be informed that the receive line is a cross-docking, with the correct quantity and also suggest the cross-docking location specified in the cross-docking setup

When all lines have been received, then the user clicks Post, and can then also post the product receipt list:

If we also check out the sales orders, we see that the reservation has been changed to “reserved physical” towards the location that was selected as the put-away location.

Post to Codeplex ?

AX 2012 R2 – Zoneless pick customization

May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 / Kurt Hatlevik / 2 Comments

A customer of me wants to perform consolidated picking, but do want to control on the shipping template if the picking routes should be split per picking area.

So the solution was to create a boolean parameter for this on the shipping template:

Then this can be controlled in the consolidated picking creation process:

That’s it. Shipping template based Zoneless pick achieved in a consolidated picking scenario.

Happy DAX’ing

AX 2012 R2 – Where is the picking lines created ?

May 6, 2014May 6, 2014 / Kurt Hatlevik / 7 Comments

In R2 there are several steps and places that picking routes/Picking lines are created, depending if you have an order-based picking or consolidated picking.

The fundamental element for a picking route is output orders, that acts as the basis.

And Output orders are created through the class\WMSOrderCreate:

As soon as the WMSOrder is created, it can try to attach itself to a shipment (consolidated scenario)(Also WMSOrderCreate)

If you follow the trace in the wmsOrder.autoAddShipment() you will get to the code where the WMSOrderTrans is created.

WMSOrderTrans is created here

And here :

The final step is the creation of the WMSPickingRoute, that happens in the shipment reservation. And inside this method you will also find the creation process for the picking route.

So the sequence and steps for creating a picking route is the following :

1. WMSOrder is created

2. WMSShipment is created

3. WMSOrderTrans is created

4. WMSPickingroute is created

Also remember that the structure of shipmentId, PickingrouteID’s is very loose entities, and is not strongly anchored to inventTrans. So it is possible to move wmsorderTrans transactions between pickingroute and shipments quite easily by using X++.

Happy DAX’ing