User manual · TPC Puma

TPC Puma user manual

Step by step guide to run a slotting calculation, read the results and find saved calculations.

1What the system does

The system analyses the picking operation of TPC Puma and suggests which SKUs should leave, move or receive a location, so the most requested items are in the most accessible places.

Deslotting

SKUs that should leave their picking location, within the hours of the shift.

Reslotting

SKUs that should move to another picking location, closer to the optimal layout.

Assignment

SKUs that need a picking location, with a suggested free location for each one.

Visit maps

Where picking visits happen today and where they would happen in the optimal layout.

2Getting started

Log in with your account using the Log in button at the top right. Your initials and first name appear there once you are in.
The menu has three screens: Home, Deslotting & Reslotting (new calculation) and Last results (saved calculations).
Choose the language with the flags (EN, PT, ES) and the light or dark theme with the moon button. By default the theme follows your browser.
The line under the menu (Home › …) shows where you are; click Home or the logo to go back to the home page.

3Files you need

These are the files the calculation of TPC Puma uses. Export them from your systems before you start.

File	Status	What it is
Location Handling	Required	WMS report of the picking locations: which SKU is in each location and its quantity. It is the base of the current layout.
SKUs by delivery	Required	SKUs of each delivery note (DN) in the period: what was ordered and how often, the base of the ABC curve.
Item by category	Required	Stock of each item with its category; it is the inventory used by the calculation.
Snapshot	Optional	Inventory snapshot of the day, to update the stock of each location.
Arrivals	Optional	Expected arrivals, so incoming SKUs are taken into account.
Transfer DC	Optional	Transfers between distribution centers (DC) to take into account.

Accepted formats: .xlsx or .csv, up to 50 MB per file. Keep the columns as the system exports them: renamed or removed columns can make the calculation fail.

Optional files are under “+ Optional uploads”. When you send them, the calculation takes that information into account; without them it still runs.

4Parameters

In the side panel you set the size of the teams and the time available. The calculation uses these values to decide how much fits in the shift.

Parameter	Default	What it is
Deslotting (people)	3	People working on deslotting in the shift.
Reslotting (people)	3	People working on reslotting in the shift.
Deslotting (hours / min)	7 h 0 min	Hours and minutes available for deslotting. The deslotting list is cut to what fits in this time.
Reslotting (hours / min)	7 h 0 min	Hours and minutes available for reslotting. The number of moves follows this time.
OrderBook (months)	2	How many months of the order book (future orders) are considered. Options: 1, 2, 3, 4.
3. Enabled zones	PT, PA, PB, PC	Picking zones included in the calculation. Uncheck a zone to leave it out.
Seasons	—	Product seasons (collections) to take into account: F26, F27, S26, S27.
Use high places	—	Also consider the high level locations (curve D) in the suggestions.

5Running a calculation

Open Deslotting & Reslotting in the menu.
In the side panel, select the required files (and the optional ones, if you have them).
Adjust the teams, the time and the other parameters.
Click “Calculate slotting”.
Wait: the page shows “Calculating…” with the elapsed time and opens the results by itself when it finishes.

The calculation runs on the server and may take several minutes, depending on the size of the files. You can go to other pages: when you come back to Deslotting & Reslotting, the last calculation of your session opens again (kept for 24 hours).

If the panel shows “Test mode (DB_hash): uploads are ignored”, the system is using example data. This mode is only for demonstrations and tests.

6Reading the results

The results are grouped in sections. Each section has tables and, in some cases, charts.

Main sections

Deslotting list	SKUs that should leave picking, limited to the deslotting hours you entered.
Total deslotting list	Every candidate to leave picking, with no limit of hours.
Reslotting list	Moves inside picking; “relocation” is the suggested location and the warning column says when it must be freed first.
Assignment	SKUs that need a location and the free location suggested for each one (“assign”).
Optimal layout	For each SKU, the current location compared with the best location found.
Number of visits	Heat maps by zone/aisle and ABC curve, for the current and the optimal layout.
Occupancy	Share of locations occupied in each zone and in the high levels.
Update report	Dates and details of the files used, to check they are up to date.

How to use tables and charts

Type in “Filter” to search for a SKU or location; click a column header to sort it.
“Export XLSX” downloads the tables of the section; “Download full XLSX” downloads everything.
Tables show up to 5,000 rows; the export also has only the rows loaded.
Hover over a chart to see its values. In the heat maps, blue is cold (few visits) and red is hot (many visits).
The (i) button beside each table and chart opens a short explanation of it.

Some sections only appear when the calculation has data for them, so the list may change from one calculation to another.

7Last results

Saved calculations can be opened again without running them. The history shows the type, the date and the time of each calculation.

Open Last results in the menu: the most recent calculation opens.
To see another one, choose it in “Select the calculation” and click Open, or click its row in the Calculation history.
Explore and export the tables and charts as in the analysis screen.

8Common problems

“Select the file: …”: A required file is missing. Select it in the side panel and run again.
“…: only .csv or .xlsx files”: Save the file as .xlsx or .csv and select it again.
“…: the file exceeds the 50 MB limit”: Export a shorter period or only the columns the system uses.
“Calculation not found”: Calculations are kept for 24 hours. Run the calculation again.
“The calculation process ended without a result”: Write to support with the date and time of the calculation, so the team can check the server log.
“Chart unavailable for this calculation”: That calculation has no data for the chart; the tables of the section are still valid.
The page asks me to log in again: Your session expired. Log in again; the last calculation of your session still opens when you come back.

9Glossary

SKU	Each product/item (code) handled in the warehouse.
Picking location	Location where the SKU is picked for orders (permanent area).
Reserve	Storage area outside picking, used for stock that does not need to be at hand.
Deslotting	Taking a SKU out of its picking location.
Reslotting	Moving a SKU to another picking location.
Assignment	Giving a picking location to a SKU that does not have one.
ABC curve	Ranking of SKUs by demand: A are the most requested; D the least.
Zone / aisle	Areas and aisles of the warehouse, used to group locations.
Optimal layout	Placement of SKUs that the model considers best to reduce walking in picking.
DN	Delivery note: the document of each order shipped.

10Support

Questions or problems with the system? Talk to the EstatAnalytics team.