WMS Feed
WMS Feed/ Brokering Feed
When the OMS allocates an order to the warehouse, it generates a brokering feed containing details required by the WMS system to fulfill the order such as order items, quantities, and the shipping method etc. This feed acts as the medium through which orders are transmitted to the warehouse for fulfillment.
In essence, the WMS Feed (also called the Brokering Feed) is a structured text format SHP file which OMS shares to WMS to fulfill orders. Each SHP file, generated in a fixed-byte format, can include up to 300 orders per file, as supported by WMS.
How OMS Prepares the WMS Feed
HotWax runs scheduled batch jobs for generating this file. During each run, the batch job collects all orders allocated to the warehouse since its last execution, compiles them into a .txt file, and uploads it to a shared SFTP location. The New Era Caps WMS system then consumes this file for fulfillment.
To maintain smooth and timely operations, this job is configured to run every 20 minutes, ensuring continuous synchronization between OMS and the warehouse.
The WMS feed is a fixed byte length format rather than a CSV or a JSON.
What is a fixed byte file format?
A fixed byte file format, also known as a fixed-width file format, is a type of flat file where each field or column has a fixed width or length. In contrast to delimited file formats (such as CSV or tab-delimited), where fields are separated by a specific delimiter character (like a comma or tab), fixed-width files allocate a predetermined number of characters for each field, and the data is organized accordingly.
Here are key characteristics of a fixed byte file format:
Field Width: Each field in the file has a fixed width or length specified in terms of the number of characters. For example, a field might be defined as 10 characters wide.
Padding: If the actual data for a field does not use the full allocated width, padding characters (typically spaces) are added to fill the remaining space. This ensures that each field has a consistent length.
Positional Structure: The position of each field is crucial, as the file format relies on the exact position of characters to interpret the data correctly. Fields are aligned based on their starting positions.
No Delimiters: Unlike delimited file formats, fixed-width files do not use special characters (e.g., commas or tabs) to separate fields. Instead, the file's structure is determined by the position and width of each field.
Header Row: Fixed-width files often include a header row that defines the layout and format of the data. The header specifies the starting position and width of each field.
Readability: While fixed-width files may be less human-readable than delimited files, they offer advantages in terms of simplicity, especially when dealing with data of a consistent and known structure.
Examples of systems that commonly use fixed-width file formats include legacy systems, mainframes, and certain database systems. In such cases, the fixed-width format provides a straightforward and efficient way to structure and store data.
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