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Intelligent Design – Selective Architecture
For any world-class software suite to go truly global the development team of that software must engineer products that allow customers to tailor and customize their installation of the software without compromising the core software code.
Between 2015 and 2019 DATASCOPE invested heavily in a set of tools that we call “Selective Architecture”. This toolset allows our customers to tailor their DATASCOPE WMS solution to their exact needs.
The following components have been built into DATASCOPE WMS:
Plugins
Plugins are areas in the software where a customer would want to adjust their calculated logic over time. Rather than building a range of selection options within the software, DATASCOPE provides a plugin where customers can tailor their own logic. A good example of this is our Sale Order Inventory Reservation plugin. A typical reservation rule may include logic always to reserve full cases of inventory from bulk bin locations while reserving any quantity below a full case from a dedicated pick face location. With a plugin the customer can now add as much logic as they want into the reservation rule plugin. Some customers have 20 or more sets of logic built into their reservation rule, adding enormous flexibility to the software.
Plugins now exist in many areas of the software.
DATASCOPE E.Net Business Objects
We have been working hard to deliver a full set of DATASCOPE E.Net Business Objects (API’s). These e.net objects allow our customers to post DATASCOPE WMS transactions from a 3rd party software solution. An example of this is to interface the software running on an automated packing line to post a job receipt for each pallet that is packed and fire off the DATASCOPE TrackID label print.
These objects have allowed our customers to automate a huge range of their transactions. One customer used their internal development team to automate the following process:
- Online orders are imported into SYSPRO ERP (using SYSPRS E.Net Business Objects)
- Their code then reserves inventory for that order (using the DATASCOPE Auto Reservation object)
- They then release the picking slip/s (using the DATASCOPE Pick Slip Release object)
- They then fire the label prints on the conveyor line (using the DATASCOPE carton label print object)
This example is one of many processes that can be totally automated using DATASCOPE E.Net Business Objects
Triggers
Triggers have been added to many areas of the DATASCOPE WMS software and can be used to fire off an event such as a 3rd party software solution or an email.
A good example of using a trigger is as follows. One of our DSPs developed software to build the required EDI XML file and then posts this to Cadacus (SYSPRO Shipping) for every dispatch note. They then configured a trigger from DATASCOPE WMS to fire after every dispatch note was processed within the DATASCOPE WMS software. This trigger fires off the DSP’s software and passes the newly created dispatch note number to the 3rd party EDI software.
Data Extraction Tool
This module of selective architecture allows for the automation of a regular output of data from DATASCOPE WMS. These Data extractions can be created within the DATASCOPE WMS software where they are given a unique ID and a configured set of input variables. A 3rd party software can then fire the Data Extraction Tool, call the unique query ID, and pass the variables and this module will return the block of data to that software.
This tool allows a user to automate any store procedure off the SQL database.
A great example of this tool is a customer using this module to pass shipping data to their logistics services providers. As cartons arrive at the LSP cage, they scan the cartons in their application. Then their software fires a call to the DATASCOPE Data Extraction Tool, and the resulting query passes back a full set of the details of that carton’s order including delivery addresses, etc.
In Conclusion
The Selective Architecture module’s power is fully realized when these tools are used together to automate processes and integrate the DATASCOPE WMS software with advanced automation hardware such as carousels, conveyor lines, sorting systems, in-line printing solutions, etc.
With this toolset our customers are driving delivering world-class automated distribution centers.