Handling Exceptional Situations in a Warehouse Management
The invention provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for handling exceptional situations in a warehouse management. From a user application of the warehouse, an exception code is received, the exception code being representative of a predetermined exceptional situation in the warehouse. The exception code is verified as to validity, and if the received exception code is valid, a follow-up action based on the received exception code is automatically triggered.
1 - 31 . (canceled)
32 . A method for handling exceptional situations in a warehouse, the method comprising:
receiving, from a user application of the warehouse, an exception code, the exception code being representative of a predetermined exceptional situation in the warehouse;
verifying the validity of the received exception code; and
if the received exception code is valid, automatic triggering a follow-up action based on the received exception code.
33 . The method according to claim 32 ,
wherein the exception code is generated in the user application in a first context and the triggered follow-up action is processed in a second context.
34 . The method according to claim 32 ,
wherein the exception code is generated upon detection of an exceptional situation in the warehouse.
35 . The method according to claim 32 ,
wherein an exception handling procedure signal is generated corresponding to the triggered follow-up action.
36 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein the user application is part of a product picking environment.
37 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein at least one exception code is transmitted via RF.
38 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein the user application works in an RF environment.
39 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein the follow-up action comprises connecting to at least one of status managing, alert managing, workflow processing systems.
40 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein exception handling is encapsulated in the user application.
41 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein a skill level number is assigned to each possible handling procedure and the presented and/or selectable possible exception handling procedures depend on a matching of a predefined skill level criterium.
42 . The method according to claim 41 , wherein the skill level numbers represent a hierarchy, and the criterium is a minimal or a maximal skill level number.
43 . A method for handling exceptional situations in a warehouse, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of exception codes to a user application of the warehouse, each exception code being representative of a predetermined exceptional situation in the warehouse;
receiving, from the user application, a selected one of the plurality of exception codes; and
automatically triggering a follow-up action based on the received exception code.
44 . The method according to claim 43 , wherein the plurality of exception codes which are provided to the user application are dependent on at least one of the type of user application, and the profile of a user working with the user application.
45 . The method according to claim 43 , wherein a number of user profiles is given, the plurality of exception codes to be provided to the user application is obtained by filter operation from a data base of exception codes, based on a selected one of the number of user profiles.
46 . The method according to claim 43 , wherein the plurality of exception codes are transmitted via RF to a handheld device of the user application.
47 . An apparatus for handling exceptional situations in a warehouse, the apparatus comprising the steps of:
receiving means that receive, from a user application of the warehouse, an exception code, the exception code being representative of a predetermined exceptional situation in the warehouse;
verification means that verify the received exception code as to validity; and
triggering means that, if the received exception code is valid, automatically trigger a follow-up action based on the received exception code.
48 . The apparatus according to claim 47 , wherein the exception code is generated in the user application in a first context ( 10 ) and the triggered follow-up action is processed in a second context ( 20 ).
49 . The apparatus according to claim 47 , further comprising generating means that generate the exception code upon detection of an exceptional situation in the warehouse.
50 . An apparatus for handling exceptional situations in a warehouse, the apparatus comprising:
provision means that provide a plurality of exception codes to a user application of the warehouse, each exception code being representative of a predetermined exceptional situation in the warehouse;
receiving means that receive, from the user application, a selected one of the plurality of exception codes; and
triggering means that automatically trigger a follow-up action based on the received exception code.
51 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein the plurality of exception codes which are provided to the user application are dependent on at least one of the type of user application, and the profile of a user working with the user application.
52 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein an exception handling procedure signal is generated corresponding to the triggered follow-up action.
53 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein the user application ( 10 ) is part of a product picking environment.
54 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , further comprising RF means that transmit at least one exception code via RF.
55 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein the user application works in an RF environment.
56 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein the follow-up action comprises connecting to at least one of status managing, alert managing, workflow processing systems.
57 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein exception handling is encapsulated in the user application.
58 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein a skill level number is assigned to each possible handling procedure and the presented and/or selectable possible exception handling procedures depend on a matching of a predefined skill level criterium.
59 . The apparatus according to claim 58 , wherein the skill level numbers represent a hierarchy, and the criterium is a minimal or a maximal skill level number.
60 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein a number of user profiles is given, the plurality of exception codes to be provided to the user application is obtained by filter operation from a data base of exception codes, based on a selected one of the number of user profiles.
61 . The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein the plurality of exception codes are transmitted via RF to a handheld device of the user application.
62 . A computer readable medium having program code stored therein that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
determine a possible lot size of units with respect to a fixed date for a chain of at least two sequentially dependent process steps, each process step requiring a respective assigned resource by:
receiving, from a user application of the warehouse, an exception code, the exception code being representative of a predetermined exceptional situation in the warehouse;
the validity of verifying the received exception code; and
automatically triggering a follow-up action based on the received exception code if the received exception code is valid.