ASN: Predictive or Definitive
Posted by Jim Cantrell on February 3, 2012
You have to love the dynamics in the ASN. The Advanced Ship Notice (ASN) can accommodate any shipment packed or shipped using any method including ocean going container ships. You should recognize the one(s) you use and recognizing it probably don’t give it a second thought. TheASNimpacts your internal workflow, client relationships and overall efficiency so it’s important to choose the best method for your company!
For those who don’t know, the 856ASN is used to notify your customer how you packed and shipped their order. It lists the contents of a shipment, carrier information, and the shipping cartons. The 856 provides flexibility for you to describe the contents and configuration of ashipment at various levels of detail. It does other things, but the fascination for me right now is the packing configuration.
Packing Configuration
Companies must pack their goods in cartons (for the most part). And when they don’t, they still often need to use an ASN. How we pack is determined by our ideas of efficiency, carton sizes, client relationship and what is being packed. Some companies switch carton sizes based on client, how it is ordered or what is being ordered. Often packing is dependent on “mark for” scenarios where you are pre-packing by final destination. Once you arrive at the “perfect” configurations for you and your clients, you stick with it. Unplanned or undocumented variation of course is a fail, and often is followed by offset expenses.
Which of the following do you use?
- Pack all items in one carton
- Pack oneUPCcode per carton (VariableUPCquantity in each carton).
- Pack oneUPCcode per carton (IdenticalUPCquantity in all cartons)
- Pack multipleUPCcodes per carton (IdenticalUPCquantity in all cartons).
- Pack multipleUPCcodes per carton (VariableUPCquantity in all cartons).
- Pick & Pack (Customized/variable quantities and cartons).
- Pick & Pack – All cartons packed the same way/Repeating, identical cartons.
Did I miss one? I imagine I did, but only if you ship only pallets, containers or ships/rail cars. Even then the hierarchy principle remains the same, which is why we love theASNso much! Chances are good, most of you reading this can relate to one or more of the seven listed above. Most hosted (Yes, the SaaS people) EDI providers offer the ones listed above (or some manner to arrive at the same result). How do they arrive at them though? Do you have to type it all in, scan it or is there a wizard?
Two Ways to Define Packing Configurations
There are only two ways to define how you arrive at your packing configuration. Either you build theASNwith definitive logic or with predictive logic. Both can be accomplished using an in-house solution or a hosted (SaaS) solution.
Definitive Logic
When we say, Definitive, we are talking about scanning product as it goes into each carton. For a long time this was only done using one technology (barcode scan). The system is often generally referred to as “scan-n-pack”. Scan an item, put it into the carton and repeat as necessary. You are of course scanning the carton label to ‘tell’ the system you are either starting or ending another carton. Now of course there is RFID, which increases the hardware requirement, but may reduce the human requirement to stand there with a scanner continually scanning. Both of these systems imply there is a scanning station where goods are packed and the ASN‘built’. As data is scanned, it can be fed to a hosted (SaaS) or an in-house system. It is referred to as definitive because once an item is scanned into a carton, there is no ambiguity, provided the scanning is taking place accurately (not from a license plate). One of the big benefits is the person packing doesn’t need to count what is going into each carton.
Predictive Logic
The second type ofASNis the predictive. PredictiveASN’s use an algorithm to look at yourPO850 and based on your choice of packing option enable you to configure your packing methodology in advance of actually doing it. The objective of this method is to re-use as much of the information provided in a Purchase Order 850 as possible and combine it with existing user’s data to produce theASN, while eliminating unnecessary user’s involvement and minimizing clicks and keystrokes. For example, if you are using a predictiveASNand you receive aPOfor 100 items you will chose a packing configuration (Maybe “Pack oneUPCcode per carton”). Using this method, the software will ask you how many items per carton – you will enter in the information. If you say “10”, then the application will interpret that you are going to put ten items in ten boxes thus completing the process of packing a shipment of 100 items. It can’t count for you though, so make sure you do a good job.
There are numerous benefits to each method. From a compliance perspective using the definitive method will minimize the most common infraction in the industry: the concealed shortage. Using the same example we used earlier, your client orders 100 of a given item from your company. In packing, you use a predictive method and say 10 per box, X 10 boxes = complete shipment. If two of those boxes only have 9 in them you have just shorted the order by two. Your warehouse person just miscounted. It happens. But does it need to? That is a question you should ask yourself. Scanning stations for typical barcode readers may cost more and the software to drive it will add to it – but many say they are worth it. There are also some fascinating case studies using RFID to accomplish the same task including loss prevention (At the point of shipping). Scanning technology also has the benefit of helping companies KNOW what inventory they receive (Provided items have circuits or barcodes on items when they arrive (At the individual or carton level). Using this technology can help you understand what is coming IN as well as what is going OUT.
Regardless of which you chose, the obligation to get theASNto match your actual shipment in a way your trading partner can use it still remains. We can see each of these two types of ASNs have their own features. The definitive simply puts more of the counting and differentiation between items onto technology rather than an over worked, harried warehouse worker.
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