Forward Pick Replenishment

When replenishment lags, pickers hit empty locations and orders are short-shipped or delayed even though the warehouse has the stock. Good triggers matter most during peak season.

When should a warehouse replenish pick locations?

Common methods trigger a move when a location drops below a minimum quantity, or replenish ahead of an order wave based on what the wave needs. Many warehouses replenish during off-shift hours to avoid congestion.

• Pick FaceThe front, accessible storage location from which pickers take units for orders, such as a shelf bin or flow rack lane, as opposed to reserve or overstock storage.
• SlottingDeciding where each SKU is stored in the warehouse based on sales velocity, size, and which items sell together.
• Warehouse Management SystemSoftware that directs and records warehouse activity: receiving, putaway, inventory locations, picking, packing, and shipping.
• Wave PickingReleasing groups of orders to the floor at scheduled times (waves), often grouped by carrier cutoff, shipping method, or zone.