# Packing Process

## Overview

The Packing feature aims to manage and track the process of preparing finished goods for shipment or storage.

Packing process features:

- [Open Packing Container](open.md)
- [Close Packing Container](close.md)
- [Add Items to Packing Container](additems.md)
- [Remove Items From Packing Container](removeitems.md)

## Setting up Packing Process

In order for the user to be able to successfully use the packing process features, the following configuration is needed:

- [SMTMaterialPackingContext](../../artifacts/tables.md#smtmaterialpackingcontext)
- [SMTMaterialNameGenerationContext](../../artifacts/tables.md#smtmaterialnamegenerationcontext)
- [SMTMaterialPrintableDocumentContext](../../artifacts/tables.md#smtmaterialprintabledocumentcontext)
- The config `/SMT/MaterialPacking/IsEnabled/` must be enabled
- The Step in which the packing will be performed must have the `IsPacking` attribute set

Below there is a description of each of the **Smart Tables**.

### [SMTMaterialPackingContext](../../artifacts/tables.md#smtmaterialpackingcontext)

This smart table is used only to support the packing process functionality. It defines the list of product containers available to pack a product.

![Screenshot](images/index/st_packingcontext.png)

In the example above, there is a packing scenario with 2 levels. In the 1st level Materials with Product **SMT_Board** can be packed into Materials with Product **SMT_PackingBox** and in the 2nd level the Materials with Product **SMTPackingBox** can be packed into Materials with Product **SMT_Pallet**.

### [SMTMaterialNameGenerationContext](../../artifacts/tables.md#smtmaterialnamegenerationcontext)

Configures the name generator to apply when creating new packing container materials at specified packing **Step**.

![Screenshot](images/index/st_namegeneratorcontext.png)

The example shown sets the name generator for newly created packing container materials at **SMT_Packing Step**.

### [SMTMaterialPrintableDocumentContext](../../artifacts/tables.md#smtmaterialprintabledocumentcontext)

Sets the labels to apply for different packing operations. If a label is not set for a specific packing operation, no labels will be printed during execution.

![Screenshot](images/index/st_printable.png)

The configuration shown above sets labels for 3 different packing scenarios performed at the **SMT_Packing step**, therefore labels will be printed for the type of material defined:

- Adding a board to a packing container
- Adding a packing container to another packing container
- Closing a packing container

## Administration

The config `/SMT/MaterialPacking/IsEnabled/` must be enabled. The `/SMT/MaterialPacking/ContainerQuantityIsZero/` will determine whether packing containers will be created with a primary quantity of `1` or `0`.