Inbound batches
An inbound batch (LE-n) groups units that arrived with a reception: a pallet, a cage or a group
of appliances set down together. A unit is one physical appliance in the batch.
Batches are only created from a reception, where units are only counted by product type ("6 × Refrigerator"). The Inbound batches menu is then used to:
- find a batch and see where it stands;
- identify each unit, that is, state its exact catalogue model and, if needed, its QR label;
- print the identification corner to stick on the batch;
- inventorize the batch, that is, record the warehouse location where it waits for processing;
- follow the processing of its units (degassing, dismantling).
Before you start
- Permission: you need the Inbound batches permission (Operations group) to see the Inbound batches menu and open a batch. See Roles & permissions.
- Origin reception: to open a batch's reception in one click, you also need the Receptions permission; otherwise its number is shown without a link.
- Catalogue: identification picks a model from the product catalogue. A missing model can be created while identifying. See Product types.
- Locations: to inventorize a batch, at least one active location in an active warehouse must exist. See Warehouses.
View the list of batches
Open the Inbound batches menu. The list has no create button: "Batches are created from a reception." The most recent batches are shown first, 50 per page.
| Column | Content |
|---|---|
| Batch no. | The number assigned by RecyTrax: LE-1, LE-2, etc. |
| Reception | The origin reception's number (R-n). |
| Weight (kg) | The sum of the catalogue weights of the identified units. |
| Products | The identified units out of the total, for example 2/5. In amber with a warning icon when the total differs from the batch's expected quantity. |
| Location | The location's code and name if the batch is in inventory; otherwise -. |
| Status | The batch status (see Batch statuses). |
To find a batch:
- Search: type part of the batch or reception number in Search by batch no. or reception.
- Status filter: All statuses, Awaiting reception, Received, Processing or Processed.
- Sort: click the Batch no., Weight (kg) or Status header.
Click a row (or the pencil icon) to open the batch. You can also open a batch by clicking its number in its reception, or by scanning the QR code of its identification corner (see QR codes and labels).
The batch page
The header shows Inbound batch LE-n and the batch status. At the top right:
- Print corner: produces the identification page to stick on the batch;
- Inventorize (batch not in inventory) or Remove from inventory (batch in inventory);
- Save: saves every change made on the page. On a phone, this button sits at the bottom of the screen.
Batch information
| Field | Description | Editable |
|---|---|---|
| Weight (kg) | Calculated: the sum of the catalogue weights of the identified units. A unit that is not identified does not count. | No |
| Processing deadline | June 30 of the year after the reception is completed. Until the reception is completed, it is calculated from the batch's creation date. | No |
| Origin reception | The reception's number (link) and its status. | No |
| Location | "code · name (warehouse)" if the batch is in inventory, otherwise Not inventoried. Changed with the Inventorize and Remove from inventory buttons. | No |
| Expected quantity | The number of units the batch should hold, a whole number above 0. Required. | While the reception is in the Draft status |
| Comment | Free text. | Yes |
History
The History card shows, from the most recent step to the oldest:
- Received with R-n: the date and the person who completed the reception;
- Created: the date and the person who created the batch.
Products
The Products section lists each unit of the batch. Its title reads "x/y identified". The bottom of the section repeats this count and the total Weight.
| Column | Content |
|---|---|
| Product type | The unit's type, with its icon. |
| Model | "Brand · Model no." once the unit is identified, otherwise -. The New badge marks a model that will be added to the catalogue when the batch is saved. |
| Weight (kg) | The model's catalogue weight, otherwise -. |
| Status | The unit status (see Unit statuses), or Not saved for a unit added since the last save. |
| Actions | Identify or the pencil icon Change the identification; Processing details once processing has started; the trash icon while the reception is in the Draft status. |
Two amber banners may show above the list:
- "The quantities do not match: 5 product(s) for 6 expected.": the number of units differs from the batch's Expected quantity (a simple warning);
- "Batch LE-n is in inventory: remove it from inventory before identifying its units.": the identification buttons are hidden while the batch is in inventory.
On a batch page, added or removed units, identifications, QR labels, new models, the expected quantity and the comment are only saved when you click Save. You then return to the list of batches.
Add or remove units
While the origin reception is in the Draft status, the batch's content can change from its page:
- In the Products section, choose a Product type, enter the Quantity (1 to 200) and click Add. The added units show the Not saved status.
- To remove a unit, click its trash icon, then Yes in the "Remove Refrigerator from batch LE-n?" confirmation.
- Click Save.
Once the reception is completed, the batch keeps its units: none can be added or removed, and the Expected quantity no longer changes.
Identify a unit
Identifying a unit means stating its exact model in the catalogue (brand, model number, year). The model brings the unit's weight (and so the batch's weight) and, for a degassable type, the gas type and quantity expected at degassing. You can also link the QR label stuck on the appliance.
Identification is done on the batch page, or at the Degassing and Dismantling workstations, where it is saved immediately.
- On the batch page, in the Products section, click Identify on the unit's row.
- The Identify a unit of batch LE-n window opens. If needed, correct the Product type: the list of models follows the chosen type, and the unit takes its model's type.
- Click the Product field and type in Search a product (brand, model or year). Each word you
type must be found in the brand, the model or the year (for example
whirlpool 2019). - Pick the model with a click, or with the arrow keys then Enter. Each line shows
"brand · model · year" and the weight on the right. Only the first 20 matches are shown; a counter
(for example
20 / 134) then invites you to refine the search. - If the model is missing, click Add a new product (see below).
- If needed, fill in the QR label: click Scan and aim the camera at the label, or type the code (or scan it with a handheld scanner) then press Enter. See QR codes and labels.
- Click Identify. The button stays greyed out while no model is chosen or while a label is being checked.
- Back on the batch page, the unit shows its model and weight. Click Save.
Once the reception is completed, an identified unit moves to the Identified status.
Create a model missing from the catalogue
In the identification window, Add a new product opens the New product window:
| Field | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | The model's type. | Yes |
| Brand | Up to 128 characters. | Yes |
| Model no. | Up to 128 characters. | Yes |
| Year | The model year, 4 digits, from 1900 to next year. | No |
| Weight (kg) | The appliance's net weight, above 0. | Yes |
| Gas type | The refrigerant gas. Only shown for a Degassable product type. | Yes, if shown |
| Gas quantity (kg) | The gas charge, above 0 if given. Only shown for a Degassable type. | No |
Click Save: the window closes and the model is picked in the Product field, marked New. Then click Identify. The new model stays available in the list for the batch's other units. It is added to the catalogue when you save the batch (at a processing workstation, as soon as the unit is identified).
A model is unique by brand, model number and year. If the combination already exists, the window shows "A product of this brand with this model number and year already exists.": pick the existing model from the list instead.
If no material is marked as a gas, the window says so: "No material is marked as a gas. Tick "Gas" on a material in Administration › Materials." See Materials.
Change an identification
Click the unit's pencil icon Change the identification: the same window opens with the current model and label. Change them, click Identify, then Save.
An identification no longer changes once the unit's processing has started (unit degassed, "No gas" recorded, or unit dismantled): "A degassed or dismantled unit no longer changes model." The Processing details button then replaces the identification button. To correct the identification anyway, the step must first be undone at the processing workstation concerned.
Inventorize a batch
Inventorizing a batch means recording the warehouse location where it is stored while it waits for processing. The batch status does not change. While a batch is in inventory, its units can be neither identified, nor degassed, nor dismantled: it must first be removed from inventory.
The Inventorize button is greyed out in two cases (hover over it to read the reason):
- "The batch cannot be inventorized until its reception is completed."
- "This batch is processed: it can no longer be put in inventory."
To inventorize:
- On the batch page, click Inventorize.
- In the Inventorize batch LE-n window, choose the Location. Active locations are grouped under their warehouse, code first.
- Click Inventorize.
The message "Batch inventorized." appears and you return to the list; the Location column shows the new location.
Remove a batch from inventory
- On the batch page, click Remove from inventory.
- Confirm: "Remove batch LE-n from inventory? The batch leaves location A-01."
- Click Remove from inventory.
The message "Batch removed from inventory." appears. An operator can also remove the batch from inventory from a unit's screen, at the processing workstations.
To move a batch to another location, remove it from inventory, then inventorize it again at its new location.
Print the identification corner
The identification corner is a Letter-size page to stick on the batch (for example on the corner of the pallet) so it can be recognized on the shop floor. It shows INBOUND BATCH, the batch number in very large type, the Reception, Weight, Number of products, Process before, Created on, a QR code and the line "Printed on …".
- On the batch page, click Print corner (or, from the reception, the batch's printer icon).
- The PDF opens in a new tab and the print window appears.
- Print the page and stick it on the batch.
The corner uses the saved batch: save your changes before printing. If your browser blocks pop-ups,
the PDF is downloaded instead (LE-n.pdf). Scanning the corner's QR code opens the batch page; see
QR codes and labels.
After reception: processing
As soon as the reception is completed, the batch's units join the processing queues, oldest first:
- a unit of a Degassable type shows in the Degassing queue;
- a unit of another type, or a unit already degassed (or with "No gas" recorded), shows in the Dismantling queue.
The units of a batch in inventory stay visible in these queues, with their location code, but the operator must remove the batch from inventory before processing them. In the queues, a passed processing deadline is shown in red.
Batch statuses
| Status | Meaning | What triggers it |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting reception | The batch is created, its reception is still in the Draft status. | Creating the batch from the reception. |
| Received | The reception is completed; no unit has been processed yet. | Completing the reception (or undoing all processing operations). |
| Processing | At least one unit has been degassed (or "No gas" recorded) or dismantled. | The first operation at a processing workstation. |
| Processed | All units of the batch are processed (dismantled). | Dismantling the last unit. |
Undoing an operation at a processing workstation brings the batch back to the matching status. Inventory does not change the batch status.
Unit statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Awaiting reception | The unit's reception is not completed yet. |
| Received | The unit is received; its model is not identified yet. |
| Identified | The unit's model is known. |
| Degassed | The unit is degassed (or "No gas" was recorded); it still has to be dismantled. |
| Processed | The unit is dismantled. |
| Not saved | (Batch page only) The unit was just added and the batch is not saved yet. |
See also the overview of all Statuses.
Rules and messages
| Message | When | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "The expected quantity is required and must be above zero." | The Expected quantity is empty or 0. | Enter a whole number above 0. |
| "The batch must contain at least one product." | The batch no longer has any unit. | Add at least one unit (the Save button is greyed out anyway). |
| "The reception is completed: units can no longer be added to or removed from the batch, and its expected quantity no longer changes." | The reception was completed while you were editing. | Reload the page; only identification and the comment can still change. |
| "Batch LE-n is in inventory: remove it from inventory before identifying its units." | You identify a unit of a batch in inventory. | Click Remove from inventory, then identify. |
| "A degassed or dismantled unit no longer changes model." | You change the model or label of a unit already processed. | This unit's identification is final. |
| "The product cannot be found." | The chosen model was deleted from the catalogue in the meantime. | Choose another model. |
| "This product type no longer exists." | The chosen type was deleted in the meantime. | Choose another type. |
| "The batch cannot be inventorized until its reception is completed." | You inventorize a batch whose reception is in the Draft status. | Complete the reception first. |
| "This batch is processed: it can no longer be put in inventory." | All units of the batch are dismantled. | Nothing to store: the batch is finished. |
| "The location cannot be found or is inactive." | The location or its warehouse was deactivated in the meantime. | Choose another location. |
| "This batch is not inventorized." | You remove from inventory a batch that is no longer there. | Reload the page. |
| "The batch cannot be found." | The batch was deleted (with its reception) in the meantime. | Go back to the list. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I create an inbound batch?
From its reception: open the reception (Draft status), then click New batch in the Inbound batches section. See Receptions.
Why is the batch weight 0 or lower than expected?
The weight only counts identified units, with their model's catalogue weight. Identify the remaining units: the weight updates.
Why doesn't the Identify button appear?
The batch is in inventory (an amber banner says so): remove it from inventory. Or the unit has already started processing: its identification no longer changes and the Processing details button shows instead.
Why is the Inventorize button greyed out?
The origin reception is not completed yet, or the batch is Processed. Hover over the button to read the reason.
I can't find the model in the product list.
The list only shows the models of the chosen Product type, and the first 20 matches. Check the type, refine the search (brand and model number), or click Add a new product.
Can I delete a batch from its page?
No. A batch is deleted from its reception, while the reception is in the Draft status. Once the reception is completed, the batch can no longer be deleted.
How do I move a batch to another location?
Click Remove from inventory, then Inventorize and choose the new location.
I identified units, but they went back to "to identify".
Identifications made on the batch page are only saved when you click Save. Redo them, then save.