Attachment M Nat Multifood Warehouse Interaction With WBSCM.pdf

Attachment M - National Multifood Warehouse Interaction With WBSCM

Table of Contents

1. Overview

2. Warehouse Stock Transfer Shipment Advice

3. Receipt Advice

4. Warehouse Shipping Order

5. Warehouse Shipping Advice

6. Inventory

a. Data

b. Initial Upload

c. Reconciliation

7. Block/Unblock

8. Complaints

9. Invoicing

10. Maintain Delivery Calendar Dates

11. WBSCM User Credentials

12. Deprecated Upload and Download Specifications

a. Warehouse Shipping Order (Recipient Orders)

b. Warehouse Shipping Advice

c. Inventory Adjustment Advice

d. Receipt Advice

1. Overview The Contractor shall provide systems integration and interface support between the Contractor’s warehouse management system(s) and the USDA’s WBSCM system to reduce overall administrative costs to the Government and to enhance the timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of inventory data with the USDA’s WBSCM system. The following interactions between the warehouse management system and WBSCM must be available by the end of the transition -in period. Contractor requirements for automation/enhancements shall be accomplished before expiration of the Base Period of Performance in coordination with USDA.

Many interactions will operate via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). The Contractor shall connect directly or through an intermediary/Value-Added Network (VAN) with WBSCM to exchange data. Formats and other specifications for each transaction are discussed below.

WBSCM undergoes periodic upgrade activities and future releases may alter WBSCM system design from what is stated in this document. The Contractor is expected to maintain operability with WBSCM following these updates as agreed to with USDA.

Background on the EDI functionality is available at: https://www.stedi.com/edi/x12/transaction-set. The primary EDI business transactions USDA uses include:

a. EDI 846 (Inventory Status Report)

b. EDI 940 (Warehouse Shipping Order)

c. EDI 943 (Warehouse Stock Transfer Shipment Advice)

d. EDI 944 (Warehouse Stock Transfer Receipt Advice)

e. EDI 945 (Warehouse Shipping Advice)

f. EDI 947 (Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice)

USDA reserves the right to change EDI business transactions or system for integrating WBSCM with the national warehouses during the term of the contract; and shall work with the Contractor on any future modifications not summarized within contract.

2. Warehouse Stock Transfer Shipment Advice The purpose of the transaction is to prepare the Warehouse for commodities that will be entering the Warehouse.

Notification of commodities to be shipped to the Contractor(s) facilities (Warehouse) will be provided by WBSCM to the Contractor utilizing the EDI. Notification is sent immediately when the order is created in WBSCM and updated when there are any changes to the order and when the Vendor has shipped it. The EDI 943 outlines these specifications.

WBSCM also provides the National Warehouse Replenishment Report in WBSCM which enables users to view warehouse replenishment order (purchase requisition) shipment and receipt information.

3. Receipt Advice This is the process for documenting receipt of goods into the Warehouse. The Receipt serves multiple purposes:

a. Documenting damages

b. Documenting shortages

c. Documenting overages

d. Ensuring Vendor receives payment per actual quantities received

e. Batches are assigned by the Warehouse upon receipt

f. Maintain the inventory in WBSCM, including batch and pallet information

The Contractor warehouse(s) shall notify USDA of the receipt of all Shipments (Stock Transfers or Vendor Shipments) received at the facility via an EDI 944 document sent to WBSCM. Notification is sent immediately when the materials are receipted (not batched until the end of the day). The EDI 944 outlines these specifications.

USDA requires the EDI functionality. During certain periods, if EDI is not available, and with prior approval from USDA, there are two backup methods to enter receipts in WBSCM:

i. Enter shipment receipt in WBSCM transaction Enter Shipment Receipts.

ii. Upload shipment receipt in WBSCM transaction Upload Shipment Receipts

Uploading a receipt has two benefits. It saves time as it is not necessary to need to enter receipt information manually into two systems, and it allows the ability to upload multiple line items at a time.

Both methods require a WBSCM userid with NW Org Admin Role.

4. Warehouse Shipping Order The purpose of the transaction is to inform the Warehouse of the details of outbound shipments for which the Contractor is responsible.

The Warehouse will receive from WBSCM recipient orders which need to be fulfilled as EDI 940 documents. Each document is sent immediately after the order is approved in WBSCM and immediately after any changes to the order. The orders may come from Recipient Agency (RA), State Distributing Agency (SDA) or Indian Tribal Organizations (ITO). The recipient agencies may not make modification to or cancel the WBSCM order after the order cut-off date (31 business days prior to the scheduled/negotiated delivery date for all deliveries to offshore locations and 9 business days prior to the scheduled/negotiated delivery date for all other deliveries).

In addition to receiving the EDI transactions, the Warehouse can view two reports in WBSCM detailing Recipient Orders shipped from a Warehouse.

a. Multi-Food Received Shipment Report The report enables domestic customers, warehouse users and sponsoring agencies to view receipt information (by recipients) of domestic orders sourced from Multi-Food Warehouses. The contents of the report can be downloaded in a file formatted as CSV.

b. Multi-Food Requisition Report

The report enables domestic customers, warehouse users and sponsoring agencies to view order information of domestic orders sourced from Multi-Food Warehouses. The contents of the report can be downloaded in a file formatted as CSV.

Using the transaction National Warehouse Orders to be Filled, orders can be downloaded from WBSCM as XML. The task can only be managed within WBSCM with a userid provisioned for the Warehouse and given the NW Org Admin role.

5. Warehouse Shipping Advice Orders fulfilled by the Warehouse will generate an EDI 945 transaction from the Warehouse to WBSCM. The transaction is sent automatically immediately after the transport is completed in the Contractor’s warehouse management system. The transaction has five purposes:

a. Allows customers to cross check items physically received in shipment against items listed on Bill of Lading (BOL) and in WBSCM.

b. Performs a Post Goods Issue (PGI) against the order.

c. Updates inventory levels for display and replenishment purposes in WBSCM.

d. Provide WBSCM the carrier’s progressive rotating order (PRO) number.

e. Helps USDA identify which customers received materials from which batches, for recall purposes.

As an alternative to the EDI 945 transaction, the Upload BOLs from National Warehouse transaction is able to upload the BOL into WBSCM. The task can only be managed within WBSCM with a userid provisioned for the Warehouse and given the NW Org Admin role. This transaction is only allowable in exigent circumstances with prior approval by USDA.

6. Inventory

a. Data WBSCM inventory data is organized hierarchically and has the following primary characteristics:

i. Plant Each Warehouse can have multiple Plants designated in WBSCM, one for each USDA program for which inventory is stored. Each Plant has a unique four-character alphanumeric code to identify it. All national warehouses will have a code in the 2000 series.

ii. Storage Location Storage location is a four-digit field to identify a specific storage space in a warehouse.

Plant

Storage Location

Material

Batch

iii. Material

The unique eighteen-digit (including four leading zeroes) number assigned to that material.

iv. Batch

Batches represent a quantity of material produced together by the Vendor.

Batches are unique, ten-characters long and are assigned by the warehouse when goods arrive. Batch numbers are determined by the warehouse’s storage logic, not by WBSCM logic.

b. Initial Upload The initial upload of inventory information is relevant only if the warehouse has USDA materials already stored before EDI processes are initiated. For any new warehouse, USDA expects EDI to be enabled before any materials are stored.

If needed, the EDI 846 document or other document agreed to by USDA can be used to transfer the entire Warehouse inventory record to WBSCM. This will transfer details related to all materials stored in the warehouse.

c. Reconciliation The process ensures inventory levels in WBSCM match inventory levels in Warehouse down to the batch level. Reconciliation of inventory must occur regularly. The basic process is:

i. Conduct inventory count of physical inventory in warehouse and upload results to WBSCM (Requires WBSCM userid with NW Org Admin role).

ii. Increment or Decrement WBSCM Inventory accordingly so numbers are reconciled.

These activities are done jointly by USDA NW Inventory Management Specialist & Warehouse NW Org Admin.

To update the WBSCM inventory, the Warehouse sends the Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice as an EDI 947 document. This provides WBSCM a reason code and updates the inventory with a goods movement transaction in WBSCM.

The Upload National Warehouse Inventory transaction in WBSCM was previously used to upload Inventory Counts. This task can only be managed within WBSCM with a userid provisioned for the Warehouse and given the NW Org Admin role. This process can be used in exigent circumstances with prior approval by USDA.

7. Block/Unblock Stock can be blocked to prevent it being distributed to recipients. Blocking stock is usually done for hold/recall cases. When block stock occurs, it goes into a hold status in WBSCM. The blocked quantity will not show up as available. Customers will not be able to order the blocked quantity until unblocked.

Unblocking stock makes the quantity available for distribution again. Unblocking is usually done when a hold or recall has been investigated, and it is determined that the food- safety issue was an isolated incident and that goods can now be distributed.

Blocking and unblocking activities carried out in the Warehouse Management System will generate an immediate Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice as an EDI 947 document sent to WBSCM. This provides WBSCM a reason code and updates the inventory with a goods movement transaction in WBSCM.

8. Complaints Customer complaints shall be entered into WBSCM transaction Create National Warehouse Complaint. This task can only be managed within WBSCM with a userid provisioned for the Warehouse and given the NW Org Admin role.

Automated communication of complaints information is possible with WBSCM via EDI or other methods. USDA is considering further system integration as a future system enhancement and would work with the Contractor to integrate as applicable.

9. Invoicing Currently all invoices are submitted in MS Excel format, as described in the following:

Attachment: N “Bi-Monthly Transaction Handling Invoice”, Attachment: O “Bi-Monthly Storage Invoice”, and Attachment: P “Monthly Transportation Invoice”. WBSCM supports other methods (e.g. EDI, SFTP) to enhance the automation of invoice information. USDA is considering the automation of these following invoices during the period of performance of this contract or one of the option years and would work with the Contractor to integrate as applicable.

10. Maintain Delivery Calendar Dates The Maintain National Warehouse Delivery Calendar transaction in WBSCM is used to communicate the available shipping dates from a warehouse to each delivery location. Recipients can use the same transaction to communicate dates available for receipts at those locations. This task can only be managed within WBSCM with a userid provisioned for the Warehouse and given the NW Org Admin role.

11. WBSCM User Credentials Warehouse shall obtain WBSCM userids for enough staff to complete the functions outlined above.

Users will be provisioned the role: NW Org Admin. These responsibilities include:

a. Maintaining Delivery Calendar Dates

b. Exporting Orders to the National Warehouse

c. Fulfilling Multi-Food Orders and entering Bills of Lading

d. Entering Warehouse Receipts

e. Entering Complaints

f. Reconciling Warehouse inventory via WBSCM upload

WBSCM accounts will be made available to the Contractor at no cost.

12. Deprecated Upload and Download Specifications The USDA FNS website https://www.fns.usda.gov/usda-foods/fns-wbscm-data-information, in the National Warehouse section, details the file formats for the interfaces previously in use.

a. Warehouse Shipping Order (Recipient Orders) Details on the deprecated interface of recipient orders to be filled by the Warehouse are in the "Order to be Filled" section.

b. Warehouse Shipping Advice Details on the deprecated interface of Bills of Lading created by the Warehouse in support of fulfilling recipient orders are in the "Warehouse Shipping Advice" section.

c. Inventory Adjustment Advice Details on the deprecated interface of inventory counts to support reconciliation are in the "Inventory Upload" section.

Details on interface of one-time initial inventory values are in the "Initial Inventory" section.

d. Receipt Advice Details on the deprecated method to handle receipts for material received at the Warehouse are in the "Goods Receipt" section.