Batch Flow Path Service - Business Capabilities

Overview

The Batch Flow Path Service manages batch picking and put-wall consolidation workflows for multi-item orders. It handles approximately 15-20% of all warehouse orders through efficient batch picking with manual put-wall sorting.

Business Capabilities

1. Batch Formation

Purpose: Group orders for efficient batch picking.

Capability	Description
Order Grouping	Combine orders with overlapping SKUs
Batch Sizing	Optimize batch size for picker capacity
Zone Alignment	Group orders from same warehouse zones
Cutoff Management	Respect SLA cutoff times in batch formation

2. Wave Integration

Purpose: Coordinate batches with wave planning schedules.

Capability	Description
Wave Assignment	Assign batches to appropriate waves
Schedule Alignment	Align batch release with labor availability
Priority Handling	Prioritize batches based on SLA urgency
Capacity Balancing	Balance batch distribution across shifts

3. Picker Assignment

Purpose: Assign pickers to batches optimally.

Capability	Description
Picker Selection	Match pickers to batch requirements
Zone Familiarity	Consider picker zone expertise
Workload Balancing	Distribute work evenly across pickers
Performance Tracking	Track picker productivity per batch

Batch Assignment Workflow

sequenceDiagram
    participant BATCH as Batch Service
    participant PICKER as Picker
    participant WALL as Put Wall
    participant SLAM as SLAM

    BATCH->>PICKER: Assign batch
    PICKER->>PICKER: Pick all items
    BATCH-->>BATCH: BatchPickingCompletedEvent

    PICKER->>WALL: Sort items to slots
    BATCH-->>BATCH: PutWallSortCompletedEvent

    WALL->>WALL: Complete order
    BATCH-->>SLAM: OrderConsolidatedEvent

4. Pick Operations

Purpose: Route pickers through warehouse for batch picks.

Capability	Description
Route Optimization	Calculate efficient pick paths
Cart Management	Assign and track pick carts
Item Verification	Verify picked items via scan
Short Handling	Handle inventory shorts during picks

5. Put Wall Management

Purpose: Manage slot assignments and sort operations.

Capability	Description
Slot Assignment	Assign orders to put wall slots
Sort Instructions	Provide put-by-light or display guidance
Item Tracking	Track items sorted to each slot
Completion Detection	Detect when order is complete

Slot States

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> EMPTY
    EMPTY --> ASSIGNED: assign_order
    ASSIGNED --> SORTING: first_put
    SORTING --> COMPLETE: all_items_put
    COMPLETE --> READY_FOR_PACK: release_triggered
    READY_FOR_PACK --> EMPTY: slot_cleared

6. Consolidation Tracking

Purpose: Track order completion through put wall.

Capability	Description
Item Counting	Track items put per order
Completion Monitoring	Monitor order completion status
Exception Handling	Handle missing or extra items
Pack Triggering	Signal when order ready for pack

Integration Points

Upstream

Source	Events	Purpose
Routing Service	ShipmentRoutedToPathEvent	Receive batch flow routed shipments
Wave Planning	WaveReleasedEvent	Receive wave assignments

Downstream

Target	Events	Purpose
SLAM Operations	OrderConsolidatedEvent	Trigger SLAM processing
Task Execution	BatchCreatedEvent	Create pick tasks
Monitoring	BatchPickingCompletedEvent	Track batch progress

Key Performance Indicators

KPI	Target	Description
Batch Cycle Time	< 45 min	Time from batch creation to completion
Pick Accuracy	> 99.5%	Correct items picked
Put Accuracy	> 99.9%	Items sorted to correct slots
Wall Utilization	70-85%	Optimal slot utilization
Orders per Batch	15-25	Optimal batch size

Workflow Comparison

Aspect	Batch Flow	AFE
Volume	15-20%	30-35%
Sorting	Manual put-wall	Automated sorter
Labor	Picker + Putter	Inductor
Cycle Time	45 min	30 min
Best For	Larger items	Sortable items

Technology Stack

Component	Technology
Language	Java 21
Framework	Spring Boot 3.3.3
Database	MongoDB 7.0
Messaging	Apache Kafka 7.5.0
Port	8085