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Integrated Automation & Robotics

Manhattan Active Warehouse Management includes the industry’s first WES built into a WMS, which coordinates all resources within the distribution center to ensure each asset - automation, robotics, and people work together. This often includes integrating with advanced material handling solutions (MHE) to ensure maximum throughput within the distribution center. Manhattan has made it easy to add new automation through the Manhattan Automation Network, consisting of best practice integration and industry-leading providers. Together, they create an ecosystem that helps get automation initiatives up and running faster than ever before. MHE integration opportunities include:

  • Putaway, Picking, and Palletizing Robotics
  • Automated Storage and Retrieval Solutions
  • Conveyance and Sortation Systems
  • Pick to Light and Zone Picking Solutions
  • Goods to person picking solutions

Third Party Integration

1 - Grey Orange

What is Grey Orange?

Grey Orange specializes in robotic fulfillment solutions. Their core offerings include autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and a cloud-based software platform called GreyMatter. These systems work together to automate material movement, order picking, and inventory management within warehouses.

What does this integration include?

Manhattan Active Warehouse Management solutions provide clients with direct integration with Grey Orange for picking, putaway, and inventory management flows. This integration enables REST communication between Grey Orange and Manhattan Active Warehouse Management with messages in standard JSON format.

Picking

After orders are cubed into optimal shipping containers, MAWM is responsible for releasing work to the floor for order fulfillment considering the availability of resources. Upon release MAWM exchanges picking details with Locus. Locus optimization assigns the picking details to carts for execution. During the picking process Locus sends necessary data back to MAWM for picking confirmation. This process supports both pick direct to shipping container and pick to tote flows. Messages included are:

  • Pick Expectation – Sent from MAWM to Grey Orange with picking details.
    • Pick Transactional Notification – Sent from Grey Orange to MAWM to confirm each individual picks within a task. This does not contain short information.
    • Pick Release/Inventory Awaited Notification - Sent from Grey Orange to MAWM to notify the entire pick tasks is completed. This contains partial or full short information.
  • Pick Cancel – Sent from MAWM to Grey Orange when a pick allocation is cancelled.

Putaway

After inventory is received, MAWM is responsible for releasing work to the floor for putaway considering the availability of resources and storage locations within a warehouse. Upon allocation to Grey Orange managed locations, MAWM exchanges allocation details with Grey Orange. Grey Orange optimization assigns the allocation details to Grey Orange storage locations for execution. During the putaway process, Grey Orange sends necessary data back to MAWM for putaway confirmation. Messages included are:

  • Put Expectation - Sent from MAWM to Grey Orange with putaway allocation details.
    • Put Complete - Sent from Grey Orange to MAWM to confirm putaway.
  • Put Cancel - Sent from MAWM to Grey Orange to cancel putaway.

Inventory Management

MAWM needs to keep track of inventory levels in Grey Orange managed locations. This is achieved by requesting inventory sync from Grey Orange. Additionally, inventory adjustments occurring due to processes such as counting are fed back to MAWM by Grey Orange.

  • Inventory Sync Request - Sent from MAWM to Grey Orange to get inventory sync based on the scheduler.
  • Inventory Sync - Sent from Grey Orange to MAWM to sync inventory.
  • Inventory Transaction - Sent from Grey Orange to MAWM to adjust inventory.

2 - Locus Robotics

What is Locus?

Locus is a warehouse automation company with multiple solutions including directed robotic picking and restocking. Their directed robots optimize worker productivity and accuracy in the warehouse by pairing travel optimization with a clear user interface to assist the putaway and picking processes.

What does this integration include?

Manhattan Active Warehouse Management solutions provides clients with direct integration with Locus for cart picking and cart putaway flows. This integration enables REST communication between Locus and Manhattan Active Warehouse Management with messages in standard JSON format.

  • Cart Picking - Assigns the picking details to carts for execution.
  • Cart Putaway - Communicates putaway details and exceptions.

Cart Picking

After orders are cubed into optimal shipping containers, MAWM is responsible for releasing work to the floor for order fulfillment considering the availability of resources. Upon release MAWM exchanges picking details with Locus. Locus optimization assigns the picking details to carts for execution. During the picking process Locus sends necessary data back to MAWM for picking confirmation. This process supports both pick direct to shipping container and pick to tote flows. Messages included are:

  • OrderJob.New – Sent from MAWM to Locus after work release. Includes picking details.
    • OrderJobResult.Accept/Reject – Sent from Locus to MAWM in response to OrderJob.New message.
    • OrderJobResult.Print – Sent from Locus to MAWM to trigger the printing of the shipping label at task start.
    • OrderJobResult.ToteInduct – Sent from Locus to MAWM to notify MAWM of job start.
    • OrderJobResult.Pick – Sent from Locus to MAWM to confirm the pick.
    • OrderJobResult.ToteMove – Sent from Locus to MAWM in exceptions during picking.
  • OrderJob.Update – Sent from MAWM to Locus after task priority change.
    • OrderJobResult.UpdateComplete/Reject – Sent from Locus to MAWM in response to OrderJob.Update message.
  • OrderJob.Cancel – Sent from MAWM to Locus when a task needs to be removed from Locus system.
    • OrderJob.ResultCancelComplete/Reject – Sent from Locus to MAWM in response to OrderJob.Cancel message.

Cart Putaway

After inventory is received, iLPNs can be scanned in MAWM Make Putaway Cart process to build a tote array. Once built the arrays can be inducted onto Locus Carts. During the putaway execution process Locus communicates putaway details and exceptions. Messages included are:

  • PutawayJob.New – Sent from MAWM to Locus after the tote array is “ended” in MAWM Make Putaway Cart.
    • PutawayJobResult.Accept/Reject – Sent from Locus to MAWM in response to PutawayJob.New message.
    • PutawayJobResult.PutInduct – Sent from Locus to MAWM to notify MAWM of the tote array / cart being inducted onto a Locus cart.
    • PutawayJobResult.Put – Sent from Locus to MAWM communicating a putaway of inventory.
    • PutawayJobResult.PutMove – Sent from Locus to MAWM communicating the array moving to a different bot.
    • PutawayJobResult.PutComplete – Sent from Locus to MAWM communicating putaway cart completion.
  • PutawayJob.Cancel – Sent from MAWM to Locus when an iLPN needs to be deallocated from Locus system.
    • PutawayJobResult.CancelComplete/CancelReject – Sent from Locus to MAWM in response to PutwayJob.Cancel message.