Warehouse operations

Warehouse operations is the area where operators physically work with goods: they receive products, put them away into locations, move them between locations, pick them for orders, pack them, process logistic returns, and quickly check the stock in a location.

For a new user, the main rule is simple: goods are not moved “from memory”. The operator follows the current screen, scans the requested code, and confirms only the product, location, lot, serial number, quantity, or handling unit displayed by the Putaway WMS application.

Where Daily Work Starts

Dashboard quickly shows where there are orders to pick, orders to pack, and situations that need attention. The dashboard does not change stock. It is used to decide which operational flow should be opened.

For actual execution, open Warehouse operations, then the appropriate page:

Flow	When it is used	Documentation
Goods receiving	When goods arrive from a supplier, with or without a supplier order.	Goods receiving
Putaway	When received goods must be moved from receiving into storage, quarantine, or a cart.	Putaway
Transfer	When stock already entered in inventory must be moved between storage, quarantine, returns, or a picking cart.	Transfer
Picking	When products must be taken from the warehouse for orders prepared for work.	Picking
Packing	When picked products must be checked, documents must be handled, and the order must be prepared for shipping.	Packing
Logistic returns	When the parcel physically returns from the courier or a cancelled order must be brought back into stock.	Logistic returns
Stock check	When the operator wants to quickly see what exists in a scanned location.	Stock check

Note

Replenish and Customer returns may be part of the warehouse’s operational plan, but they are not yet available as work pages in the Putaway WMS application. Currently, orders that need replenishment are marked in the Picking flow, and the returns available here are Logistic returns, not commercial returns initiated by the customer.

What All Flows Have In Common

All operational pages work in the selected warehouse. In the Putaway WMS application, this rule is visible directly on screen:

• if the user does not have permission for an operation, that option does not appear in the Warehouse operations menu;
• if the user manually opens the address of a page for which they do not have permission, the application sends them to Dashboard and the operational page does not load;
• if a scan or confirmation arrives without the required permission, the action is refused with forbidden access and no stock is moved, no documents are created, and no statuses are changed;
• if no warehouse is selected, warehouse-dependent options do not appear in the menu, and already opened pages ask for a warehouse to be selected before work starts;
• if the selected warehouse is no longer accessible to the user, the application displays Warehouse access denied, clears the current warehouse selection, and the operator must choose a valid warehouse.

The Putaway WMS application validates every step in the context of the client, warehouse, and current operation. Depending on the flow, it checks location type, location status, product, available stock, lot, serial number, handling unit, cart, order, AWB, invoice, and order status.

Each label type has its own format: product, location, cart, handling unit, order, or AWB. The step displayed on screen tells the operator what type of code must be scanned. If the operator scans a different label type than the one requested in that step, the scan is rejected and the operation does not move forward.

Scanning With A Scanner Or Phone Camera

In scanning flows, the operator can use:

• physical scanner;
• dedicated mobile device;
• phone or tablet camera;
• manual typing where the page allows it.

The camera opens from the camera icon in the active field. The browser may ask for camera permission. After accepting, the operator keeps the label in frame, and the Putaway WMS application automatically detects the code and stops reading on that code.

After detection, the screen displays the read code. The operator presses Confirm code to send the code into the current step or Scan again if the label was read incorrectly. Camera scanning does not change the flow rules; it only replaces the physical scanner.

Sounds And Confirmation Messages

In screens with sound feedback, the Putaway WMS application plays a success sound when the scan is accepted and a warning sound when the scan is rejected or when the data does not match the current step.

Sound is only additional feedback. Some browsers, phones, tablets, volume settings, silent mode, or audio playback policies may block or reduce these sounds. The main confirmation remains the message displayed on screen and the visible change of the step or progress.

How Flows Connect To Each Other

1. Goods receiving enters products into the receiving location.
2. After receiving is documented through Goods receipt note or Adjustments, Putaway moves products to the appropriate operational location.
3. Transfer moves existing stock between accepted locations, including to or from a picking cart.
4. Picking takes products from eligible storage locations and moves them into the picking cart for orders.
5. Packing checks picked products, the AWB, and the invoice, then prepares the order for shipping.
6. Logistic returns brings physically returned products back into the warehouse into a returns location.
7. Stock check helps the operator confirm what is in a location before an operational decision.

Common Terms

• Receiving location: temporary place where goods enter during receiving. The default code has the form R-Z-1, and prefixes can be changed in Warehouse settings.
• Storage location: operational place from which stock can be used further, including in picking.
• Quarantine location: place for products that must not be treated as good stock.
• Returns location: place where products returned through logistic returns enter.
• Picking cart: mobile location used between picking, transfer, and packing.
• Handling unit: box, pallet, or container that can group products.
• Lot and serial number: traceability identifiers. If the product is perishable or serializable, the Putaway WMS application asks for the lot or serial number in flows that change stock.
• Product condition: Good, Damaged, or Quarantine. The condition affects accepted locations and later stock usage.

Common Work Rules

1. Scan the code requested by the current screen, not an “almost correct” code.
2. Do not use the receiving location for regular transfers. For documented goods that already entered inventory, use Transfer.
3. Do not use Logistic returns for any commercial return. The page is for physically returned parcels or cancelled orders that must be brought back into stock.
4. Do not change the product condition without a real operational reason. The condition affects what can be done next with the stock.
5. If the product is serializable, each unit must be identified separately. Do not confirm a generic quantity instead of serial numbers.
6. If the product has a lot, the confirmed lot must be the one on the physical product and the one accepted by the screen.
7. If a product is inside a handling unit, work with the unit or with its contents exactly as the current page requires.

When To Stop The Process

Stop the flow and check the data when:

• the scanned location is not the one displayed or accepted by the Putaway WMS application;
• the physical product does not match the displayed product;
• the lot or serial number does not exist in the expected list;
• the physical quantity does not match the displayed quantity;
• the order was cancelled during picking or packing;
• a product is missing from the parcel returned through logistic returns;
• the AWB is missing or cannot be validated during packing;
• the page displays an error and scanning does not advance.

In these situations, do not correct stock manually before the cause is clear. Use the specific flow page, Stock history, Traceability, or the appropriate operational report.