You can create picking rules that enable you to sort picks based on criteria that you define for sales orders, process manufacturing batches, or work in process jobs. Oracle Inventory reviews the picking criteria order and the options for each criterion.

After you create a picking rule, you use the rules workbench to assign the rule to a particular item.

To define a picking rule:

1. Navigate to the Picking Rules window.

2. Enter a unique name and description for the rule.

3. Select the picking restriction. The available choices are sales order, process manufacturing, and work in process.

4. Enter the shelf life days if applicable. If you enter a value in this field, then the system allocates the material the number of days that you enter in the Shelf Life Days Item Master window field before the lot expires. For example, if an item is set to expire in ten days, and you enter four days in the Shelf Life Days field, then the system allocates the material at least four days before the material expires.

5. Select Single Lot Allocation, to allocate only a single lot for this rule. If you do not select this check box, the system may use this rule to allocate more than one lot.

6. Select Partial Allocation Allowed to accept a partial allocation of a lot. If you do not select this check box, then the system allocates only one lot when using this rule.

   Note: Single lot allocation controls whether the system can allocate multiple lots for a particular demand. Partial lot allocation controls whether the system can allocate quantities of a lot less than the total lot quantity available.

7. Click Customer Spec Match to require quality specification matching.

8. Select the sort criteria for the rule. You can rank sort criteria to determine the importance level for that criterion. For example a criterion ranked 1 is higher in value than a criterion that is ranked 3. The sort criteria are:

   • Lot: You can sort by lot based on the following criteria:

     • Lot Number Asc: Sorts the lot by number in ascending order.

     • Lot Number Desc: Sorts the lot by number in descending order.

     • FIFO: Sorts the lot by first in first out.

     • FEFO: Sorts the lot by first expired first out.

   • Revision: You can sort by revision based on the following criteria:

     • Revision Asc: Sorts by revision in ascending order.

     • Revision Asc: Sorts by revision in descending order.

     • Effective Date Asc: Sorts by revision effective date in ascending order.

     • Effect Date Desc: Sorts by revision effective date in descending order.

   • Subinventory: You can sort by subinventory based on the following criteria:

     • Subinventory Asc: Sorts by subinventory in ascending order.

     • Subinventory: Desc: Sorts by subinventory in descending order.

     • Receipt Date Asc: Sorts by receipt date in ascending order.

     • Receipt Date: Desc: Sorts by receipt date in descending order.

   • Locator: You can choose to sort by locator based on the following criteria:

     • Locator Asc: Sorts by locator in ascending order.

     • Locator Desc: Sort by locator in descending order.

     • Receipt Date Asc: Sorts by receipt date in ascending order.

     • Receipt Date: Desc: Sorts by receipt date in descending order.

9. Save your work.

10. Click Enable to enable the rule.

11. Click Assignment to open the rules workbench.

To assign a picking rule:

You use the Rules Workbench to assign your picking rule. The rule that you created on the Inventory Picking Rules page appears on the Rules Workbench. The system automatically assigns a sequence number and return type to the rule. You can modify the sequence number, but you cannot modify the return type. You can assign your rule to any combination of criteria the Rules Workbench displays. For example, if you create a picking rule that allocates material by lot number in ascending order followed by locator in ascending order, you can assign it to an item in the Rules Workbench. This means for picking, the system allocates the lowest lot number of the item in the lowest locator number where the item resides.

1. Enter values in any combination of the following fields. These values determine how the system allocates the material according to the rule that you created. For example if you created a rule that allocates lots based on FIFO, you can assign that rule to a particular customer, so that material you pick for that customer is allocated based on FIFO.

   • Customer

   • Item

   • Item Category

   • Item Type

   • Assignment Group

   • Source Subinventory

   • Supplier

   • Order Type

   • Freight Code

   • Project

   • Task

   • Transaction Action

   • Destination Subinventory

   • Transaction Reason

   • Transaction Source

   • Transaction Type

   • UOM Class

   • Date Type

   • Date From

   • Date To

2. Click Enabled to enable the rule for the given set of criteria.

   Note: You can only modify disabled rules.

3. Save your work.