This guide will give you an introduction to the Search flow in the Pio app. Search is mostly used to locate a specific SKU, bin, kit or shelf location.
Here are some examples where the 'Search' feature is highly useful:
- quality checks: you can request all bins containing a particular product/SKU to facilitate quality checks
- error correction: in cases where mistakes have occurred during picking or storing, you can access a specific bin to fix the problem
- item retrieval: if you require a particular item from the grid for activities such as a photo shoot or live demonstration, the 'Search' function ensures swift access to those products
It is important to note that search mode takes up a lot of robot power. In some cases, the robots have to dig around to reach a specific bin, and this can slow things down. Therefore, it is essential to keep this in mind, especially if your colleagues are picking at another port simultaneously and are under pressure to meet shipping carrier deadlines.
Topics covered in this article
Search or scan items
Select item or bin
Making adjustments in the bin
This video will guide you through the Search functionality in the Pio app. Start by watching the video, then explore additional step-by-step information below for further clarification.
Search or scan items
You can easily search for products, bins, kits, SKUs, and shelf locations using the search bar at the top of the screen. You can also scan the items barcode to search for it.
Latest activity: Searches and Bin presentations
Recent search history is listed at the bottom of the Search page. This is specific for the current logged in user. Select a search term to view the search results for it.
You have the option to switch between 'Searches' (default) and 'Bin presentations'. Select 'Bin presentations' to view recent bins that have been requested to port.
The following example shows how you can search for a product name:
Select product, shelf, bin or kits
Note that the search category filters are displayed below the search bar (Products - Shelves - Bins - Kits). If you'd like to view the bins containing your search term, simply click the 'Bins' tab.
Once you have selected the desired product, you'll get an overview of the bins (or compartments for split bins) where the product is located:
You can search and request multiple bins simultaneously. Just click the '+ Add to queue' button next to the bin(s) you want to add to the queue.
If you only want to request one bin only, select 'Request added bins'.
If you want to add several bins to the queue, you can go back to the search page, modify your search terms and select '+ Add to queue' for other bins to check.
When the desired bins are added to the queue, select 'Request added bins' at the bottom of the screen:
Please keep in mind that requesting a large number of bins simultaneously will significantly impact your system's performance. It is advisable not to check more than 10 bins at a time while using other ports simultaneously.
Add all bins to queue
If you want to view all bins of the selected product, you can select the 'Add all bins to queue' option. This will add all the bins containing the SKU to your queue for easy access:
Review and remove bins in queue
To review and remove bins added to the queue, click the 'XX bins in queue' button at the top of the screen. This will display a menu where you can remove the bins in your queue:
Making adjustments in the bin
If you add or remove a product while using the Search functionality, the inventory must be updated at the same time. Select the 'Edit' button (the pencil symbol), and adjust the quantity of products in the bin as needed:
After updating quantity in the compartment, confirm by selecting 'Update quantity'.
This feature comes in handy, for example, when you have temporarily taken a product out of the grid for a photo shoot and now want to restore it to a bin. However, please note that for regular incoming products and returns you should always use the 'Store' flow.
Viewing bin or shelf history
When you view a product, a bin or a shelf, you have the option to view the history.
This feature provides an extensive list of all activities related to item quantities, including details such as when the actions were performed and the user responsible for them: