Skip to main content

Consolidate packed boxes onto outbound pallets

What you will do​

At a consolidation station, place packed boxes onto an outbound pallet, remove a box while the pallet is still open, and close the pallet when it is ready for staging. A supervisor can reopen a closed pallet only while no later shipping step has taken it.

Before you start​

  • The work area has a Consolidation Station location.
  • Packing has sent the boxes to that station.
  • By default, each box belongs to an order with a Dispatch and delivery stop.
  • The pallet label identifies a usable outbound pallet.
  • Use Reopen Pallet (Supervisor) only with an authorised supervisor account.

Build a pallet​

  1. From Main Menu, open Consolidation (CONM).
  2. Select Build Pallet.
  3. On Consolidation Station (CON01), scan Station.
  4. On Build Pallet (CON02), scan Box, then Pallet.
  5. Continue scanning one box at a time. The last pallet is offered again for the next box.

For a routed box, the first box fixes the pallet's owner, Dispatch and stop. Later routed boxes may come from different orders only when they have the same owner, Dispatch and stop.

The CONSOLIDATION_UNROUTED_BOXES system setting controls boxes whose orders do not have a Dispatch yet:

  • Refuse is the default. The box waits until its order has a route.
  • OneOrder allows the first unrouted box to open a pallet for its own order. Every later unrouted box on that pallet must have the same owner and order.

Do not mix a routed pallet with an unrouted order pallet.

When the CONSOLIDATION_AUTO_CLOSE system setting is On, the pallet closes after the scan that puts every expected box on it, or when its gross-weight limit is reached. The terminal says why it closed. With the setting Off, close it manually.

Take a box off an open pallet​

  1. Open Consolidation > Take Box Off.
  2. On Take Box Off (CON04), scan Box.
  3. Confirm that the message names the pallet and the number of boxes left.

The box remains at the consolidation station and waits to be placed again. A box cannot be removed from a closed pallet.

Close a pallet manually​

  1. Open Consolidation > Close Pallet.
  2. On Close Pallet (CON03), scan Pallet.
  3. Review Pallet, Order and Boxes on CON05.
  4. Scan the same pallet again under Scan pallet.

If a box was added or removed after the review screen opened, the terminal says Pallet changed - scan it again. Return to CON03, scan the pallet again and review the current box count before closing it.

Reopen a pallet — supervisor​

  1. Open Consolidation > Reopen Pallet (Supervisor).
  2. On Reopen Pallet (CONR01), scan the closed pallet.
  3. Review Pallet, Order and Boxes on CONR02.
  4. Scan the same pallet again under Scan pallet.

The pallet becomes open and can accept or release boxes again. It cannot be reopened after it has been staged or committed to a load plan.

What you should see​

  • A repeated scan of a box already on the same pallet does not add it twice.
  • An open pallet shows its current box count.
  • A closed pallet accepts no more boxes.
  • The closed pallet is ready for the staging process.

RF screen map​

ScreenTitleUsed for
CONMConsolidationChoose the consolidation action.
CON01Consolidation StationScan the station before building a pallet.
CON02Build PalletScan a box and its outbound pallet.
CON04Take Box OffRemove a box from an open pallet.
CON03Close PalletScan the pallet to review it.
CON05Close PalletReview and scan the same pallet again.
CONR01Reopen PalletScan a closed pallet as a supervisor.
CONR02Reopen PalletReview and scan the same pallet again.

If something goes wrong​

Message or situationMeaningWhat to do
location {station} is not a consolidation stationThe scanned location has another type.Scan the configured Consolidation Station.
box {code} does not wait for consolidation at {station}The box is at another step or station.Check the box route and physical location before scanning again.
box {code} has no route yet: its order is on no dispatchThe order is not assigned to a Dispatch and the unrouted-box setting is Refuse.Ask the shipping planner to assign the order, or ask an administrator whether the warehouse should allow OneOrder.
The pallet belongs to another owner, Dispatch or stopThis box cannot travel on that pallet.Use a pallet for the same owner, Dispatch and stop.
pallet {pallet} is closed: it takes no more boxesThe pallet was already closed.Use another open pallet, or ask a supervisor to reopen it if no later step has taken it.
box {code} is already on pallet {pallet}The box is on a different pallet.Remove it from the open pallet first, then place it on the correct pallet.
pallet {pallet} has no boxes on itAn empty pallet cannot be closed.Add at least one eligible box.
pallet {pallet} is already taken further (staged or planned for loading): it cannot be reopenedStaging or load planning has committed the pallet.Resolve it in the downstream shipping process; do not reopen it.