Mobile Flow lets you decide whether a device is locked to one specific warehouse worker or shared between many. You set this up by attaching a Windows user ID to a fixed resource number, or by leaving the resource open so the system prompts for a user code at login.
If you attach a user ID to a fixed resource number, the device opens straight into the warehouse tiles without asking who you are. Use this for a personal computer, a scanner assigned to one person, or a mobile phone in a picker’s car.
If you leave the resource number blank, Mobile Flow asks for a user code each time someone enters the warehouse flow. Use this for a shared terminal scanner or a warehouse screen that many workers use.
The setup follows the user who logs in. That means location and other settings change automatically depending on who identifies themselves at the device.
Fixed resource versus shared device in Mobile Flow
In Mobile Flow you can set up a user as a fixed user, a fixed resource, or as a non-fixed resource. The choice decides how the device behaves when someone starts working in the warehouse functionality.
In the Mobile Flow user setup, each Windows user ID can be attached to a fixed resource number. So if your user ID is connected to a resource number, that resource is tied to the computer by default.
How a device with a fixed resource works
When you open the Mobile Flow warehouse functionality on a device with a fixed resource, it automatically opens the tiles from the mobile flows. You can start typing right away, select a purchase order, do a warehouse receipt, and so on. The device already knows who you are, so there is no extra step.
This is the right setup when the device is locked to one resource. Typical examples:
- A computer you use by yourself
- A scanner that is fixed to you
- A mobile phone in your car that you use for picking out of the car
How a shared device works without a fixed resource
If the device is a terminal scanner on the warehouse floor, a shared warehouse screen, or anything else that many users go to, you do not use a fixed resource number.
The consequence is that when you enter the warehouse mobile flow, the system asks for the user code. Each user states who they are, and the system then knows who is working. For example, you log in as Simon L. Olson, and the next person logs in as Mike Ramsay. Everyone has to answer this each time they open the flow.
The setup follows the user you log in with. In the example, Mike Ramsay is not set up for a location, so his session reflects his own configuration rather than the previous user’s. This is what makes it possible to run one terminal scanner as a shared device user, with many people using it under their own setup.
Q&A
When should I use a fixed resource number in Mobile Flow?
Use a fixed resource number when the device is locked to one person. Examples include a personal computer, a scanner assigned to one worker, or a mobile phone in a picker’s car. The device opens straight into the warehouse tiles without asking who you are.
When should I leave the resource number blank in Mobile Flow?
Leave the resource number blank for shared devices such as a terminal scanner on the warehouse floor or a shared warehouse screen. The system then asks each user for a user code when they enter the warehouse flow.
How does Mobile Flow handle settings when many users share one device?
The setup follows the user who logs in. Location and other settings change automatically based on who identifies themselves, so each worker uses their own configuration on the same shared device.
Does a shared Mobile Flow device ask for the user code every time?
Yes. On a device without a fixed resource number, each user has to enter their user code every time they open the warehouse mobile flow.