Changes in Sales and Transfer Order Picking from Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 to Dynamics AX 2009

Overview
The purpose of this post is to present the major changes and new functionality that was introduced for sales and transfer order picking in AX 2009.
The aim and the idea behind these changes is to move towards a single system for picking that can be shared in order to simplify and unify future extensions.
The post contains information about:
· User Interface changes
· Changes to tables and classes
· Upgrade scripts
· New functionality for order picking
· New enhancements for advanced WMS outbound processes
Differences in terminology
Picking registration, as known in AX 4.0, is referred to as order picking. Picking with output orders and advanced WMS, as applied in AX 2009, is referred to as consolidated picking.
Differences from a UI perspective
The parameter Set inventory transactions to picked in AX 4.0 is now obsolete, and it has been replaced by the Picking route status parameter.





The following conversion rules apply:
Dynamics AX 4.0

Set inventory transactions to picked = selected
Set inventory transactions to picked = not selected

Dynamics AX 2009

Picking route status = Complete
Picking route status = Active

When you post a picking list, and the picking route status is Active, the reference for inventory transactions is set to Output order instead of Invent-picking list registration:








When you click Posting/Picking list registration from a sales order or a transfer order, a new registration form opens:



The Picking list registration form is used to register what was picked and it is quite similar to the picking registration form in AX 4.0. You can either update the entire picking route or update individual lines, and you can view and pick both consolidated lines and order picking lines in this form.
Additional functionality available from this form:
· Barcode identification
· Split of picking lines
· Unpick of picking lines with the option to put items on another location
· Cancellation of picking lines
A new inventory parameter, End output inventory order, is introduced:

The End output inventory order parameter controls whether or not the reference between an output order and inventory transactions is removed when you delete or decrease the quantity of a picking registration line.
If the End output inventory order parameter is selected, the behavior is similar to the behavior in AX 4.0, and that is to say that after posting, the inventory transactions do not reference an output order.
It the End output inventory order parameter is not selected, the reference between the output order and inventory transactions is not removed and a new picking route can be created from the Open output orders form.
When the picking list is posted, the status of the picking lines and the inventory transactions changes.
In AX 2009, there are no separate tables to store picking list journal and picking list registration data.
Differences from a code perspective
In AX 2009, picking is handled using the WMS module and several classes and tables prefixed with WMS are used. This means that several tables are controlled by the LogisticsAdvanced configuration key rather than by the WMSAdvanced configuration key as in AX 4.0.
The figure below shows how the tables in AX 4.0 map to the tables used in AX 2009: