Physical Inventory Tags

[rustylee]

Greetings:

What is the significance of the Tag_Type and Extra_Fg fields in the IMTAGFIL_SQL table? Could a tag file for a physical selct with extra tags contain 'P' and null respectiviely for *all* records?

I'm creating a routine to resequence our tags in an order useful to our warehouse locating system. In doing so, there would be no distinction between "extra" tags and tags assigned with item numbers. In fact, extra tags will be populated with item numbers by my routine, in effect making all that tags non-extra.

Any thoughts about this?

 

[dgillz]

The tag_type is a "C" for cycle counts and a "P" for physical counts. "Extra" tags are those created without an item number pre assigned to it.

The bigger question is why would you resequence tags? How are you going to resequence them? In Macola you can already sequence tags in the following methods:

By item #
By bin
By picking sequence
By commodity code
by product category
by user defined field
by cycle count code



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[MacolaHelp]

Sounds like you should populate the user defined field so that you tags sort in the order you desire. Using the macola assigned tag numbering scheme allows you to have access to all the pre-posting reports such as missing tags & variance reports. If you try to do your own thing too much, these reports will not work or have good info. If it is just a sorting issue on your end, why not write a crystal report to sort the tag file in the order you desire instead of changing a field that may be important to an imbedded macola report? My feeling is that you need to understand & work with what you have & program to fill the holes.

 

[rustylee]

Hi dgillz,

You raise some very good points. I have considered these, having done this last year.

I was happy to see that Macola had included an option to sort by picking sequence code when it became available. However, Macola cannot account for an item that is stored in two or more locations in the warehouse. That is managed in a separate database, an Excel spreadsheet to be precise.

We consider the tag issued by Macola with the item number and picking sequence to be the primary picking location. Extra tags are used to count overstock items that are stored elsewhere.

Last year I populated the extra tags with the overstock item numbers, sorting them by location. This improved the counting process and data entry greatly since the counters did not need to write an item number and location on the tag and the data entry folks didn't have to manually decipher the writing and enter the item number on the tag entry screen.

Since tag table produced by the physcial count select process is not practical for our warehouse storage system, I would prefer to simply wipe out the tag table's records and repopulate it with records that are sequenced according to our storage system.

The reason I asked about the Tag_Type and Extra_Fg fields was to determine how these fields are utilized by Macola. My thinking is they are probably used for posting and for historical reasons.

It's interesting that when the 'Count extra tags' process is run, all the tags are marked as extra tags. But the Tag_Type field is untouched.

My main concern at the point is to ensure that the cost and quantity are posted correctly, obviously. Does Macola use the frozen cost and quantity fields in the tag table to post? If not, perhaps it is a moot issue regarding the Tag_Type and Extra_Fg fields if they are not used for calculating totals during posting.

I'm trying to remove a gap that exists between the primary picking tags and the extra tags, mainly for printing purposes. I don't want to print tags for items that will not be counted, and I would like to keep legitimate location tags together for auditing purposes. Items that will not be counted are indicated by tags issued by Macola for an item that does not have picking sequence code, though they will have stock in an overstock location if there is a QOH.

What I may do is sequence the tags so that the tags for primary picking location are moved to the bottom of the table, leaving the Tag_Type field untouched.

What do you think?

-Rusty

 

[MacolaHelp]

You must not be using multibin in macola if your items are stored in multiple locations in your warehouse & are maintained in an excel spreadsheet.

 

[rustylee]

Correct, we do not use multibins. I don't remember exactly why. Seems there was some issue with overburdening order processing.