To obtain approval for tax filings or statutory reporting, some countries require that businesses adhere to local numbering standards and
conventions when assigning numbers to documents, including shipping documents.
Example Document numbering in Italy is related to the print date of the document, and it is a common business practice to have multiple number ranges for shipment and invoice documents. In Brazil, however,
document numbering is strictly related to a specific physical site, requiring multiple number ranges with a prefix that identifies a site code. With MFG/PRO’s Number Range Maintenance (36.2.21.1), you can assign specific number range sequences to pre-shippers, shippers, and master bills of lading so that you can comply with these varied document numbering requirements.
Defining number sequences is a prerequisite to setting up shipping. For instructions on how to define document numbering sequences, see the chapter on Number Range Management in User Guide Volume 11: Manager Functions.
This section includes information about how NRM sequences affect shippers.
Shipper Number Assignment
NRM assigns or validates unique ID numbers to each sales order shipper, using predefined sequences. However, other types of shippers in
MFG/PRO, including Advanced Repetitive subcontract shippers and incoming supplier schedule shippers, are assigned numbers in other ways. Table 6.1 lists shipper types and indicates how the system assigns a number.
Table 6.1
Shipper Types Shipper Type Shipper Number Assignment
Sales Order NRM generated/validated
Issue Transaction Shipper NRM generated/validated Subcontract (Advanced Repetitive) NRM generated/validated Supplier Schedule Manually entered
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MFG/PRO stores all shippers in the same file, using the combination of shipper number and Ship-From site.
Ensuring Unique Shipper IDs
While NRM always dispenses unique numbers to sales order shippers, it does not validate against supplier schedule shipper numbers assigned using other methods. Therefore, NRM may dispense or accept an ID number that already belongs to a different shipper type with the same Ship-From site. In this case, an error occurs.
To ensure all shipper numbers are unique, do one of the following.
• Set up Ship-From sites to be used only for sales order shippers, thus ensuring that a sales order shipper never uses the same Ship-From site as a subcontract or supplier schedule shipper.
• Define NRM sequences with unique fixed prefixes or another fixed segment to be used only for sales order shippers. If you choose this method, ensure that users entering manual shipper numbers are aware of shipper number requirements.
Multi-Database Environments
Each NRM sequence is specific to the database in which it resides and is not aware of sequences in other databases. Thus, in a multi-database environment, sequences in one database may intersect with sequences in another.
Example A sequence in database A generates shipper numbers ranging from 000001-200000. A different sequence in database B generates shipper numbers in the range 100000-399999. As a result, shippers in the overlapping range have identical numbers.
Additionally, a shipper created in a multi-database environment is created and processed completely in the central database with no mirroring in any remote database, even if the material is being shipped from a site in the remote database. Thus, the shipper number is generated from a sequence in the central database and the shipment is recorded in the central database, even though the shipment originates in the remote.
Users with very stringent locale-based numbering requirements should, therefore, ensure that all shipment processing occurs only within the central database and no independent shipments are created in a remote database.
Default Shipping Sequences
Default NRM sequences are set in the Container/Shipper Control File (7.9.24) for shippers, pre-shippers, master bills of lading. They can also be defined and associated with each shipping group.
For companies using global shipping features, the sequence numbers are typically assigned relative to shipping groups. The defaults in the control file are only used for pre-shippers, shippers, and master bills of lading that do not use inventory movement codes or shipping groups.
NRM Datasets for Shipping
NRM sequences are associated with target datasets, which determine where the sequence number is used. The three predefined target datasets for shipping are:
abs_id.shipper. Used by sales order shippers. abs_id_preship. Used by sales order pre-shippers. abs_id.mbol. Used by master bills of lading.
NRM Sequences and Auto Invoice Post
ÏSee “Set Up Container/ Shipper Control File” on page 115 for details.
You can optionally use shippers directly as the shipment invoice, depending on the setting of Auto Invoice Post in Pre-Shipper/Shipper Confirm. This decision is based on regulatory requirements and the document format of the shipper.
You can also assign the shipper number as the invoice number. However, if you do this, keep the following consideration in mind.
Important If the invoice number is set by the shipper ID, you must ensure that the NRM sequence for the shipper ID is not more than eight characters.
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