Priority Management
Here we explain the concept and functionality of priority management.
Concept
Priority Management is an order fulfillment module where we guide and control post-harvest processes with. The module feeds automatically, live, worksheets for bunchers and packers what needs to get processed and packed first, second etc.
Its classic that a sales representative calls to the post-harvest to please pack a certain box first. Whoever has the most power gets the flowers first. We find that unfair and in-efficient. With standardized and clear defined processes that can be guided and controlled by UNOSOF, based on algorithms, we streamline the processes between departments seamless within the company to gain accuracy and efficiency.
Priority Management is designed to avoid any level of communication between sales and post-harvest. Neither there should exist any communication and/or discussion between sales representatives, the flowers get applied via established rules.
Setup
A priority is a segment which can be setup with 3 elements: 1) Order type: SO, OM, Pre-Book, etc. 2) Market: Manage markets
3) Days out: Today (0), tomorrow (1), day after (2) etc.
Route: Inventory / Inventory Priority / Inventory Priority Manage
Before you create a priority, read this: Priority management decides where bunches get applied to first, second, third, etc. If you sell what you have in inventory, and you're not short of anything, priority management is useless. But if something gets oversold, or when the production levels are not matching the demand requirements, then priority management is a very powerful tool to manage well.
Priority management does not generate more or less inventory, it only decides where flowers are going and its meant to pack and ship the boxes in a certain order, with commercial focus.
The level of detail you create your priority with, applies directly the level of how exact you wish to target to which box tthehe bunches get applied to. This goes together with a commercial strategy of the company.
An example: If Standing Orders are more important than Open Market orders, then those are two different priorities. If today's Standing Orders are more important than tomorrows Standing orders, then those are two different priorities. If within the Standing Orders the USA clients are more important than the Asian clients, then those are two different priorities. If within the USA clients the Wholesalers are more important than Importers, then those are two different priorities. If within the Wholesales your partner clients are more important then others, then those are two different priorities. Etc.
Priority detail view
Each priority segment is built with 3 elements: - Days out - Order Types - Markets By combining these 3 elements we create a priority segment at any level of detail. For efficient management, we allow to cluster markets and orders types into a segment. At the following example we show that all market are being combined, and at some priorities also the order types are being combined.
As we learned, each bunch in inventory needs to get auto-applied to a box of flowers. To make that happen, we establish a list that we can loop true (top to bottom). We ungroup each cluster into single priorities (market, orders type and day out). Its possible that just 1 priority segment, are actually 100 single priorities (10 markets x 10 order types x 1 days out). However-its undoable to manage that level of detail, therefore we the detailed list is just a view and not the management page.
It's possible to organize each market within a cluster priority, without differentiating and creating new priorities. This can be done via manage markets in where you can set for instance that USA is higher prioritized than Russia.
Priority ManagementCreate priority
Go to: Inventory > Inventory Priority > Inventory Priority Manage
A priority is a segment, each box fits in a segment that gets a position in a list that we stack up from top to bottom. UNOSOF loops true this list to apply processed bunches to the boxes.
Step 1) Click on: New Inventory Priority:
Step 2) Insert: Priority Order. This number (1-1000) decides the ranking of the priority. The higher the priority appears in the list, the earlier the bunches and boxes that fall in that priority shall get processed and get packed.
Step 3) Insert Days Out. This number decides if the priority counts for today (0), tomorrow (1) or the day after (2), etc.
Step 4) Insert Priority Name. Define an internal recognizable name for the priority. We recommend to use the 3 elements in the name of the priority: days out, orders type and markets. 0 // SO // USA
Step 5) Assign the Order Types to the priority.
Step 6) Assign the Markets to the priority.
Step 7) Hit Save.
View Priorities
Once you his save on the priority, go back to the main page and hit Search Inventory Priority. There you shall find your recent created priority.
Rebuild Inventory Priority
In View Priorities you find an overview of all the priorities. Please check if the ranking, markets, order types and days out are been assigned correct, and if everything is perfect you have to hit the following button: Rebuild Inventory Priorities.
Synch Priorities
If you work with a master server that manages multi-ruc business structure, then you have to synch your priorities and rebuild the tables on farm level. go to: System Registry > Synch Data
After you synches the priorities, you have to go to the farm applications and rebuild the inventory priority tables.
In-Activate Priorities
Its not possible to delete priorties, we only allow that you can in-activate priorties. In-active priorities can be modified for re-usage.
If you wish to clean and reset the priority list, we recommend you to in-activate all the priorities, set them all too no. 99. After that, select one by one priority to modify and activate them again.
Tips
Do not give more then 1 user access to this module.
Make sure that every PO fits in 1 priority at the time. If a PO has no priority assignment, the flowers will not get processed and/or packed. If a PO falls in two priorities at the same time, it shall generate a double request to process and pack flowers for.
If you with to re-organize all your priorities, we recommend to position all the priorities at No. 100, and to modify one by one priority segment at the wishes priority order, 1,2,3,4, etc.
Functionality
With the given priorities we can fit every box into a specific position in the list. This allows UNOSOF to automatically apply the inventory (bunches) to the boxes being sold by algorithm, the bunches get applied from top to bottom of the list. The box on top of the list, gets the bunches first and the box on the bottom of the list will get the bunches applied last.
The effect of this module is that we avoid any human interaction who needs to calculate and decide what boxes are complete, what bunches need to get processed first, second etc. and what boxes need to get packed first, second etc.
Overrule priority
In some occasions you might want to overrule a priority. As we learned, UNOSOF applies the inventory (bunches) to the boxes being sold by algorithm, the bunches get applied from top to bottom of the list. The box on top of the list, gets the bunches first and the box on the bottom of the list will get the bunches applied last. By selecting the checkmark in the priority column, its possible to move a box up in the list by manually checkmark the select box in the priority column.
As you can see in the example below, the two boxes on top of the list, are manually prioritized. Originally those boxes were not on top the list, but via the given checkmarks in the priority column they are now on top of the list.
Move boxes
At some farms we applied an auto-priority for moved boxes. Its possible that the customer has a standing order, and that the policy is to move incomplete boxes to tomorrows date with auto-priority given by UNOSOF. That process makes sure that when we step into tomorrows day, those boxes get completed and packed first.
There is the possibly, that even-tough those moved boxes have been given auto-priority, we still deny those priorities until we actually step into tomorrows day. Meaning, we ignore the auto-applied manual checkmark priorities, and we just follow the regular priority list until todays date is complete first.
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