Minimum Version Required: 23.01
Steps
How to set up an Encompass Warehouse Map
Summary
This document will guide you on accessing the Encompass Warehouse Map design tool on an iPad and navigating through the map creation process. The map can then be used to view location-based reporting in a map-layout view.
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to provide instruction on warehouse map creation and usage from start to finish.
Topics
1. Downloading and logging into the iPad app
2. Navigating the app
3. Defining the tools & how to use
Downloading and logging into the iPad app
1. On your device, navigate to the iOS App Store and search “Encompass Warehouse Map”
Encompass Warehouse Map is only available on iPad
2. Tap “Get” to start the installation process. Once installed, tap the “Open” button or the app icon from your device’s home screen to open the app.
3. The first screen of the warehouse map app will prompt you to enter an EncompassID, Encompass Server URL, User Name, and Password.
EncompassID can be found in the top right corner of your Encompass site when logged in
Encompass Server URL is the url associated with that site.
User Name can also be found in the top right corner of your Encompass site.
Enter these values, as well as your password, then tap “Done” to login. 2
Navigating the app
1. Once logged in, the main screen will look blank if a warehouse map has not yet been created. Each of the buttons along the top and bottom of the screen can be used to take additional actions.
2. The Settings icon can be used to toggle visibility on or off for certain aspects of the warehouse map, such as Path and Labels. Captuvo scanning can also be enabled here.
3. Tapping on your username will allow you log out, switch sites, or switch users as needed. OAuth logins can also be used here, once your Encompass site has been linked to the app.
4. Tapping on the Location will allow you to switch to another location, if your Encompass site has multiple locations that you have access to.
5. Tapping the refresh button will update the map view with any data that might have been more recently entered on your Encompass site.
6. The Search bar allows you to look up specific bins and products within a completed warehouse map
7. The lower navigation menu is a toolbar that offers access to the many different design options available in the Warehouse Map app. These options will be covered in the next section.
8. Using a dragging motion with a single finger will shift the map around on the screen, and using a pinching motion on the screen will zoom in or out.
9. It’s important to maintain a stable data or wifi connection when working on the warehouse map.
Defining the tools & how to use
The options in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen are typically approached working from left to right as a warehouse map is built out. In this section, the tools will be listed in left to right order.
Design Map
a. This tool allows you to set the dimensions of the map.
b. There are two options for setting dimensions:
Relating to a warehouse map background image (typically a CAD drawing provided by the warehouse layout designer)
Manually without a background
c. Regardless of the dimension method chosen, it’s important to make sure that the dimensions set match the exact measurements of the warehouse floor in feet.
d. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Design Walls
a. Once the dimensions of the map have been set, the layout of the warehouse can begin to take shape. The Design Walls tool allows you to draw out the walls of the warehouse, creating the basic structure that racks and bins will later be placed within.
b. Long-press the screen to start a wall segment, then drag the point in the direction the wall needs to go.
Tip: Make sure Accessibility settings on the iPad have not disabled or assigned another action to the long-press.
c. Once a wall segment has been created, a short tap on the segment will select the wall so that it can be resized or moved as needed.
d. With a wall segment selected, tapping the “Actions” button in the top right corner allows you to:
Enter specific wall coordinates
Add a door by entering coordinates or drag and drop
Delete the wall
e. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Design Racks
a. Design Racks is where the bulk of the warehouse map creation work occurs. This tool allows you to create a template for each of the rack slotting
layouts on your warehouse floor. Design Racks is also where the creation of floor bins occurs. The more accurate dimensions are in this section, the
more accurate spatial inventory data will be when reporting.
b. To create a new rack type, tap the “New” button on the bottom of the screen, then select Rack or Floor Bin.
c. For Racks:
Rack: Name the Rack Type, select a color, then enter the overall dimensions of the structure, along with the number of levels in the rack. Tap “Next” to move on.
Level: On this screen, you’ll design each level of the rack. By default, the system will distribute your levels equally across the height entered for the rack; so individual dimensions can be changed on this page, as well as entering the number of slots or bins for each level. Add or remove levels from the rack as needed from here. Tap “Next” to move on.
Bin: You can also set specific dimensions for individual bins if slots are not exactly even across a level, as well as split bins into additional spots on the rack. At the Bin level is also where certain inventory controls are set, such as Bin Type and Bin Zone, which control capacity and inventory category, respectively.
d. For Floor Bins:
Because Floor Bins sit directly on the warehouse floor, this workflow does not include Rack or Level setup. Floor Bins are still considered “Rack Types” within the design mode.
Bin: Name the Rack Type and select a color. Set Floor Bin capacity by entering the bin dimensions directly, or set a pallet count that the system can use to calculate dimensions. This page also offers the same Bin Type and Bin Zone selection.
e. Once you’ve created a Rack Type, it will appear to the left of the “New” button in the lower bar. Press and hold a Rack Type to select it, then drag it onto the warehouse map. The Rack Type template will be used to create an individual Rack.
f. Tapping on a Rack placed on the warehouse map will select it, showing in a darker color. Selecting a rack will display additional editing options:
Rack direction, or the way it faces on the floor
Rack coordinates—in addition to drag and drop functionality, the exact location of the rack in the warehouse can be set manually
Moving the rack by entering a distance in feet or inches and selecting a direction in which to shift
Duplicating the rack by entering a number of copies and the direction in which the copies should generate
Changing the Rack Type or making adjustments to the Rack Type currently selected
Deleting the rack, and potentially unlinking or deleting related bins if bin records have already been connected (see Design Racks, 5. Generate Bins and 6. Link Bins)
Racks can be multi-selected and moved or edited in bulk by first tapping the “Multi-select” option in the top right corner of the screen.
g. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Bin Direction
a. Bin Direction can be checked once all racks in the warehouse have been placed and arranged within the map. This indicates the typical direction a team member would walk as they visit each rack or bin.
b. Arrows will display automatically over each rack or floor bin. If the arrows do not match the physical direction someone would walk, simply tap the arrow once and it will change directions.
c. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Generate Bins
a. Generate Bins should only be used if there are not already bin records imported or otherwise created in Encompass. Typically bins are generated if the bins or racks in the warehouse did not previously have labels, or if the warehouse is being rearranged, resulting in brand new bins. Move on to Design Racks, 6. Link Bins if Bins already exist in the Encompass system.
b. If new Bins need to be created, Generate Bins can be used to do this very quickly by defining aisles and rack numbers.
c. Tap on the Aisle box in the top right corner, enter the letter of the aisle you will be assigning, then tap each rack (or floor bin) on the map that falls within that aisle. By default, rack numbers will start at 1, then count up from there.
d. Rack number can be changed using the box in the top right corner of the screen, and if the incorrect number or aisle is assigned to a rack, simply double-tap the rack to reset it.
e. For floor bins, using Generate Bins will only generate one bin per tap, as the “rack” shown on the warehouse map only represents a single bin.
f. For true racks, tapping each rack will create a bin for each spot within the rack, based on the rack type setup. Bin names are calculated using the pattern Aisle - Rack+Slot - Level(letter). For example, if a bin is located in aisle A, rack 11, and is the 2nd slot on the 3rd level, the system would generate the name as A-112-C.
g. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Link Bins
a. Link Bins should be used if your Bins have already been created in the Encompass system, and they are physically labeled in the warehouse. This can be done via table import, or by manually adding bins on the server.
b. Link Bins allows you to attach previously created Bins to newly created Racks in the warehouse map.
c. Linking Bins can be done in two ways:
By Scanning: Turn on the “Scan” option in the top right corner, then tap on the rack that needs to have bins linked. Use a bluetooth scanner to scan each Bin barcode in the order and direction set on the rack. After scanning, make sure the bin name appears on the desired spot on the rack—pausing for about 1 full second before scanning the next bin is typically enough time for the first scan assignment to finish loading.
By Searching: Tap on the rack that needs to have bins linked, then use the search bar in the top corner to look up a bin—the search works with partial names, so this is a good way to pull up multiple of the bins that will be linked to the rack. Tap a spot on the rack, then tap on the matching bin listed in the search results.
d. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Edit Bins
a. Edit Bins is used to make small changes to individual bins within the warehouse map.
b. To edit a bin,
c. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Pick Sequence
a. Pick Sequence can be set to define the order in which team members should visit the bins while building orders for delivery. This can be set manually by tapping each bin on the map in sequence, or by scanning each physical bin in the warehouse.
b. To assign pick sequence by tapping, simply set the starting sequence in the top right corner, then tap each rack in the sequence you’d like them to follow. If there’s multiple pick bins in one rack, those bins will be individually sequenced based on the direction of the rack.
c. To assign pick sequence by scanning, set the starting sequence in the top right corner, and scan each bin in the sequence you’d like to follow.
d. Pick Sequence can always be adjusted by editing the sequence box shown in the top right corner, then tapping again on the rack that needs to change.
e. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Path
a. Path defines the route team members will follow through the warehouse as they build orders for delivery, and helps calculate distance traveled.
b. Path can be auto-generated by the system, or set manually. When the system automatically generates the path, it sets a stop in front of each rack or floor bin, and connects each stop in the direction set on the bins.
c. Path can be defined manually by tapping on the screen to create a stop.
d. To make edits to the path or specific stops, tap once to display additional options. To delete a stop or path, tap twice.
e. Path can be displayed or hidden using the Settings icon in the top left corner of the screen.
f. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Label
a. Labels are used to identify different areas of the warehouse and provide context to those viewing the map.
b. To add a label to the map, tap on the area that needs labeling, type the name, then tap “Done.”
c. Labels can be moved by tapping and holding, then dragging the label to the desired location.
d. Labels can be displayed or hidden using the Settings icon in the top left corner of the screen.
e. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Photos
a. Photos can be added to the warehouse map to provide context to certain areas.
b. To add an image to the map, tap on the area of the map that the photo will be of, then take a picture of the physical area. Once happy with the image, tap “Use” to confirm it, then tap back to navigate back to the map display.
c. Any added images will be displayed as a photo icon on the screen, and can be tapped to take a closer look, add another image, or delete.
d. Tap “Done” once you are ready to move on.
Fields And Definitions
Aisle: A row of racks, typically noted with a letter that is used to define an “address” within the warehouse.
Bin: A single slot in the warehouse identified with a unique name and coordinates. A bin can be a slot on a rack, or directly on the floor. Bins can be created on the server, or within the Warehouse Map app.
Bin Type: Refers to the physical characteristics of a bin to indicate capacity. For example, a “1 Pallet” Bin Type would be a bin that fits one full pallet of inventory. Bin Types are created on the server.
Bin Zone: Refers to the physical area where a bin is located. Some examples of Bin Zones are “Floor Pick,” “Rack Backstock,” “Keg Cooler.” Bin Zones are created on the server.
Capacity: Can also be known as par or par level, capacity refers to the amount of inventory that can fit into a given bin. Case capacity is calculated for a bin once it has inventory.
Captuvo: A specific brand of “sled” scanner that is built-in to an iPad case. Floor Bin: A kind of slot in the warehouse that sits directly on the warehouse floor.
Level: One shelf on a rack, that may hold multiple bins. If a rack has three shelves, then it has three levels.
Location: A physical warehouse that has its own inventory and supplies its own deliveries. Multiple separate warehouses typically indicates multiple locations.
OAuth: A method of logging in that involves using an account from another business tool, usually email. Available OAuth login options include Gmail and Microsoft.
Path: The route through the warehouse that team members are expected to follow as they build orders for delivery, defined by connecting stops together in sequence. Path can be used to calculate travel distances during order building.
Rack: A single structure with multiple shelves that hold inventory.
Rack Type: A rack layout that applies to multiple racks in the warehouse that look and function the same.
Sequence: The order in which racks and bins will be visited as team members build orders for delivery.
Stop: A spot in front of a rack or floor bin where a team member is expected to pause and pull inventory as they build an order for delivery.
Best Practices
Certain tools within Warehouse Map, such as Design Walls, use the long-press function. Accessibility settings on the iPad can sometimes interfere with the behavior of a long-press action, so double-check Accessibility within your iPad Settings to make sure the long-press action is not assigned a specific behavior.