Scanning configurations

Table of contents

Introduction

Ongoing supports scanning that can be customized through configuration, giving you more control over the process. This page explains how the parts fit together, how configuration is applied, and the technical behavior behind Ongoing scanning.

A scanning process consists of three parts:

  • Button – the UI entry point the user clicks or taps.
  • Controller – logic that handles the scanning workflow.
  • Configuration – configuration applied to create behavior for the controllers.

You can assign different controllers to a button and apply different configuration to these controllers. It is important to know that scanning configurations are loosely connected to the controllers, which means that you can implement configurations that apply across multiple controllers if they are of the same type. It is also possible to create multiple configurations connected to the same controller. This can be useful if there needs to be different configurations for different goods owners in the warehouse. Note that some existing controllers have hardcoded logic that cannot be adjusted via configurations.

Criteria for a configuration to be used

Because of this many-to-many behavior between the controller and the scanning configuration, it is important to know when they are applied, and when they are not. For a configuration to be used, all of the following must be true:

  • The controller must support configuration.
    If you are unsure whether your controller does this, contact your Ongoing representative.

  • The configuration has matching application logic as the controller.
    Both the controller and the scanning configuration can be applied specifically according to the following criteria. They must match in order to be applied:
    • Username
    • Permission levels
    • Goods owner
    • Group
    • Goods owner classes
    • User group
    • Workstations

  • The controller has not overridden logic that would supersede the configuration.
    It is possible through code to overwrite logic that could affect how some configurations behave. If your warehouse has a controller that is adjusted from standard behavior, some configurations might be unavailable. Contact your Ongoing representative if you have questions regarding this.
Since it is currently difficult for administrators to see a controller’s type and scope, we strongly recommend configuring this together with your Ongoing representative. When implemented correctly, you can later adjust the configuration yourself to customize the scanning processes.

Example

To configure configurations for scanning, navigate to Administration ⇒ Scanning and select the desired scanning button to view the controllers and configurations related to that button. The following image shows an example of outbound scanning: Pick (3 available controller settings). Note that you will get a different view if you only have one controller configured and its behaviour is controllable by configurations. You will then directly enter the configuration editing section.

Controllers – Handles the base scanning workflow logic Scanning configurations: Logic adjustable through the UI Application logic: Permissions, goods owner, user scope
Hover the highlighted regions for notes.

Controllers

The controllers can be viewed inside of the red box. The example above indicates that three different scanning logics are being applied for the pick scanning button.

Scanning Configurations

The scanning configurations can be viewed inside of the blue box. The example above shows that one configuration is being applied on top of one of the controllers. As stated earlier, this scanning configuration is only applied to a controller if all criteria above are met. To then edit this, press the pen and all the configurations possible for this setting can be found. If you only have one scanning that is possible to configure, you will directly go to the editing section of the configuration module. It is also possible for some buttons to see configurations applicable to other types of controllers under New setting.

Application logic

This is the yellow box and where you define for what set of criteria the settings should be used.

Conclusion

Scanning behavior is defined by the combination of the selected button, its assigned controller(s), and any applicable configuration(s) within the defined application logic (including user, permissions, goods owner, groups, and workstations). To apply a configuration, first confirm that the controller supports configuration and that the configuration’s scope aligns with the controller’s scope. Then, adjust the relevant settings under Administration ⇒ Scanning. For non-standard controllers or questions regarding configuration scope, contact your Ongoing representative. Scanning configuration enables you to tailor scanning workflows and processes to your operational needs.

Start using Ongoing WMS