Overview
Volume-based putaway suggests locations where the products being put away physically fit. Logiwa IO keeps track of how much volume each location has left, compares it with the volume of the incoming products, and only suggests locations with enough room. This article covers product putaway.
For whole LPs (pallets, totes), see Volume-Based LP Putaway.
When to use it
Use volume-based putaway when:
Location fill is limited by space rather than by a fixed quantity per SKU.
Many different products share the same locations, so per-product capacities aren't practical.
You want to fill locations as tightly as possible, or keep a safety buffer in each one.
Prerequisites
Product data: every product to be put away has dimensions (Length, Width, Height) or a Volume value. See Create a Product.
Location data: every candidate location has dimensions or a Volume value. See Create a Location.
Units: products and locations use the same dimension unit (for example cm) or volume unit (for example m³). Units are never converted.
How free volume is calculated
For every location, Logiwa IO keeps an up-to-date figure for the volume already used and the volume left:
Occupied Volume = sum of (product volume × quantity) for all stock in the location, including products inside LPs
Free Volume = (Location Volume × Location Capacity Utilization %) − Occupied Volume
Volume comes either from dimensions (Length × Width × Height) or from the Volume field, depending on the Volume Calculation Method you choose.
Free volume is recalculated automatically:
After every inventory movement in the location: putaway, pick, transfer, count or adjustment.
When a product's, a pack type's or a location's dimensions, volume or units change, whether in the screen, by Excel import or through the Open API.
When locations are created, including in bulk.
Locations with a putaway suggested to someone else are also treated as having that volume in use. See Understanding Soft Allocation in Putaway.
Example:
Location S-10 is 100 × 50 × 40 cm = 200,000 cm³.
It holds 10 boxes of 30 × 20 × 20 cm (12,000 cm³ each) = 120,000 cm³.
With Location Capacity Utilization at 100%, free volume is 80,000 cm³.
At 90%, it's 180,000 − 120,000 = 60,000 cm³.
Setting it up
Go to Automation > Algorithms and open the putaway algorithm (or create one).
In a rule, add the action Configure Volumetric Putaway and choose the Volume Calculation Method.
Two more actions are added automatically. Set them as needed:
Volumetric Putaway - Suggestion Strategy
Volumetric Putaway - Location Capacity Utilization (%)
Optionally set Order By to Location Empty Volume.
Click Save Rule.
💡 A rule without Suggest an empty location only considers locations that already hold stock. To also fill empty locations by volume, add a second rule with Configure Volumetric Putaway and Suggest an empty location.
Options
Volume Calculation Method (Configure Volumetric Putaway)
Option | Uses | Choose it when |
Use Product & Location Dimensions (default) | Length × Width × Height of products and locations | Products come in regular boxes with reliable dimensions |
Use Defined Volume Fields | The Volume field on products and locations | Items are irregular (apparel, furniture) and you enter a realistic volume yourself |
Example: A folded jacket measures 40 × 30 × 10 cm (12,000 cm³) but compresses well on a shelf. Entering a Volume of 8,000 cm³ and using Use Defined Volume Fields stops shelves from being treated as full too early.
Suggestion Strategy
Option | A location qualifies when | Example: 10 units of 2,000 cm³ each |
Fit Entire Putaway Volume (default) | Its free volume can hold everything being put away | Needs 20,000 cm³ free |
Fit Single Unit Volume | Its free volume can hold at least one unit | Needs 2,000 cm³ free |
Use Fit Single Unit Volume when operators can split a putaway across several locations; otherwise keep the default.
Location Capacity Utilization (%)
Only this percentage of each location's volume counts as usable, leaving the rest as a buffer. Default: 100. The comparator is always Equal and can't be changed.
Example: At 90%, a 200,000 cm³ location counts as 180,000 cm³, keeping 20,000 cm³ free for hands and handling.
Order By: Location Empty Volume
Sort | Suggests first | Choose it when |
Ascending | The location with the least free volume that still fits (tightest fit) | You want to fill locations completely before opening new ones |
Descending | The location with the most free volume | You expect more of the same product soon and want room for it |
Rules for these actions
Configure Volumetric Putaway can be added once per rule.
The two dependent actions can't be added on their own. Removing the main action removes them too.
If a dependent action is removed, its default is used: Fit Entire Putaway Volume and 100%.
Validations
A location, or the whole rule, is skipped in these cases:
Situation | Result |
The product being put away has a zero dimension (or zero Volume with Defined Volume Fields) | The volumetric rule is skipped and the next rule in the algorithm is tried |
The location has a zero dimension (or zero Volume) | Location skipped |
Any stock already in the location, including inside LPs, has a zero dimension or zero Volume | Location skipped |
The location's unit, or the unit of any stock in it, differs from the product's unit | Location skipped |
Free volume is too small for the selected strategy | Location skipped |
Empty locations: with Suggest an empty location in the rule, an empty location's unit isn't checked against existing stock (there is none). It's suggested if its total usable volume fits the putaway.
Example: Location L-02 holds LP-101, and inside LP-101 is a product with Height 0. With Use Product & Location Dimensions, L-02 can't be calculated, so it's never suggested until the product's height is corrected.
Common questions
Why wasn't a location with plenty of space suggested? Check for a unit mismatch, a zero dimension on any product already in it, the utilization percentage, and whether the rule has Suggest an empty location (needed for empty locations). See Why Wasn't a Putaway Location Suggested?
Does volume-based putaway work for LPs? Yes. See Volume-Based LP Putaway.
Do I need to recalculate after changing product dimensions? No. Free volume is recalculated automatically whenever dimensions, volume or units change.