<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ManualTopic ID="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000320" xml:lang="en">
   <Header>
      <Title>Package definitions</Title>
      <Keyword type="header" order="d1e2998921">
         <Level1>Handling unit</Level1>
         <Level2>package definition</Level2>
      </Keyword>
      <Keyword type="header" order="d1e2998926">
         <Level1>Package definition</Level1>
         <Level2>handling unit</Level2>
      </Keyword>
      <Keyword type="header" order="d1e2998931">
         <Level1>Handling unit template</Level1>
         <Level2>package definition</Level2>
      </Keyword>
      <Keyword type="header" order="d1e2998936">
         <Level1>Package definition</Level1>
         <Level2>handling unit template</Level2>
      </Keyword>
   </Header>
   <AimSection>
      <Paragraph>A <Link href="/baanerp/wh/glossary/glossary#000357" role="glossary">package definition</Link> specifies how items must be packed. If
		you use <Link href="/baanerp/wh/glossary/glossary#000432" role="glossary">handling units</Link>, the package definition determines the
		handling unit structure and the packaging details for the handling units used
		to pack the items. If you do not use handling units, the package definition
		determines the way items are packed.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>Package definitions exist on two levels, a general level and an
		item level. The general level includes general information on how items are
		packed and how the packing is structured. The item-level package definition is
		linked to an item, and the information on the way items are packed and how the
		packing is structured is adjusted for the item, thus a general-level package
		definition can be used as a basic template for item-level package definitions.
		The item-level package definition is used to generate handling units for order
		lines, receipts, advice, approvals, or shipments. For further information on
		the use of package definitions, see <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000338" role="manual">The use of package definitions</Link> and <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000336" role="manual">To generate handling units</Link>. A package definition on both general level and
		item level includes the following elements:</Paragraph>
      <List>
         <ListItemHead>Identification code</ListItemHead>
         <ListItem>Package definitions are uniquely defined by means of the
		  identification code.</ListItem>
         <ListItemHead>Description</ListItemHead>
         <ListItem>The description is a free text that can provide some easy
		  reference to the package definition.</ListItem>
         <ListItemHead>Package definition type</ListItemHead>
         <ListItem>The package definition type determines how you can set up
		  packaging structures for handling units and items.</ListItem>
         <ListItemHead>Handling unit template</ListItemHead>
         <ListItem>A handling unit template stores information as to the packing
		  materials used and the way the packing is structured. The packing materials
		  refer to handling units. If you use a package definition to generate handling
		  units for items listed on a particular order, shipment, and so on, the handling
		  units are generated according to the package definition structure and the
		  packing information defined for the handling unit template of the package
		  definition. This results in the creation of the actual <Link href="/baanerp/wh/glossary/glossary#000433" role="glossary">handling unit structures</Link>. Basically, a handling unit
		  template is a generic handling unit structure.</ListItem>
      </List>
   </AimSection>
   <GeneralSection>
      <SectionTitle>Package definition types</SectionTitle>
      <List>
         <ListIntro>In ERP Enterprise, the following types of package definitions are
		  available:</ListIntro>
         <ListItem>Fixed package definitions</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Variable package definitions</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Mixed package definitions</ListItem>
      </List>
      <Paragraph>You can use fixed package definitions with or without handling
		units. The variable and mixed types of package definitions are only available
		in combination with handling units.</Paragraph>
      <GeneralSection>
         <SectionTitle>Fixed package definitions</SectionTitle>
         <List>
            <ListIntro>The fixed package definition is the only type of package
			 definition that you can use with or without handling units. If you use handling
			 units, the package definition determines the handling unit structure and the
			 packaging information of the handling units used to pack the items. If you do
			 not use handling units, the package definition determines the way the items are
			 packed. A fixed package definition is used for the following types of
			 items:</ListIntro>
            <ListItem>Purchased items</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Manufactured items</ListItem>
            <ListItem>
               <Link href="/baanerp/tc/glossary/glossary#000061" role="glossary">List items</Link>
            </ListItem>
            <ListItem>
               <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#BillOfMateri_ti" role="glossary">BOM</Link> items</ListItem>
         </List>
         <Note>
            <SectionTitle>Note</SectionTitle>
            <List>
               <ListIntro>Fixed package definitions are not used on receipt lines
				if:</ListIntro>
               <ListItem>Handling units are not used for the item on the receipt
				line. For information on setting up the use of handling units, see <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000337" role="manual">To set up handling units</Link>
               </ListItem>
               <ListItem> 
                  <List>
                     <ListIntro>Either of the following applies:</ListIntro>
                     <ListItem>The receipt is by component</ListItem>
                     <ListItem>The item is a <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000382#382_low_volume" role="manual" Update="No">low volume</Link> serialized
					 item</ListItem>
                  </List>
               </ListItem>
            </List>
         </Note>
         <Paragraph>A packing structure for a fixed package definition can include
		  multiple packaging items, but only one type of tradeable item. A pallet cannot
		  include (packing materials for) sour cream and yoghurt in addition to milk
		  cartons, as shown in the following picture.</Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>
            <HTML:IMG xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" width="252" height="216"
                      SRC="../images/tree2.gif"
                      alt="[...]"/>
         </Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>If handling units are used, a fixed package definition
		  includes a handling unit template in which the number of packaging items and
		  items is fixed.</Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>The user uses storage units from <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc" role="package">Common</GUIRef> to define the
		  number of packaging items for each node. When a fixed package definition is
		  linked to an item, the following takes place:</Paragraph>
         <List>
            <ListItem>ERP Enterprise uses the conversion factors of the storage units defined for each
			 node to calculate the fixed number of packaging items for each node. For
			 example, if the conversion factor for storage unit Pallet and storage unit Box
			 is 50, a pallet has 50 boxes. For further information, see <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000031" role="manual">Packaging levels</Link>.</ListItem>
            <ListItem>The handling unit template of the package definition is
			 copied to an item-level handling unit template. The user can modify this
			 structure to adjust the structure for the specific item. For further
			 information, see <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000334" role="manual">To define package definitions</Link>.</ListItem>
         </List>
         <Paragraph>Fixed package definitions are useful if items are always
		  packed in the same way.</Paragraph>
      </GeneralSection>
      <GeneralSection>
         <SectionTitle>Variable package definitions</SectionTitle>
         <List>
            <ListIntro>A variable package definition is used to define handling
			 unit structures for the following types of items:</ListIntro>
            <ListItem>Purchased items</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Manufactured items</ListItem>
            <ListItem>
               <Link href="/baanerp/tc/glossary/glossary#000061" role="glossary">List items</Link>
            </ListItem>
            <ListItem>
               <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#BillOfMateri_ti" role="glossary">BOM</Link> items</ListItem>
         </List>
         <Paragraph>A handling unit structure of a variable package definition can
		  include multiple packaging items, but only one type of tradeable item. To use
		  the previous example, a pallet cannot include (packing materials for) sour
		  cream and yoghurt in addition to milk. List items and BOM items can include
		  various component items, but you cannot specify how component items are packed.
		  For further information, see <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000360" role="manual">List items, BOM items, and package definitions</Link>.</Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>The relations between the nodes of the handling unit structure
		  are user-definable. This means that, unlike fixed package definitions, you can
		  specify the number of packing items per node both on general and item-level
		  handling unit templates without referring to the storage units and conversion
		  factors defined in <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc" role="package">Common</GUIRef>. In addition, you can define various nodes with various packaging
		  items for all nodes except the top node.</Paragraph>
         <ExampleSection>
            <SectionTitle>Example</SectionTitle>
            <Paragraph>
               <HTML:IMG xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" height="216" width="252"
                         SRC="../images/variable1.gif"
                         alt="[...]"/>
            </Paragraph>
            <Paragraph>In this picture, box A and box B represent nodes 2 and 3,
			 which are both on the second node level just below the top level. The pallet
			 includes 10 boxes of type A and 25 boxes of type B. Box A contains 50 items X
			 and box B contains 30 items X.</Paragraph>
         </ExampleSection>
         <Paragraph>You can use the same variable package definition to define
		  handling unit structures for individual items and add or delete nodes and
		  specify several numbers of packaging items for the nodes. Therefore, this
		  method is a more flexible way of defining package structures than the fixed
		  package definition.</Paragraph>
         <ExampleSection>
            <SectionTitle>Example</SectionTitle>
            <Paragraph>Package definition Z consists of one pallet X, 15 boxes type
			 A and 40 boxes type B. Package definition Z is linked to item 0001, item 0002,
			 and item 0003.</Paragraph>
            <List>
               <ListItem>150 items 0001 are packed in 3 boxes type A.</ListItem>
               <ListItem>100 items 0002 are packed in 2 boxes type A.</ListItem>
               <ListItem>300 items 0003 are packed in 10 boxes type A</ListItem>
               <ListItem>400 items 0003 are packed in 40 boxes type B.</ListItem>
            </List>
         </ExampleSection>
         <Paragraph>Variable package definitions are useful, for example, for
		  items that are sold to various business partners with various packing
		  requirements.</Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>To define variable package definitions, see <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000334" role="manual">To define package definitions</Link>.</Paragraph>
      </GeneralSection>
      <GeneralSection>
         <SectionTitle>Mixed package definitions</SectionTitle>
         <Paragraph>Mixed package definitions are used to define handling unit
		  structures that include more than one type of item.</Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>
            <HTML:IMG xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" height="216" width="252"
                      SRC="../images/mixed1.gif"
                      alt="[...]"/>
         </Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>However, you can only link items to a mixed package definition
		  on the general package definition level. You cannot define mixed package
		  definitions on item level. Mixed package definitions are used to validate
		  manually created free-style handling units. If you manually define handling
		  units for multiple items listed on an order, you can validate the manually
		  created handling unit setup against a mixed package definition that includes a
		  handling unit template for those items and handling units. Validating is used
		  to prevent mistakes from being made when you manually create handling units.</Paragraph>
      </GeneralSection>
   </GeneralSection>
   <GeneralSection>
      <SectionTitle>Handling unit templates</SectionTitle>
      <Keyword type="section" order="d1e2999124">
         <Level1>Handling unit template</Level1>
         <Level2>package definition</Level2>
      </Keyword>
      <Keyword type="section" order="d1e2999129">
         <Level1>Package definition</Level1>
         <Level2>handling unit template</Level2>
      </Keyword>
      <Paragraph>A handling unit template is one of the elements of a package
		definition. The handling unit template defines how handling units are used to
		pack particular items. A handling unit template includes a hierarchical
		structure that consists of several nodes that are related in a parent - child
		fashion. Each node represents a generic handling unit.</Paragraph>
      <ExampleSection>
         <SectionTitle>Example</SectionTitle>
         <Paragraph>For example, a fluid item such as milk is packed in cartons,
		  the cartons are packed in boxes of twenty cartons each, and 50 boxes are placed
		  on a pallet.</Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>
            <HTML:IMG xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" width="252" height="216"
                      SRC="../images/tree2.gif"
                      alt="[...]"/>
         </Paragraph>
      </ExampleSection>
      <List>
         <ListItemHead>Top</ListItemHead>
         <ListItem>The top node includes the whole structure. In the previous
		  example, the pallet is the top node.</ListItem>
         <ListItemHead>Parent</ListItemHead>
         <ListItem>A node that ranks higher than another node. A parent node
		  includes one or more children. In the previous example, the boxes are the
		  parent nodes of the milk cartons. At the same time, the pallet (the top node)
		  is the parent of the boxes, thus the boxes are the children of the
		  pallet.</ListItem>
         <ListItemHead>Child</ListItemHead>
         <ListItem>A node that is linked to a parent. In the previous example, the
		  milk cartons are the children of the boxes.</ListItem>
      </List>
      <Paragraph>A node includes the following information:</Paragraph>
      <List>
         <ListItem>The parent node to which the node belongs (except for the top
		  node, of course).</ListItem>
         <ListItem>The packing item that is used for the node. In the previous
		  example, the packing item for the top node is pallet, and for the children of
		  the top node the packing item is box.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>For package definitions of the variable and mixed type, the
		  number of packing items used for the node. In the previous example, the number
		  of packing items for the top node is one (one pallet), and for the second node
		  the number is 50 (50 boxes per pallet). For fixed packaging definitions, the
		  number of packaging items is determined in a different way, which is explained
		  in <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000031" role="manual">Packaging levels</Link>.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>For variable and mixed package definitions, the number of items
		  that the packaging item must contain. For variable and mixed package
		  definitions, this number is displayed for both the general-level and the
		  item-level handling unit template. For fixed packaging definitions, the number
		  of items is only displayed for the item-level handling unit template. For
		  further information, see <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000334" role="manual">To define package definitions</Link> and <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000031" role="manual">Packaging levels</Link>.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>The node is labeled or unlabeled. Labeled means that for each
		  packing item defined for the node, a label record is created. In this way, each
		  existing packing item is uniquely identified. These labels can be printed. If
		  the boxes with milk cartons from the previous example are labeled, each box
		  obtains a label when handling units are generated for an order for milk
		  cartons. For further information on labels, see <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000322" role="manual">Label layout and printing</Link>.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Auxiliary packing material, such as sealing plastic that is
		  used for the node.</ListItem>
      </List>
   </GeneralSection>
   <RelatedTopics>
      <SectionTitle>Related topics</SectionTitle>
      <RelTopic>
         <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000031" role="manual">Packaging levels</Link>
      </RelTopic>
      <RelTopic>
         <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000334" role="manual">To define package definitions</Link>
      </RelTopic>
      <RelTopic>
         <Link href="/baanerp/wh/onlinemanual/000336" role="manual">To generate handling units</Link>
      </RelTopic>
   </RelatedTopics>
</ManualTopic>