How to instruct the transporter/operator to follow an order pick list?

question

question

How to instruct the transporter/operator to follow an order pick list?

Question

Wen Hao asked Jan 25, '21 Jason Lightfoot commented Feb 1, '21

Hello everyone. I am very new to FlexSim and have just started recently using it for academic purposes. I have managed to build up a basic outbound order fulfilment simulation based solely on the use of 3D models. The objective of the model is to find out the specific and average picking time for all pickers.

Each transporter/operator are assigned to a specific rack to simulate zone picking.

However, I have an issue. I am not sure how to instruct the transporter/operator to pick according to an order picking list. I created the list as a global table, but I am unsure how to link the transporter/operator to the list.

The list is as follow below:

*Note Rack B is put with an elevator to represent a Vertical Lift Module (VLM)*

Main questions:

Is global table the correct method of inputting the picking list? If not, how should I create it?
How to link the picking list to the transporter/operator?
How I can utilise the dashboard function to derive the specific and average picking time of the pickers?

The model is attached below. Thank you.

Warehouse Outbound MP.fsm

Software Version:

FlexSim 20.1.3

flexsim 20.1.3 warehouse picking order picking picker

warehouse-outbound-mp.fsm (193.7 KiB)

· 2

Joerg Vogel commented · Jan 25, 2021 at 10:14 AM

@Wen Hao , have you found the demo model? PLEASE check it. Even if you won’t add your logic in process flow, the commands and source code snippets are necessary in 3D model logic.

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Wen Hao Joerg Vogel commented · Jan 25, 2021 at 07:52 PM

Hello @Jörg Vogel, I have taken a look at the warehouse 2019 demo model prior to asking this question. Still, thanks for sharing the resources.

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Answer 1 · 2021-01-25T09:43:43Z

Joerg Vogel answered Jan 25, '21 Jason Lightfoot commented Feb 1, '21

Hi @Wen Hao, there is a manual. It comes with the program. There is a chapter called “Simulation Best Practices” and a sub chapter called “Before Building Your Model“. Therein you find a section called “Determine Your Key Metrics”. You are at a stage where you think about how to build your logic and to gather data from your model. Both subjects are essential for a model and they both must grow in the same speed as your amount of 3D Objects are increasing. Throwing all objects into a model and then starting to enhance it with a logic and data collecting tools won’t work. Please consider to start with a much smaller model with lesser objects and enhance this with data collecting abilities and control logic mechanism simultaneously. Then you let grow this model with abilities that you had tested in other small models. Model building is an evolutionary process.

Comments to your points of question.

It is not wrong to do this. Perhaps it is easier to gather lists from a transposed matrix.
By tasksequences. They let taskexecuters like operators to get in action. There are tutorials to activate operators in a model. Do them and then come back and ask specific questions.
There are tutorials, too, to cope with this task. For the start there are red pins in the quick properties tool pane in the statistic tab to start with.

· 2

Wen Hao commented · Jan 25, 2021 at 07:57 PM

Hello @Jörg Vogel, firstly thanks for responding to my queries. After reading through your reply, I think the main reason why I had rushed into building my model was that I am doing this simulation for an assignment that is due soon. I understand your perspective and will work towards building up my basics first before attempting to build a bigger model.

As for your suggestion of using task sequence, would it be possible if you could provide a demo model for added reference on top of the available resource within the user manual.

Thank you, appreciate your effort to help me.

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Jason Lightfoot ♦ Wen Hao commented · Feb 01, 2021 at 01:49 AM

There's plenty of material in the manual as @Jörg Vogel suggests, we recommend you do the relevant tutorials and come back with specific questions.

Task Logic Tutorials

Task Sequence Concepts

1 ·

Rack A1

Rack A2

Rack B

Rack C

Rack D

Rack E

Order 1

Order 2

Order 3

Order 4

Order 5