Building and locations

Map the building

A warehouse represents a site. Zones divide it by function, aisles establish traversal order, racks identify storage structures, and bins give stock an address. A bin code can reflect aisle, rack, side and position so operators can match a task to a physical label.

Aisle traversal order influences pick paths. Active, Blocked and Maintenance bin states determine which destinations can be proposed. A temporary count lock is separate from the bin’s operating status: it protects the counted location until reconciliation finishes, without blocking work throughout the warehouse.

Match space to stock

Bin types describe usable dimensions, weight capacity, tare weight and permitted handling. The same catalog covers storage spaces, totes, pallets and shipping cartons. Put-away checks storage capacity; cartonization uses carton dimensions and tare when planning a pack.

Capacity decisions account for existing occupancy and committed incoming work. A physically empty-looking bin may already have an inbound task. Fixed-item or hazmat rules do not waive fit, weight, compatibility or blocked-location checks. Those checks run again when an operator confirms a destination, including an override.

Locations provides a common reference for bins and places outside the racks. Receiving docks, shipping docks, pack stations, staging lanes and returns areas can therefore appear as task endpoints. Outbound cartons remain in warehouse inventory while staged, through label generation and manifest close, until carrier handover is confirmed.

Keep handling details with each item

The upstream item master supplies the SKU and physical handling data: base unit, case and pallet conversions, dimensions, weight, lot and serial controls, expiry requirements, hazmat class and freight class. Warehouse velocity class and minimum shelf life support local slotting and allocation decisions.

Case and pallet scans convert to the item’s base unit before changing stock. A missing or invalid conversion needs correction before posting; it must not become an assumed quantity of one. Unit cost supports adjustment approval thresholds. It does not make this system the financial valuation ledger, and an unknown cost cannot silently qualify an adjustment for low-value approval.

Configure carriers and workstations

Carriers and their services hold account, mode, service selection, pickup cutoff and dimensional-weight settings. Parcel, LTL and full-truckload operations can use different document and dispatch requirements. Cutoffs are evaluated in the warehouse’s time zone; operational event timestamps retain their actual sequence across shifts.

A catalog entry describes a carrier. Label generation, status lookup, manifest transmission and voiding additionally require a configured and tested carrier connection. Adding a row alone does not supply those capabilities. Service transit information and dimensional divisors are configured inputs, rather than delivery or billing guarantees.

Pack stations link a location with scale, printer and operator settings. Warehouse policy supplies pack-weight tolerances, count tolerances, approval thresholds and operating controls. Admin prepares policy revisions and an independent Warehouse Manager approves them before activation. Equipment and connection readiness should be checked against the actual station before its work is assigned.

Direct put-away and replenish pick faces

Put-away rules run in ascending numeric priority, with the first eligible match selecting a destination. Fixed-item, hazmat and velocity rules remain subject to physical and stock restrictions. Velocity classes map to configured zones; a class does not create an undeclared zone type.

Forward-pick settings identify replenishment destinations and their minimum and target levels. Reserve stock, incoming tasks and existing reservations determine the quantity that can actually be moved. Rule changes guide future decisions without rewriting completed task history.