Clustering

Understanding Clustering in Canary7

How does Clustering Work?

Clustering in Canary7 is a two-step process designed to group individual jobs (typically shipments) into optimised Cluster for efficient processing. First, the Cluster Job Creation Master is used to set the rules and parameters—such as defining job types, setting maximum and minimum cluster positions, and specifying sorting criteria. Once these configurations are in place, the Cluster Planner takes over. It allows users to select which jobs will be grouped, create or choose a clustering plan, and ultimately run the plan to generate the clustered jobs. This seamless interaction between the creation master and the cluster planner ensures that the clustering process is both flexible and efficient, enabling you to streamline your warehouse operations from the outset.

Cluster Job Creation Master Overview

The Cluster Job Creation Master is a pivotal tool within Canary7 that allows users to design the creation of cluster jobs. Cluster jobs group individual jobs (typically, this will be each job representing a shipment, as most shipment picking job creations are grouped by Shipment header) into a cohesive plan, optimising picking processes by having each Job correspond to a Cluster Position. Each Cluster Position will correspond to a numbered picking container i.e. Cluster Position 7 = Picking Tote 7. This job creation master works similarly to the other Job Creation Masters within Canary7, with one notable exception—the absence of a WHERE tab. 

The key benefit of clustering is that it enables the creation of structured plans that reflect physical grouping constraints, helping to streamline operations for order fulfilment, increasing efficiency.

Add Cluster Job Creation Master

Enter mandatory fields in the General Tab

1. Name
2. Job TypeHere's a tutorial for creating Job Types. Select the Job Type that represents this clustering design (e.g. B2C Amazon Clustering). 
3. Maximum Cluster Position: Define the maximum number of Cluster that can be created. This typically corresponds to the number of available positions or totes (e.g., Cluster 1 = Tote 1, Cluster 2 = Totes 2, etc.)
4. Minimum Cluster Position.

   It is a way of arranging jobs that have their respective Job Classes and Job Groups used to help organise job executions. 

   It is a way of arranging jobs that have their respective Job Classes and Job Groups used to help organise job executions. 

Job Type Tab

This tab allows for greater flexibility in the clustering process:

• Primary Selection: By default, you would tick the Job Type selected on the General Tab.
• Additional Job Types: Optionally, you can include extra Job Types. This means that if the clustering process needs to consider more than one type of job, you can allow these Job Types to be included in the Clustering process.

To access the next tab click the submit button and locate your Cluster job.

Order by Tab

To access this tab, locate your cycle count job creation, click on the three dots and click edit. 

Click on Order by Tab

The Order By tab defines how the jobs are sequenced when Clusters are generated:

• Typically, you will sort by criteria such as Location Code or Pick Walk Sequence. This ordering ensures that the generated clusters optimise movement and picking efficiency within the warehouse.

The Cluster Planner

The Cluster Planner is the next key component in the clustering process. It is divided into two main tabs that manage both the selection and execution of cluster jobs.

Job List Tab

The Job List Tab displays all current jobs, where typically each job corresponds to a shipment. Here's what you can expect:

• Displayed Information
  • Job
  • Job Type
  • Warehouse
  • From Job Zone
  • Company
  • Start Position
  • Job ID and Job Number
  • Number of Job Instructions
• Selection Process
  • Users can tick the jobs they want to cluster.
  • Selected jobs can then be sent "To Plan".
• Plan Creation
  • Upon sending jobs to the plan, Canary7 will prompt the user to either select an existing plan or create a new one.
  • For a new plan, you will provide a Plan Name and choose a previously created Cluster Job Creation configuration.

Plan Tab

The Plan Tab groups all jobs that have been assigned to the same plan. In this tab, users can manage the cluster plans through the following actions:

• View
  • Examine the details of the plan, including the grouped jobs and their respective attributes.
• Run
  • Execute the plan. Running the plan applies the clustering logic defined in the Cluster Job Creation Master, creating clustered jobs based on your settings.
• Delete
  • Remove plans that are no longer required.

Once a plan is run, the system generates clustered jobs, effectively grouping and sequencing the instructions according to the defined clustering criteria.

Summary

The Cluster Job Creation Master and its associated Cluster Planner enable users to:

• Design Cluster Jobs: Define the rules and parameters in the General, Job Type and Order By tabs.
• Select and Group Jobs: Use the Job List tab to choose the appropriate jobs to be clustered.
• Create and Execute Plans: Use the Plan tab to group selected jobs into coherent plans, which are then executed to generate optimised clustered jobs.