Putaway is the process of moving received goods from the dock to the best storage location in a warehouse. It matters because every extra travel step, scan delay, or poor slotting choice increases labor cost and slows future picking. A strong putaway strategy helps keep inventory accurate, reduces congestion, and supports faster order fulfillment.
In modern warehouses, barcode scanners, RFID tags, forklifts, autonomous mobile robots, and warehouse management systems work together to guide each move.
Key Facts
- Putaway time = travel time + handling time + scanning time + waiting time.
- Travel distance savings = old distance - new distance.
- Storage utilization = occupied storage locations / total storage locations.
- Dock-to-stock time measures how long it takes from receiving goods to making them available for orders.
- ABC slotting stores high-velocity A items closest to picking and shipping areas, while slower B and C items go farther away.
- A warehouse management system assigns putaway locations using rules such as item velocity, size, weight, temperature need, hazard class, and available space.
Vocabulary
- Putaway
- Putaway is the warehouse process of moving received inventory from the receiving area to an assigned storage location.
- Slotting
- Slotting is the method of choosing the best storage location for each item based on demand, size, handling needs, and warehouse layout.
- Warehouse Management System
- A warehouse management system is software that tracks inventory locations and directs warehouse tasks such as receiving, putaway, picking, and shipping.
- Directed Putaway
- Directed putaway is a strategy in which the warehouse system tells workers or robots exactly where to store each item.
- Cross-Docking
- Cross-docking is a flow strategy where incoming goods move directly from receiving to shipping with little or no storage time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Storing items wherever there is an open space is wrong because it can increase travel distance, hide inventory, and make future picking slower.
- Ignoring item velocity is wrong because fast-moving products should usually be stored closer to picking or shipping zones to reduce repeated travel.
- Skipping barcode or RFID confirmation is wrong because the system may show inventory in a location where it was never actually placed.
- Putting heavy or hazardous items in convenient but unsuitable locations is wrong because storage rules must account for rack strength, safety limits, temperature, and handling requirements.
Practice Questions
- 1 A pallet used to be stored 90 meters from the receiving dock, but a new putaway rule stores it 55 meters away. If 40 similar pallets are received each week, how many meters of one-way travel are saved per week?
- 2 A warehouse has 1,200 pallet locations, and 930 are occupied after putaway is completed. Calculate the storage utilization as a decimal and as a percent.
- 3 A fast-moving item arrives daily, is picked many times per shift, and fits safely in a low rack near the shipping area. Explain why a directed putaway system would likely assign it to a nearby forward pick zone instead of a distant reserve rack.