Reserving Inventory

Inventory reservation can only be used when the relief type is D (distribution).  Inventory can be reserved at three levels:

·     Warehouse

·     Stock location within a warehouse

·     Lot within a stock location

Each program that reserves inventory always reserves at the warehouse level.  In addition, each warehouse can be set up to reserve inventory at the stock location level.  This option is defined on the Plant/Warehouse Description file.  When an order is entered, the sourcing warehouse is checked to determine if the sales order line quantity can be reserved.  If the warehouse is set up to reserve at the stock location level, a transaction record is written to the stock location reservation monitor trigger file.  Inventory is then allocated asynchronously at the stock location level by the Stock Location Reservation monitor.

Only the release quantity of the line is reserved at the stock location.  Inventory is reserved in the following sequence, depending on availability:

1.   Primary stock location for the item, as defined on the Warehouse Balance file.

2.   If there is not enough quantity in the primary location, then the stock locations for this part are searched alphanumerically for the remaining quantity. 

If there is not enough inventory in the stock locations and the over reserve inventory flag is set on, then the stock is reserved in the primary stocking location for that part.

In addition, inventory can be reserved for a lot within a stock location.  Lot reservation can be accomplished in two ways:

·     For a lot-controlled part, inventory is reserved to lots using a similar process to the one described previously for stock locations.  Within each stock location, MAC-PAC searches each lot to determine if inventory is available within that lot.  The lots are searched in lot FIFO date sequence (that is, the lot with the earliest date for the part is checked first to see if inventory is available).

·     For a lot-assignable part, the user must use the lot selection capabilities within order maintenance.  These capabilities allow you to select the particular lots that will be used to fill a customer order.  If a lot is not physically selected by the user, the quantity is not reserved by the system.

Considerations

Once an order is created and the inventory reservation process begins, the order is not maintainable.  Once the inventory reservation monitor has reserved inventory to the order, the order is unlocked.

The operator may use the Sales Order Inquiry conversation to see which locations inventory has been reserved to.