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EDI ASN (Advance Ship Notice) and the Warehouse Packing Module

The Cat’s Warehouse Packing/ASN module, in combination with the Unitech ASN translator, puts all of the pieces together to allow ASN communications with major book resellers, as well as providing better quality control and customer service.

The three major pieces of the ASN puzzle are:

1. Collecting information about the items that are packed into each box.

2. Printing a label (an ASN “license plate”) with a unique number (converted to a bar code), and other information about the invoice, that is stuck to and identifies that box.

3. Creating and sending a file to the reseller that lists all of the items contained in each box, referenced by the unique box number that is uploaded by the customer into their own database.

Using the new Cat’s Warehouse Packing Module, the packer opens an invoice, and scans the book ISBN bar codes. More than one packer can be working on the same invoice at the same time. As the books are scanned, the packing program makes sure that the book belongs to the invoice, and that the correct number of copies of each title is packed. When a box is full, the operator closes the box, prints the ASN license plate, and sticks it on the box.  Or non-ASN labels can be printed for non-ASN customers or trading partners. Then the box is then moved along to the shipping area. When the boxes leave the warehouse, the operator “posts” the boxes, flagging them as shipped. At this point, an ASN file can be created that identifies all of the boxes that are included in the shipment and all of the books that are included in each box. The file is processed through the Unitech translator and sent to the trading partner.

In addition to generating ASN information, the Cat’s Warehouse Packing Module has benefits for quality control and customer service. The packing program will prevent books from being packed that don’t belong on an invoice. It will also keep too many or too few books from being packed on an invoice. Non-ASN labels can be printed at the packing or shipping stations. Customer service representatives can view the packing status of every invoice, complete with tracking numbers and box contents, at every step of the way.

The data collection and communications that need to occur for ASN are very complex and the costs are significant. In addition to the cost of the module, there may be additional costs for new hardware in the warehouse. Each packing station requires a computer, a scanner, and a label printer. The module requires an interface with the Unitech ASN translator, which is purchased separately. 

If you are interested in further information about the Warehouse Packing/ASN Module, please contact Cat’s.

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