New OrderFlow WMS features help customers optimise warehousing processes

In this release we’ve introduced a new courier integration for MyHermes. This complements our existing courier integration that uses the Hermes Routing API, and is suitable for customers who do not have corporate accounts with Hermes.

Also in the area of courier integrations, we’ve added support for Intersoft Department Billing. This makes it easier, particularly for 3PLs, to operate separate Royal Mail accounts for their clients.

With this release we’ve also added a new built-in feature to validate received order information, both to ensure the presence of values for particular fields, and to ensure the consistency of order line, shipment and top-level order pricing values.

In the past it has been possible to validate incoming orders using import mapping scripts, however this new mechanism allows for common cases to be handled with much less configuration.

In OrderFlow 4.1.7, we’ve made significant internal changes to make order line stock assignment more flexible and configurable, particularly when working in environments where stock may be picked using different lots and units of measure (cartons, pieces, etc.).

It’s now easier to determine, on an order line by order line basis, whether to use piece only picking, picking of full cases or pieces, or whether to allow for case splitting during the pick itself. The ability to apply advanced rules around expiry and best before dates now works more easily out of the box, with less configuration.

We’ve also added a new feature to the desktop UI that aims to use product images to facilitate receipt of deliveries backed by purchase orders or ASNs.

Here, the operator is able to receive items by selecting from a list of products appearing on the purchase order.

This feature is particularly useful for receiving non-barcoded products, where a visual comparison is helpful.

In OrderFlow 4.1.7 we’ve introduced a simpler flavour of handheld delivery receipt, removing the need to print out licence plates. This is suitable for smaller warehouse environments in which concurrent receipt of multiple deliveries is a less frequent occurrence.

OrderFlow now also has the ability to record multiple serial numbers against an item during scan to pack. This feature was introduced at short notice for one of our customers to allow them to send out Covid-19 test kits containing two serial numbers per kit.

A new email report function has now been added to the WMS that allows reports to be sent to pre-defined recipients as email attachments.

The email text and attachments can be defined through the use of email templates.

Also since our last release announcement, we have added support for using the TextLocal API to send SMS notifications on despatch of shipments.

This feature is designed for notifying system users only, and not for customer delivery and status notifications to members of the public.

Finally, OrderFlow has a simple mechanism to calculate the weight and/ordimensions of shipments, based on the weight and/or dimensions of despatched items, but with OrderFlow 4.1.7 we’ve added the ability to script overrides.

This allows for peculiarities in certain products to be taken care of on a special case basis.

If you’d like to transform your warehousing and fulfilment operations, please get in touch for more information about the OrderFlow warehouse management system and the services and support we offer.