Summary

When a picker cannot find an item during a pick job, Logiwa IO can retain the order's allocation and flag it for supervisor resolution — rather than stopping the entire picking task. This article explains the end-to-end workflow for that scenario, including the guided resolution options available to supervisors.

This workflow involves three roles:

Pickers: Report the missing item on mobile and continue their other tasks.
Packers: Identify the short-picked order and flag it for a supervisor.
Supervisors: Investigate the shortage and resolve it through the Resolve Pick Short dialog.

⚙️ Configuration

To use this feature, enable it in client settings first.

Navigate to Client Settings.
Find the setting: Retain Allocation During Missing.
Set the value to TRUE.

Note: The default value is FALSE. When set to FALSE, the system uses the standard missing-item process, which creates a hard stop during picking.

➡️ Workflow Overview

Step 1: Picker — Reporting a Missing Item

When a picker cannot find an item or finds a short quantity at the pick location:

At the picking location, the picker observes the item is missing.
The picker selects the "Report as Missing" button.
The picker enters the actual quantity found (e.g., "0").

The system then takes one of two actions:

Scenario A — Item is Found Elsewhere: The system reallocates the inventory from a different warehouse location. The picker's task list is automatically updated with the new location, and the workflow continues seamlessly.
Scenario B — Item is Not Found: The task is automatically skipped. Picking is not stopped. The order retains its allocation but is flagged internally with Pick Short Status = Open. The picker moves on to the next task in their queue.

💡 Unlike the standard missing process, inventory is not flagged with a "Missing" damage reason — the system holds the allocation in case the item is later found.

After completing all other tasks, the picker transfers successfully picked items to the packing station as normal.

Step 2: Packer — Identifying the Short-Picked Order

When a container arrives at the packing station, orders flagged with Pick Short Status = Open are blocked from packing:

The order still shows a status of "Picking Started" and cannot be scanned at the packing screen.
The packer must report the short-picked order to their supervisor for resolution.

Step 3: Supervisor — Resolving the Pick Short

Supervisors resolve pick short orders from the Shipment Order screen using the Resolve Pick Short dialog. This dialog provides three resolution paths.

Opening the Dialog

Navigate to Shipment Orders.
Select one or more orders with an open pick short status.
Click Warehouse Ops → Resolve Pick Short.
The Resolve Pick Short dialog opens with three options. Select one and click Continue.

Option 1 — Create a New Resolution Job

Use this when the unresolved pick short tasks need to be picked separately in a new dedicated job.

Select Create a New Resolution Job and click Continue.
In the Job Type dropdown, select the job type to use. Only job types with Pick to Location enabled are listed.
- You can search by typing in the field. The search is partial and case-insensitive (e.g., typing "ident" will match "Identical SKU-1").
- If no job types have been configured, an empty state is shown with a Create Job Type link.
Click Create Job.
Logiwa IO creates a new resolution job, reassigns all unresolved pick short tasks to it, and updates the pick short status on all affected orders from Open to Resolved.

💡 The new job is flagged as a Resolution Job and will appear with a resolution job indicator in the mobile Pick to Location job list and in the Job Management grid.

Option 2 — Merge into an Existing Resolution Job

Use this when a resolution job already exists and you want to consolidate tasks into it rather than creating a new one.

Select Merge into an Existing Resolution Job and click Continue.
Optionally, select a Job Type from the dropdown to filter the list of available resolution jobs.
Use the search field to find a specific job by code (partial, case-insensitive match).
Select a job row from the list. Only jobs with Pending or Started status are shown.
Click Merge Order.
The unresolved pick short tasks from the selected orders are added to the chosen job. Pick short status on affected orders is updated from Open to Resolved.

Option 3 — Cancel Picking Tasks

Use this when the unresolved items will not be picked and the order should be closed out accordingly.

Select Cancel Picking Tasks and click Continue.
The system immediately cancels all tasks where status is Pending and pick short status is Open. Completed tasks are preserved.
The system then evaluates the remaining task state for each order:

Remaining state after cancellation	Outcome
Some tasks remain Completed	Order is marked as Partial. Order status is not changed — it proceeds toward packing with the items that were picked.
No completed tasks remain	Order status is set to Shortage.

⚠️ This operation is all-or-nothing. If any order in the selection cannot be processed (e.g., no cancellable tasks exist), the entire operation is rolled back and no changes are saved.

🏁 After Resolution

Once any of the three resolution paths completes successfully:

The pick short status on all selected orders is updated to Resolved (or Shortage for cancelled orders with no completed tasks).
The Shipment Order backlog refreshes automatically.
Orders resolved via Option 1 or 2 require the new or merged resolution job to be picked before the order can proceed to packing.
Orders resolved via Option 3 can proceed to packing immediately (for partial outcomes) or are set to shortage.

Common Questions

What happens if I cancel tasks on an order where some items were already picked successfully?
Only tasks that are both Pending and Pick Short Open are cancelled. Completed tasks are preserved, and the order is marked as Partial so it can be packed with what was picked.

Can I resolve orders from multiple jobs in a single Resolve Pick Short operation?
Yes. You can select multiple orders from the Shipment Order backlog at once and apply a single resolution path to all of them.

What is a Resolution Job?
A Resolution Job is a pick-to-location job created specifically to handle unresolved pick short tasks. It is flagged with a Resolution Job indicator in the Job Management grid and on the mobile Pick to Location job list.

What if no job types appear in the Create or Merge dropdowns?
Only job types with Pick to Location enabled are eligible for resolution jobs. If the dropdown is empty, ask your administrator to create or configure a compatible job type.

Pick to Location (Mobile)
Managing Resolution Jobs in Job Management
Managing Missing Item Processes (Redesign Missing Process)

Retain Allocation During Missing (Pick Short Scenario)