Requests to transport item types that have the same origins and/or destinations can be "batched" so that the item types can be transported in a batch of jobs assigned to one employee. Batches are groups of item transport jobs that can be completed together. Batching jobs with the same origin or destination improves efficiency. Administrators manage batches in the dictionary.
Batching is used in the Capacity IQ® Transport application. Batches can be found in the Batches dictionary (Admin > Settings > Capacity Management > Dictionary Management > Batches). Batch parameters are managed for item types in the Item Types dictionary (Admin > Settings > Capacity Management > Dictionary Management > Item Types).
How Batches Work
Functionality
Batches have a campus, a batch name, and a description.
Batches can be created, edited, or deleted from the Batches dictionary.
Existing batches can be linked to item types via the Item Type’s Batch Name selection.
There are four item type parameters that are used to determine whether specific requests for item transports can be batched.
These parameters must be set for each item type that is eligible to be batched with others.
The item type batch parameters are:
Batch Name - the name of a group of similar items.
For example, blood samples and urine samples can have the batch name of "FLUIDS," because they are both bodily fluids, and would be in the same group.
Batch In - determines where the item transport jobs are batched together.
This can be on the floor level, section level, zone level, or unit level.
Examples:
"FLUIDS" are batched in Zone 1, then item transports with the batch name of "FLUIDS" will be batched together, as long as they have origins or destinations within Zone 1.
If Unit is the Batch In parameter, then item transport requests that have the same batch name and have origins and/or destinations within the same unit can be batched. How they are batched is determined by the selection made for the Batch Basis.
Batch Max - Determines how many item transports can be batched at once. Batch Max is the maximum number of transport requests involving items types that have the same batch name that can be batched.
Examples:
If there are 4 item transport jobs for "FLUIDS," and if they are all going to the same destination, they will all be "batched" in the same item transport job if the "Batch Max" parameter is set to 4 or higher. This allows for the streamlining of item transports
If there are currently 10 requests to transport item types with the same batch name that are eligible to be batched according to the Batch Basis and Batch In parameters selected, but the Batch Max selected is 5, then only 5 of these requests will be batched at once. The Batch Max must be a number from 2 through 20.
Batch Basis - Determines how items are batched. The Batch Basis parameter looks to the Batch In parameter to determine whether requests with an origin and/or destination within the same floor or section or unit or zone can be batched.
There are four parameters for the batch basis:
Origin Match: Item transports with the same batch name that have origins in the level determined by "Batch In" will be batched together.
Example: If "FLUIDS" have an origin or origins within Zone 1, they will be batched together. Think of this as an on/off (0 or 1) switch. If it doesn't have an origin in Zone 1, it will not be batched.
Destination Match: Item transports with the same batch name that have destinations in the level determined by "Batch In" will be batched together.
Example: If "FLUIDS" have a destination or destinations within Zone 1, they will be batched together. Think of this as an on/off (0 or 1) switch. If it doesn't have a destination in Zone 1, it will not be batched.
Both Match: Item transports with the same batch name that have origins AND destinations in the level determined by "Batch In" will be batched together.
Example: If "FLUIDS" have an origin AND a destination within Zone 1, they will be batched together. Think of this as an AND Logic Gate. If it doesn't have an origin AND destination in Zone 1, it will not be batched.
No Match: Item transports with the same batch name that have origins OR destinations in the level determined by "Batch In" will be batched together.
Example: If "FLUIDS" have an origin OR a destination within Zone 1, they will be batched together. Think of this as an OR Logic Gate. "FLUIDS" in Zone 1 will be batched together if they have either an origin or destination within Zone.
The Batch In and Batch Basis parameters consider only transport requests for item types with the same batch name.
Example Scenario
A batch name called "Lab" is given to the item types "urine samples," "blood samples," and "all cultures.
Floor is selected for Batch In for all of these item types.
Origin Match is selected for Batch Basis for these item types.
A Batch Max of 5 is selected for these item types.
On Wednesday at 9:00 AM there are 10 requests to transport blood samples, urine samples, or all cultures to the lab.
There are 8 requests that have origins on Floor 3.
Five of the eight can be batched because they have origins on the same floor and 5 is the maximum number of requests for item types with the batch name "Lab" that can be batched.
Transporters cannot request assistance for item transport jobs that have been batched.
If a batch of transport jobs is rescheduled, then all jobs in that batch will be removed from the batch and will become separate jobs.
Create a Batch
Go to Admin > Settings > Capacity Management > Dictionary Management > Batches.
Select Add.
In the Campus drop-down, select a campus.
Enter a name in the Batch name text box.
Give the batch a description in the Description text box.
Click Save.
A confirmation message will appear on the screen stating that the batch has been successfully added.
Delete a Batch
Go to Admin > Settings > Capacity Management > Dictionary Management > Batches.
Select the check box next to the batch(es) to delete.
Click Delete Selected Records.
Click OK in the prompt that appears.
The batch(es) will no longer be listed.
A message will appear on the screen confirming the deletion.
Edit a Batch
Go to Admin > Settings > Capacity Management > Dictionary Management > Batches.
Locate the row of the batch to be edited.
Make any desired changes.
Click Save.