Auto Packing

Overview

Auto Pack is an intelligent system that automatically organizes items from an Item Fulfillment into cartons and pallets based on configured packing rules. The system uses Packing Groups to define how items should be packed, with fallback support for legacy configurations.

Table of Contents

1. Key Concepts
2. Configuration
3. Packing Strategies
4. Performance Optimization
5. Validation Rules
6. Troubleshooting

Key Concepts

Packing Groups

Packing Groups are the core configuration unit that defines how items should be packed:

• Units Per Carton: Number of items that fit in one carton
• Cartons Per Pallet: Number of cartons that fit on one pallet
• Packing Strategy: How items are distributed across cartons (Full or Even)
• Dimensions: Physical dimensions and weight of cartons
• Customer-Specific: Can be configured per customer for custom packing requirements

Item-Packing Group Assignment

Items are linked to Packing Groups through assignment records that support:

• Customer-specific assignments: Different packing rules per customer
• General assignments: Default packing rules for all customers
• Priority order: Customer-specific > General > Legacy auto-pack settings

Containers

Two types of containers are created:

1. Cartons: Basic shipping units containing items
2. Pallets: Master containers that hold multiple cartons

Configuration

Setting Up Packing Groups

1. Create Packing Group Record

   • Global Search "New Packing Group"
   • Define: Units per carton, cartons per pallet, strategy, dimensions

2. Assign Items to Packing Groups

   • Navigate to: Item Packing Group Assignments within an Item Record
   • Link an item to a packing groups
   • Optionally specify customer restrictions

3. Legacy Fallback

   • If no packing group is assigned, system falls back to using the legacy item field autoPackUnitsPerCarton

Configuration Priority

1. Customer-Specific Packing Group (highest priority)
2. General Packing Group
3. Item's autoPackUnitsPerCarton field (legacy)

Packing Strategies

Full Strategy (Default)

Fills cartons to maximum capacity before starting the next carton.

Example: 25 items with 10 units per carton

• Carton 1: 10 items
• Carton 2: 10 items
• Carton 3: 5 items

Even Strategy

Distributes items evenly across all required cartons.

Example: 25 items with 10 units per carton

• Carton 1: 9 items
• Carton 2: 8 items
• Carton 3: 8 items

Performance Optimization

Batch Processing Thresholds

The system automatically selects the optimal processing method:

Validation Rules

Pre-Pack Validation

1. Customer Linkage: Fulfillment must be linked to a customer
2. Sales Order: Fulfillment must be created from a sales order
3. Not Already Packed: No existing cartons for the fulfillment
4. Configuration Required: All items must have either:
   • Packing group assignment
   • Legacy autoPackUnitsPerCarton value

Carton Validation

Before saving, the system validates:

• Required fields are populated
• Weight calculations are valid
• Dimensions are properly set
• Parent-child relationships are correct

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Item does not have Units Per Carton setting"

Cause: Item lacks both packing group and legacy configuration
Solution:

1. Assign item to a packing group, OR
2. Set the Units Per Carton field on the item's Orderful EDI tab

"Item Fulfillment has already been packed"

Cause: Cartons already exist for this fulfillment
Solution: Delete existing cartons before re-running auto-pack

"An auto-pack process is already running"

Cause: Map/Reduce task still processing
Solution: Wait for existing task to complete (check System > Scheduled Script Status)

Performance Issues

Symptoms: Auto-pack taking too long
Solutions:

1. Check if Map/Reduce threshold needs adjustment
2. Verify packing group queries are optimized
3. Review fulfillment size - very large fulfillments may need custom handling

Best Practices

1. Configure Packing Groups First: Set up packing groups before processing fulfillments
2. Use Customer-Specific When Needed: Only create customer-specific assignments when requirements differ
3. Monitor Map/Reduce Tasks: Check task status for large batch processing
4. Validate Before Packing: Ensure all items have proper configuration
5. Test Strategies: Test both Full and Even strategies to determine best fit