Warehouse Knowledge Base
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WMS Fundamentals
What is Warehouse Management System?
A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software that helps businesses manage and optimize warehouse operations, including receiving, putaway, inventory control, picking, packing, and shipping. It provides real-time inventory visibility, workflow control, and operational accuracy to improve warehouse efficiency and order fulfillment performance. A core function of any effective WMS is inventory control, which plays a critical role in maintaining stock accuracy and operational efficiency.
What is Inventory Days?
Inventory Days (also known as Days Inventory Outstanding or DIO) measures the average number of days inventory remains in storage before being sold, consumed, or moved through operations. It is an important supply chain performance metric used to evaluate inventory efficiency, cash flow impact, and stock turnover.
What is Cycle Count & Stock Take
Cycle counting and stock take are inventory control processes used to verify inventory accuracy within a warehouse. Cycle counting involves checking selected inventory regularly without disrupting operations, while stock take is a full physical inventory count, typically performed periodically to reconcile stock records with actual inventory.
Warehouse Operations
What is Putaway
Putaway is the warehouse process of moving received inventory from the receiving area to its designated storage location. An effective putaway process improves inventory accuracy, warehouse space utilization, picking efficiency, and overall operational flow.
What is Wave Planning
Wave planning is a warehouse order fulfilment strategy that groups customer orders into scheduled picking waves based on criteria such as shipping deadlines, order priority, product location, or operational capacity. It helps improve picking efficiency, labour utilization, and warehouse throughput.
What is Cross Docking
Cross docking is a warehouse fulfilment process where incoming goods are transferred directly from receiving to outbound shipment with minimal or no storage in between. It helps reduce storage costs, shorten handling time, improve inventory flow, and accelerate order fulfilment.
What is Replenishment
Replenishment is the warehouse process of moving inventory from reserve storage to forward picking locations to ensure sufficient stock is available for order fulfilment. Effective replenishment helps prevent stock shortages, improve picking efficiency, and maintain smooth warehouse operations.
What are Picking & Packing
Picking and packing are core warehouse fulfilment processes used to prepare customer orders for shipment. Picking involves locating and retrieving the required inventory, while packing ensures the items are correctly consolidated, packed, and prepared for delivery. Efficient picking and packing improve order accuracy, warehouse productivity, and customer service.
What is a Pickface
A pickface is a designated warehouse picking location optimized for fast-moving inventory and loose picking activities, such as carton, inner pack, or each-item picking. By positioning frequently picked inventory closer to operators, pickfaces help improve picking speed, reduce travel time, and increase warehouse productivity.
What is Sorting in Warehouse Management?
Sorting is the warehouse process of separating and organizing items, cartons, or orders into designated groups or destinations based on predefined criteria such as delivery route, customer order, shipping carrier, or warehouse workflow. Effective sorting improves fulfilment speed, order accuracy, and outbound operational efficiency.
What is Shipping in Warehouse Management?
Shipping is the final stage of warehouse fulfilment where customer orders are verified, staged, loaded, and dispatched for delivery. Effective shipping processes help ensure order accuracy, timely delivery, proper documentation, and smooth coordination between warehouse and transport operations.
Automation & Technology
What is Barcode Scanning & RF Mobility
Barcode scanning and RF mobility are core warehouse technologies used to capture inventory transactions in real time through handheld mobile devices. Integrated with a Warehouse Management System (WMS), they improve inventory accuracy, task execution, traceability, and operational efficiency across receiving, putaway, picking, replenishment, and shipping processes.
Detailed Guide coming soon
What is Warehouse Automation
Warehouse automation refers to the use of technology, robotics, and automated systems to improve warehouse efficiency, reduce manual effort, and increase operational accuracy across inventory movement, storage, and order fulfilment.
Detailed Guide coming soon
What is AMR & AGV
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are warehouse automation technologies used to transport goods within warehouse operations. AGVs typically follow fixed routes or guidance paths, while AMRs navigate dynamically using sensors and intelligent mapping. Both help improve productivity, reduce manual movement, and support scalable warehouse automation.
Detailed Guide coming soon
What is ASRS
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) are automated warehouse systems designed to store and retrieve inventory efficiently, enabling high-density storage and faster inventory access.
Detailed Guide coming soon
What is 4-Way Shuttle
A 4-way shuttle system is an advanced ASRS solution using autonomous shuttle robots that move in four directions to transport inventory within dense storage grids.
Detailed Guide coming soon
3PL & Logistics
What is 3PL Billing Management
3PL Billing Management is the process of calculating and managing warehouse service charges for third-party logistics (3PL) customers based on contracted billing rules, storage usage, handling activities, value-added services, and operational transactions. It helps logistics providers automate invoicing, improve billing accuracy, and recover revenue efficiently.
Detailed Guide coming soon
What is Contract Billing
Contract billing is the process of applying customer-specific commercial agreements, pricing rules, and service charge structures to logistics or warehouse operations. It ensures billing is calculated according to agreed contract terms, including storage fees, handling charges, transportation services, and value-added activities.
Detailed Guide coming soon
What is Charge Capture
Charge capture is the process of recording billable warehouse or logistics activities as they occur, ensuring operational services such as receiving, storage, picking, packing, relabelling, transport, or value-added services are accurately captured for customer billing. Effective charge capture helps prevent revenue leakage and improves billing transparency.
Detailed Guide coming soon
