The following scenarios describe how you might use Location Awareness Services for WebSphere® Premises Server to integrate supply chain management business processes in a warehouse environment to track the arrival, storage, and decommissioning of goods.
The following scenarios include examples of how you might use the Web services that are supplied with Location Awareness Services for WebSphere Premises Server in the business processes.
When an order arrives through the electronically available shipment manifest, the pallet tags that will arrive are registered in Location Awareness Services for WebSphere Premises Server. You can do this using the LasItemRegistrationServices - createItem Web service.
Rules that govern the arrival and storage of the goods must already exist. If they do not, you can define rules using the LasRuleServices - createRuleInstance Web service. For example, you can define what types of goods must be placed in what zone. You can also specify that goods of a specific type must not enter or leave specific zones or that palettes in specific zones cannot contain more than a specified number of tags of a specific type.
When the palette passes the entry gate or dock receiving door, any defined business processes are triggered in WebSphere Premises Server, Data Capture and Delivery, and Location Awareness Services for WebSphere Premises Server.
For example, when a forklift picks up a palette with a certain tag ID, WebSphere Premises Server can send a pickup event to Location Awareness Services for WebSphere Premises Server using a WebSphere MQ request. During the move, rules correlate the pallet tag ID and its properties to the forklift's position. (For example, if the item has already been defined as part of a group, such as "flammable group", and the forklift moves to a restricted area where the pallet is not allowed to go because of its flammable content, an alert is triggered based on the defined business rules for zone entry or exit.) When the forklift releases the pallet, a message can be sent to Location Awareness Services for WebSphere Premises Server specifying the position of the pallet.
Location Awareness Services for WebSphere Premises Server evaluates business rules constantly. If more pallets are stored in a zone than is allowed by the business rules, an alert is issued that can trigger other business processes. You can do this using the subscriberService Web service. For example, the business process might cause the pallets stored in the zone to be emptied.
If a pallet is scheduled to be picked up at the position where it is currently stored and moved elsewhere, the supply chain management business process issues a request to Location Awareness Services for WebSphere Premises Server for the location of the pallet tag ID (you can use the LasQueryServices - getTagDetails Web service) and also sends information such as the pallet tag ID and location to the pick up team. When the pallet passes the dock door on the way out, the supply chain management business processes trigger the appropriate business services and sends a message to Location Awareness Services for WebSphere Premises Server indicating that the pallet tag ID has left the area or zone. If the pallet is leaving the premises WebSphere Premises Server can decommission the pallet's tag ID by using the ItemRegisterService Web service.
It is also possible to request the duration time per pallet in a specific zone by requesting a report. You can use the LasQueryServices - getTimeReportByTag Web service.