Overview
Directed putaway tells operators where to put stock away. The operator scans what they're holding, Logiwa IO suggests a location based on your putaway algorithm, and the operator takes the stock there and confirms. This keeps similar stock together, respects location limits and saves operators from deciding where everything goes.
The four putaway options
On the mobile app, go to Transfer > Directed Putaway. It offers four options.
Option | What the operator scans | Best for | Example |
Product (Bulk) | A product and a quantity | Loose stock in larger quantities | 24 units of SKU-1 from the receiving area to one shelf |
Product (one-by-one) | One unit at a time, no quantity entry | Mixed items handled individually | Returns or e-commerce items put away piece by piece |
Directed LP Putaway | A single LP | Pallets and totes that move as a whole | A received pallet to a rack position |
LP (Sequential) | A parent LP (for example a cart) holding several child LPs | Many LPs on one cart, in one trip | A cart of 12 totes put away in walking order |
Which options a user sees depends on their role. The access is set on the user's role, under Mobile > Transfer (Mobile): View Directed Putaway for the menu itself, View Product Put Away in Directed Put Away for the product options, View LP Put Away in Directed Putaway for Directed LP Putaway, and Sequential LP Putaway for LP (Sequential). See Sequential Putaway for Parent LPs.
Putaway locations can also be suggested straight from the Receiving screen with Suggest Putaway Location.
Where suggestions come from
Every suggestion comes from the warehouse's putaway algorithm: a list of rules, each with conditions, actions and an order. The first rule that finds a location with room decides the suggestion. A product quantity can be split across locations when capacity limits apply; an LP always goes to one location.
Example: Rule 1 sends a product to a location that already holds the same SKU and has room. Rule 2, used only if Rule 1 finds nothing, sends it to an empty location in the zone matched to its product group.
How much freedom operators have
If the operator… | What happens |
Wants a different location | Suggest Another gives the next suggestion, skipping the ones already offered |
Scans a location that wasn't suggested | Allowed, unless Force Suggested Location is on for the algorithm. Then only the suggested location (or an LP at it) is accepted. See Enforcing Suggested Locations During Putaway |
Puts away several items from the same place | Lock Source Location keeps the source location filled in between scans. See One-by-One Transfers & Lock Source Location |
Gets no suggestion | No rule found a location with room. See Why Wasn't a Putaway Location Suggested? |
While an operator is on their way, the suggested space is held for them, so others aren't sent to fill it. See Understanding Soft Allocation in Putaway.
Common questions
Is directed putaway the same as a transfer? No. A transfer moves stock to a location the operator chooses. Directed putaway suggests the location for them.
Can a product be split across several locations? Yes, when the rule limits locations by capacity (Check Location Capacity) and one location can't take the whole quantity. An LP is never split.