Version 6.4 includes many improvements in performance, error tolerance, stability, and ergonomics. The new version also introduces new features and applications. Below is a summary of the most important modifications and improvements introduced in Comarch ERP Enterprise 6.4. The summary describes some of the new functionalities.

Base framework

Display of contact persons with assigned roles according to area

In the tables with contact person data contained in the Partners application, the Classification column has been renamed to Area to standardize the name in all views. Contact person data is displayed according to the area and role defined for a given person. In this way, contact person data is presented only in those views to which the data applies:

• Contact persons from the General area only in the Base view
• Contact persons from the Purchasing area only in the Supplier view
• Contact persons from the Sales area only in the Customer view

The Relationships view presents contact person data from all areas.

The Partner relationship categories application also uses the new name Area instead of Classification.

Purchasing framework

To allow you to adjust the dates of incoming and external vouchers for generated supplier invoices, appropriate date parameters have been provided that can be set up when executing particular actions. The following parameters are available for supplier invoices generated using the [Generate supplier invoice], [Generate supplier invoices for third-party orders…] and [Generate correction supplier invoice…] actions:

• External voucher date setting
• Receipt date settings

It is possible to set a specific date in the open posting period or use an execution date.

Inventory Management framework

Importable accessibility rules

Availability rules can be imported along with order type-specific settings..

Inventory orders: Serial number assignment and a default value for reported open quantity

Until now, the settings of Serial number assignment in inventory order and Open quantity as default were defined only in the Customizing application. Now, corresponding settings can be defined for each inventory order type in the Inventory order types application.

The Serial number assignment setting allows you to determine whether to automatically assign serial numbers when generating an inventory order during the process of releasing items with serial numbers from a warehouse, or to manually complete these numbers during reporting.

Using the Default reported open quantity setting, you can specify that when reporting an inventory order, the target quantity will be taken as the default value for the reported quantity.

Queries for serial numbers without inventory management

In the Cockpit: Identifiers application, you can perform queries for serial numbers without inventory management.

Return transfers from a picking point

When the picking strategy is set as Picking point (in the Storage strategies application), full storage units are transferred to the issue of goods zone. There, the quantity of goods to be picked is taken from the storage unit. A new action has been added in the Inventory orders application to process the return transfer of the remaining quantity of goods: [Generate inventory requisition for return transport from picking point].

The action is available for a completed inventory order with which quantities of goods have been transferred or released to the picking point or to the issue of goods zone and for which there is no other inventory requisition for return transport.

In the Inventory order types application, you can define the type of inventory requisition that will be prompted as the default value for executing the action. By activating the parameter Generate requisitions for returns from picking points for each inventory order type, the user decides that the system is to automatically generate an inventory requisition for returning unused quantities of goods after the completion of a given order. If the parameter is not activated, in order to generate an inventory order for a return transfer, it is necessary to directly perform the corresponding action in the Inventory orders or Cockpit: Inventory orders applications.

Simplified transfers through automatic reservations of undeliverable identifiers

For manual inventory movements of undeliverable identifiers, the system automatically generates the required reservations of the Manual type when releasing inventory requisition line items.

For example, for a transfer of an expired batch, an issues reservation is automatically generated. An inventory order can then be created without having to manually reserve this batch in the Reservations application.

Cancellation voucher for picking orders in the context of production

The operation of the action [Cancel picking order] has been changed: For picking orders that have been generated for a production order and have the status Completed, executing the action will generate a cancellation voucher, rather than deleting the picking order. The cancellation voucher confirms the return posting of picked quantities from the production warehouse to the issues warehouse.

Loading units

Consistent usage of loading units in simple warehouses and in warehouses with storage locations

From the new version, loading units can be accepted into simple warehouses and simple warehouse zones. In this way, a loading unit will no longer be removed, for example, when moving to an issue of goods zone. Also, the storage units of a loading unit are recorded in the inventory and included in inventory queries.

The following new features, among others, are available for the consistent usage of loading units in simple warehouses, warehouses with storage locations, and particularly in simple warehouse zones.

Loading units application

The Loading units application has been enhanced with additional information on storage units, including the effect of changing a loading unit and record history settings. In addition, the inventory owner of a loading unit and the warehouse data are visible.

Loading units are now marked with a separate utilization status indicating the process in which they are located. The new status is visible next to the previously existing statuses, which are now grouped into partial statuses. The status of a loading unit now includes the put-away status, the current process, the loading status and the block status.

Using additional actions, you can unpack and pack loading units in the Loading units application.

[Generate, assign and display loading units…] action

Using the [Generate, assign and display loading units…] action (available, for example, in the Picking orders application), you can assign loading units that have already been put away. This also allows you to put away loading units containing various items.

By assigning a loading unit, for instance as part of a picking order, the loading unit’s current process status is set to Issue of goods, and the associated voucher reference is set according to the picking. If the assignment to the loading unit is canceled, then the status is changed to Not bound to a process. This allows the loading unit to be used in another process.

In the dialog window of this action, the Loading units structure section  presents information on the storage units, put-away strategy, warehouse zone types and ABC classification. This becomes visible when you place the mouse pointer over the identification of the loading unit.

Storage unit setting Effect of change in loading units

For items of the material category Storage unit, a new field Effect of change in loading units is available in the Items application. The field allows you to specify whether the stored loading unit for which the storage unit is used should only be refreshed or unpacked, i.e., dissolved, as a result of the removal or filling of partial quantities.

Warehouses, warehouse zones and storage locations

In the Warehouses application, on the Warehouse zones tab, you can set the Store loading units parameter for each zone to determine whether loading units should be stored in the warehouse. This setting can be changed both for storage location types and for separate storage locations, and thus deactivated for a specific, single storage location. The parameter is always activated and cannot be deactivated for storage locations with usage set as Receipt of goods, Issue of goods, Return of goods, and Inventory count differences.

Storage restrictions

In the Warehouses application, on the Warehouse zones tab, a new setting Loading unit restriction has been added to the feature of put-away and withdrawal restrictions. The setting determines how loading units should be handled when they are put away and picked from warehouse zones. For example, you can prevent the storage of loading units within a given warehouse zone.

Inventory requisitions

In the Inventory requisitions application, the [Assign storage locations…] action has been added. You can use it to perform manual inventory movements of the Transfer posting type. The condition is that the transfer’s destination warehouse must be a warehouse with storage locations but without any storage location details.

Inventory order types

Using the new parameter Unpack loading unit or remove partial quantity in the Inventory order types application, you can specify whether loading units assigned in inventory orders should be unpacked if only a partial quantity of goods has been removed. If the parameter is enabled, the Unpack column will be activated in the Inventory orders application if a loading unit has been withdrawn to the issue of goods zone based on an inventory order, but a specific item quantity or partial quantity, rather than a loading unit, has been reported for a picking or delivery order. Such a situation can occur, for example, if a loading unit has been withdrawn using the picking strategy Picking point without return transfer or as part of a collective picking order.

This setting can also be changed in the Inventory orders application.

Inventory orders

You can use the new [Create loading unit proposal] action on the line item toolbar to add a loading unit from which item quantity originates to a line item. An action to delete the proposal is also available.

A loading unit can also be added to a line item by using the import of inventory order reporting. This allows you to scan the loading unit for reporting.

Receipt of goods

When receiving goods, you can use the [Generate, assign and display loading units…] action to add loading units affecting stock levels and assign them to a receipt of goods line item. It is also possible to assign existing loading units with the status of Not put-away and Not bound to a process, and to cancel an existing assignment. Once the receipt of goods is posted, inventory postings are generated that add the loading units to the inventory in the receipt of goods zone. The loading units are then received into the warehouse based on inventory orders that have been generated automatically or manually.

Delivery orders

With the new [Activate loading unit changes] action, you can activate all changes for a loading unit that have been set with the [Generate, assign and display loading units…] action. This action updates existing loading units in the receipt of goods zone according to the defined changes and generates inventory postings to account for any differences. The action can be triggered manually so that the loading units are shown in stock immediately or automatically when generating and printing a delivery slip.

Picking orders

When picking is completed, inventory postings are automatically generated. As a result, changes affecting stock levels are visible immediately, as well as the data created with the [Generate, assign and display loading units…] actions.

When picking is canceled or deleted with loading units affecting stock levels that have already been released to the issue of goods zone, these units still remain relevant to inventory.

When you re-generate a picking order for an inventory order, you can report available quantities of goods and inventory-relevant but unused loading units in the issue of goods zone without generating a new inventory order.

A loading unit, located in the issue of goods zone and containing segregated items, can be reported in the Picking orders application under the following conditions: the unit is not used, the contents in the issue of goods zone can be reserved, and the contents of the unit can be fully distributed to open picking order line items.

Manual inventory postings

Loading units can be stored, relocated and withdrawn in simple warehouses or warehouses managed in storage locations based on manually created inventory postings. If the destination warehouse for the receipt or relocation of goods does not support loading units, an appropriate warning is displayed.

Loading unit adjustments can also be made for loading units in simple warehouses and simple warehouse zones using a special process.

In addition, through manual inventory postings it is possible to replenish loading units with goods and withdraw partial quantities. New processes with posting keys Change loading unit – Receipt and Change loading unit – Withdrawal are used for this. The inventory will then be relocated, but without re-evaluation of stock.

You can also use manual inventory postings to pack and unpack loading units. A transaction with the code Package receipt is used for this. For unpacking, enter the quantity “-1″. The quantity of goods from the loading unit will be unpacked at the location where the loading unit is stored. In the case of packing, a quantity of “+1” should be entered. When specifying the warehouse, indicate from which warehouse the unpacked goods are to be taken and where the loading unit is to be stored.

Customizing

Posting keys for the processes of packing, unpacking, filling, and withdrawal of loading units can be defined in the Customizing application, Shipping function, Loading units sub-function.

Inventory counts

New inventory count list category Inventory count list for loading units

Using the new inventory count list category Inventory count list for loading units, loading units in simple warehouse zones and simple warehouses can be inventoried. Loading units located in storage locations still appear on inventory count lists with reference to storage locations. With the introduction of the new inventory count list type, a loading unit is treated as a separate count group, no longer having to be assigned to an item count group. Loading units are presented in the Cockpit: Inventory counts application.

The action for generating inventory count lists with reference to loading units is available in the following applications:

• Inventory Count
• Inventory count lists
• Cockpit: Loading units
• Cockpit: Loading unit inventory
• Cockpit: Storage location inventories

Inventory block

When opening inventory count lists with reference to loading units, inventory blocking for the loading unit takes place. It is independent of the block status of the loading unit in question. The inventory block prevents changes to the contents and structure of the loading unit outside of the inventory count, which are performed via inventory postings. In particular, packing and unpacking, as well as filling and removal of item quantities are impossible. The inventory block for loading units is maintained until the line item for the loading unit receives the status of Closed or is deleted, or one of the actions is performed for the item: [Remove inventory blocks] or [Convert into information line item].

Reporting

In order to report the contents of loading units in inventory count lists with reference to storage locations or loading units, you can enter quantities in the Report column, as well as add new detail line items using the line item editor. In this way, the contents of a loading unit can be corrected without having to use the Loading Unit Correction Mode application for this purpose. This applies to loading units that do not contain any other loading units.

Inventory reporting for loading units can also be done by import using the Import data application. Using the import, you can report whether a loading unit exists and what its detail line items are. You still need to use the Loading Unit Correction Mode application to correct the loading unit structure.

Query applications

The new application Cockpit: Loading unit inventory is used to review the current inventory of loading units. You can make inquiries about loading units affecting inventory, as well as about important features of inventory management.

The following actions have been added to the Cockpit: Loading units application:

• [Block]
• [Release]
• [Reuse]
• [Pack]
• [Unpack]
• [Generate inventory count list…]

The following cockpit applications have been extended to include information on the inventory of loading units and their storage units:

• Cockpit: Inventory
• Cockpit: Storage location inventories
• Cockpit: Storage location inventories/items
• Cockpit: Storage location inventories/identifiers

In the Cockpit: Inventory requisitions/line items application, in addition to items, loading units and their statuses are presented.

Handling of mixed loading units in warehouse dispatching

In the new version, it is possible to receive and release loading units that are heterogeneous in goods, as well as to move them between different warehouses. Previously, only transfers between warehouses containing storage locations were possible.

Reservations

Optimizing the distribution of interim reservations

The distribution of interim reservations has been optimized as follows: if an inventory is reserved interim, e.g., if no specific identifier is given, reporting with the specification in mind is now possible at any time, as long as a sufficient inventory is available.

Interim reservations are now always resolved by warehouse vouchers, even if the warehouse vouchers are for permanent reservations. For orders without reservations, a later reservation can be made when released inventory becomes available again.

Detail search for reservations in case of delayed delivery

In a shortage situation, when demand is higher than supply, for example, the following may occur:

Baseline situation: a client orders an item that is not currently available. The item has been ordered from the supplier based on a purchase order, but will be available at a later date than the date requested by the client. A sales order will be drawn up or imported from the online store with a shipping date corresponding to the scheduled availability date of the item. A receipt reservation will be created for the sales order.

Course of action: The supplier is unable to meet the delivery date. They propose a new date, which is entered into the purchase order. Since the new delivery date is after the shipping date of the sales order, the sales order loses its receipt reservation. The goods are still unavailable, so the reservation for the sales order cannot be made.

Subsequent clients enter new sales orders, and all of the receipts from that purchase order are reserved against those new sales orders. When the receipt of goods is posted, all receipt reservations will be converted to inventory reservations, but the sales order created first will not receive a reservation.

Since the requested due date for the first sales order created has already passed (it falls in the past), the order cannot be linked to any purchase order and cannot receive a receipt reservation. If, in shortage situations, all of the receipt is reserved by purchase orders before the receipt of goods is posted, then there will be an inventory of goods that will never be available and the first sales order entered can never be fulfilled.

To avoid this type of situation, new reservation detail search functions have been added to Cockpit applications.

Cockpit: Purchase orders/line items

In the Cockpit: Purchase orders/line items application, the following detail search functions are available:

• Reserved sales issues
• Reserved distribution issues
• Reserved production issues

Using these types of detail searches, you can check whether the purchase order line items in question are already reserved in sales orders, distribution orders, or production orders, and whether moving the shipping date will result in a loss of a reservation.

Cockpit: Sales orders/line items

In the Cockpit: Sales orders/line items application, the following detail search functions are available:

• Reserved purchasing receipts
• Reserved distribution receipts
• Reserved production receipts

With the help of these search functions, you can check on the sales side whether the delay of receipts of goods can lead to reservation problems. Using the [Reschedule delivery date] action, you can adjust the delivery date of the sales order line items according to the reserved receipts so as to preserve the reservations.

Demand reservations according to the creation time point (first come, first serve)

In addition to the option to make reservations according to the demand date, it is also possible to make reservations according to the creation time point (first come, first serve).

With the reservation sequence according to the creation time point, you can, for example, reserve orders from a connected webshop more easily according to the sequence of incoming orders.

You can use the Reservation characteristic date field in the following applications to can specify according to which date reservations should be made:

• Customizing, Reservations function
• Warehouses
• Automatic reservation (batch application)

Reservation of alternative inventory during transactions in an unreleased receipt of goods zone

If a receipt of goods zone has a QA status other than Released, such as Blocked, a reservation from a purchase order cannot be converted into an inventory reservation when posting a receipt of goods. As a result, the demand origin will lose the receipt reservation. In this situation, another inventory can be reserved for the demand origin, as long as it is available in the warehouse.

Batch application to check and correct resource reservations

As a result of inventory postings, it can happen that reserved inventory is no longer available for shipment. This can occur, for example, by posting negative inventory differences, changing the QA status of a warehouse, a warehouse zone, a storage location or an identifier. To correct these types of reservations for missing inventory, you can execute the batch application Check and correct inventory reservations.

The application removes the reservation until the inventory is available again for all demand origins. If an item quantity has been temporarily reserved by a demand origin, then the application attempts to reserve that quantity again for that demand origin. If this is not possible, or if this item quantity is finally reserved, the inventory reservation is deleted.

When reservations are removed, the application analyzes the demand origins in the reverse reservation sequence.

Inventory reservations that are not removed include:

• Reservations for sales orders with voucher reference
• Reservations for vouchers already in picking or delivery

Released quantities of goods are taken into account during the recompilation of reservations. However, the expiry dates, retaining terms, and minimum batch lifetimes are not taken into account. For example, if a batch has been reserved for a sales order whose expiry date has been shortened such that the remaining minimum batch lifetime is no longer sufficient to fulfill the sales order, the reservation will not be recompiled. Instead, the picking process will offer another batch with a corresponding expiry date and a warning message will appear.

Also, reservations of planned receipts of goods are not subject to recompilation. If a receipt of goods has been reserved for a demand origin, but the goods are not available after the receipt is posted, the system will try to recompile the inventory reservation for the demand origin. If this is not possible, the inventory will not be reserved.

Planning framework

Optimization of material requirements planning and recommendation calculations for purchasing and distribution

The new application Item planning data assignments allows optimizing material requirements planning and calculating purchasing and distribution recommendations. Using the application, you can assign selected material requirements planning data to a specific planning item or planning item classification, as well as to a specific warehouse or warehouse classification. In multi-site systems, this assignment can be defined for each organization. For organizations, the organizational structure is taken into account so that stipulations at subordinate organizations are given priority.

With the assignment of planning data at classification levels, there is less data to complete in the Items application, Planning view, if you plan items with a warehouse reference.

Production framework

Equipment

In the new version, the handling of equipment in the Production area has been improved through the implementation of additional applications and functions. Since the use of equipment usually requires mass processing, the applications are available as cockpits.

A piece of equipment, such as a milling machine, is by definition an item category, so its master data is defined in the Items application. In version 6.4, additional applications are also available:

• Equipment
  In addition to the master item data in the Items application, you can enter equipment-specific item data in the Equipment application. Only after this item data has been entered can a given item be used in the production process as an item of the Equipment category.
  The Equipment application allows you, for instance, to define a wear capacity and a reprocessing threshold specifically for each organization.

• Cockpit: Initialize equipment
  When a piece of equipment is added to inventory, it must first be initialized for use. Initialization means activating the wear capacity of a piece of equipment for application, making it ready for use.
  The list of query results presented in the application displays only those pieces of equipment that have equipment-specific data, but whose wear capacity has not yet been initialized.

• Cockpit: Equipment utilization
  Using the Cockpit: Equipment utilization application, you can view, for example, the requested or available wear capacity of a piece of equipment. Based on this information, you can decide whether to reprocess or replenish the equipment.

• Cockpit: Equipment-related requirements
  The Cockpit: Equipment-related requirements application presents production orders for which equipment requirements have been identified. You can use this application to have the system assign equipment to the requested production orders and define how pieces of equipment are to be determined. For example, you can specify that the number of available pieces of equipment should be as small as possible.

• Cockpit: Equipment
  In the Cockpit: Equipment application, you can make queries about specific equipment and its data, for instance about the wear capacity or usage status. In this way, it is possible to get a complete overview of equipment and its utilization capabilities.
  Using the action buttons, it is possible to change the status of equipment for reprocessing or discontinuation, and to generate inventory requisition for equipment transfer. With the [Report reprocessing] action, it is possible to assign a changed wear capacity to a piece of equipment.

• Cockpit: Equipment reservations
  The Cockpit: Equipment reservations application presents a list of equipment assigned to production orders. You can adjust the list of results accordingly, regardless of the status, so that only those production orders for which the assigned equipment should be made available are visible. Using the [Generate inventory requisition for provisioning] action, the corresponding inventory requisitions can in turn be generated. In addition, you can use the [Generate return transfer order] and [Cancel assignment] actions for further organization.

Production server

The new Production server application is available to help you set the appropriate quantities for returns of goods in distribution orders and to process receipts of goods correctly at the destination warehouse in multi-site production. At least one production server must be set up in the application for multi-site production, through which the specific processing will be carried out. You should also define a processing queue and possibly an application server for the production server, and specify the sites it is to cover. The All sites option allows you to include both current and future sites without having to add them in separate entries.

In the Cockpit: Production server/Actions application, you can display a list of production servers and related unprocessed production orders, as well as execute actions for selected or all production servers.

Releasing and blocking resource versions

In the Resources application, you can release or block a version of a resource using new actions. If a version is blocked, the resource cannot be applied in the production process, and production orders associated with the blocked resource cannot be executed.

If the Master data versioning function has been activated in Customizing, you can perform the actions [Block all versions] and [Release all versions] for all resource versions.

Financials area

International taxes/levies

Tax assignment involves the time- and country-dependent assignment of a tax code to a combination of tax classifications that is relevant to tax determination. Using tax classifications, the same tax code is assigned to a group of business entities (i.e., partners or items).

In some countries, such assignment is insufficient. Therefore, new functions for handling levies have been provided in the new version, which enable more precise tax code assignments. You can now specify for each country or region whether taxes are to be calculated as before using tax assignment or based on levies.

The following entities are available:

• Tax collection level classification
• Levy offices (collection and accounting offices)
• Collection office determination rules
• Levy types
• Levies
• Levy assignments
• Levy determination procedure
• Item levy characteristics
• Item levy characteristic assignments
• Partner levy characteristics
• Partner levy characteristic assignments

The basis for the interaction between these entities is the tax collection level classification. This allows you to define a structure with levels at which levies are determined. The classification level node allows you to define a collection office and its calendar, so that the time zone, and thus the time, can be taken into account when setting the levy. For each country or region, you can assign a separate tax collection level classification node.

A levy is assigned to the tax collection level classification node. This assignment includes the levy type, levy, item and partner levy characteristics, the process (purchasing/sales), as well as the validity period.

The tax code and rate are determined with the help of all relevant entities and rounded up using the rules for determining collection offices and procedures for determining levies, which leads to the determination of a specific levy.

Sales framework

Returns from distribution orders

Using the new distribution order category Return delivery, returns from distribution orders can be organized and mapped in the system. To do this, you can create a new distribution order type for return delivery in the distribution order type for delivery. In the distribution order type for delivery, you can also specify how to handle the transfer of ownership. The following options are available:

• With negative receipt at the destination warehouse
• With negative receipt at the transit warehouse

In the Distribution orders application, the standard toolbar shows the category of distribution order that has been opened in the application.

For a distribution order of the Delivery type, the [Generate distribution order of the “Return” category…] action is available. For a return delivery order that is generated using this action, references will be created in the voucher chain to the original distribution order and to the line items transferred from the original distribution order to the return distribution order. In the case of a return distribution order, the user follows the same delivery process as in the case of a distribution order for delivery, but using a delivery order of the Return delivery type. Postings are made according to the defined transfer of ownership according to the applied type of distribution order of the Return delivery category with the quantity of goods returned and documented in the receipt of goods of the delivery recipient.