Overview
Actions decide which locations a rule can suggest. When a rule's conditions match the stock being put away, its actions filter the warehouse's locations down to the ones that qualify. The rule's order by then ranks them. See How the Putaway Algorithm Chooses a Location for the full evaluation.
When to use it
Read this article when you're choosing actions for a rule, or when a rule suggests locations you didn't expect.
Three things to know first
All actions in a rule apply together. A location must satisfy every action. Actions are never a fallback for each other; for "try this, otherwise that", create a second rule below it in the list.
Every rule looks at either empty or occupied locations. A rule without Suggest an empty location only considers locations that already hold inventory (of any product). A rule with it only considers empty locations.
Reservations count. Space just suggested to another operator (a putaway session) is treated as if the stock were already there. Actions that look at what a location holds (empty, same SKU, same lot, capacity, SKU count, volume and so on) see the reservation. Actions that only look at the location itself (zone, group, type, aisle and so on) aren't affected. See Understanding Soft Allocation in Putaway.
💡 Some locations are never suggested whatever your actions say, for example locked locations, mobile carts and locations whose "only one client/SKU/lot..." settings would be broken. See How the Putaway Algorithm Chooses a Location.
Capacity and occupancy
Action | What it does | Example |
Suggest an empty location | Only locations with no inventory, no inventory in process and no active putaway reservation | Rule 2 of "same SKU, otherwise empty": new SKUs go to the first empty shelf |
Check Location Capacity | Uses the location's capacity to limit how much it can take. Product putaway: the location's product capacity Max Qty for that product. LP putaway: the location's LP capacity Max for that LP type (the number of LPs). A location without a capacity has no limit | See below |
Check Location Capacity Type | Uses the location's Location Capacity Type and Maximum Capacity Quantity. Locations that would go over the limit are left out; locations with the most room left come first. None (or a quantity of 0) means no limit. | See below |
Check Assigned SKUs | Only locations that have a product capacity for the SKU being put away | Each SKU has a dedicated pick face set up as a product capacity; the rule only ever suggests those pick faces |
Check Max SKU Count | Leaves out locations where a new SKU would exceed the location's Maximum SKU Quantity (set on the location's Information tab; 0 means no limit). Adding more of a SKU already there is always allowed | See below |
Check Max Locations per SKU | Leaves out locations in zones where the SKU already occupies the zone's Max Location per SKU limit. Locations already holding the SKU always stay eligible | See below |
Check Location Capacity
Product putaway: with this action, a product quantity can be split across locations, each filled up to its remaining room. Without it, the first location takes the whole quantity.
Example: 25 units of SKU-1. Pick face A-01 has a product capacity Max Qty of 50 for SKU-1 and holds 40, so it has room for 10. A-02 has room for 20. Suggestion: 10 to A-01, 15 to A-02.
LP putaway: an LP always goes to one location.
Example: Bay B-03 has an LP capacity of 4 for LP type Pallet and holds 3 pallets. One more pallet fits; after that, B-03 is skipped.
The action isn't only for LPs: it works for both product and LP putaway. To set capacities, see Add Product Capacity to a Location and Add LP Capacity to a Location.
Check Location Capacity Type
Set on each location's Information tab (Location Capacity Type + Maximum Capacity Quantity):
Location Capacity Type | Counts | Example |
Max Unit Quantity | Every unit in the location, all SKUs and LPs together, converted to the base unit (eaches) | Limit 50, location holds 45 units. An LP with 6 units is left out; one with 5 units qualifies |
Max Pack Quantity | Packs as stored, whatever their pack type | Location holds 2 cases + 5 eaches = 7 packs. With limit 6 it's full; with limit 50 it qualifies |
Empty locations are checked too: an LP with 60 units never goes to an empty location limited to 50 units. This action only shapes suggestions; operators can still scan a location manually. See Max Inventory Capacity for Locations.
Check Max SKU Count
This action limits how many different SKUs a location can hold: a location is left out when the SKU being put away isn't there yet and the location already holds as many SKUs as its Maximum SKU Quantity.
Example: Shelf S-10 has Maximum SKU Quantity = 3 and holds SKU-1, SKU-2 and SKU-3. S-10 isn't suggested for SKU-4, but it's still suggested for more SKU-2.
Check Max Locations per SKU
This action limits how many locations in a zone can hold the same SKU: once the SKU is in as many locations in a zone as the zone's Max Location per SKU, no other location in that zone is suggested for it, while the locations already holding it stay eligible for top-up.
Example: Zone Hotpick has Max Location per SKU = 2. SKU-X is already in H-01 and H-02. H-01 and H-02 stay eligible for top-up; other Hotpick locations are left out for SKU-X, so the rule can only open a new location for it in another zone. Pair it with the Zone Priority order by to control which zone comes next.
Zones without a limit, and locations without a zone, are never filtered. The action is skipped for LPs holding more than one SKU. Remember that empty Hotpick locations are only considered by a rule with Suggest an empty location. See Limiting SKU Locations Within a Zone.
Same attribute as the stock being put away
These actions look for locations that already hold matching stock, so use them in rules without Suggest an empty location. In a rule with it, there's nothing in the location to match.
Action | Location must already hold | Example |
Suggest a location that has the same SKU | The same product | Top up pick faces that already hold SKU-1 |
Suggest a location that has inventory of the same SKU & same pack type | The same product in the same pack type | Cases of SKU-1 go where cases of SKU-1 are, not where eaches are |
Suggest a location that has inventory of the selected pack type | Inventory in the pack type you select | Choose Pallet: only locations already holding pallet-packed stock |
Suggest a location that has inventory of the selected product group | Inventory of any product in the product group you select | Choose Beverages: only locations already holding beverages |
Suggest a location that has inventory of the selected product type | Inventory of any product of the product type you select | Choose Kit: only locations already holding kits |
Check Same Client | Inventory of the same client | In a shared warehouse, Acme's stock only joins Acme's stock |
Check Same Product Group | Inventory of the same product group as the product being put away | Frozen products join other frozen products |
Check Same Product Type | Inventory of the same product type as the product being put away | Spare parts join other spare parts |
Check Same Lot Batch Number | Inventory with the same lot/batch number. Works for product and LP putaway | Lot L-2207 is kept together for easier recalls |
Check Same Expiry Date | Inventory with the same expiry date | Dairy with the same expiry date shares a location, keeping FEFO picking clean |
Check Same Production Date | Inventory with the same production date | Batches produced on the same day stay together |
Check Same Receiving Date | Inventory with the same receiving date | Stock received on the same day is stored together for FIFO |
Check Same Damaged Reason | Inventory with the same damage reason | "Water damaged" returns join other water-damaged stock |
Check Product Group & Location Zone Match | Nothing in particular; the location's zone must be matched to the product's group (see below) | See below |
Check Product Group & Location Zone Match
To match zones with product groups, go to Settings > Data Setup > Location Zone, select the zone and click Match With Product Groups. Select the product groups, click Match (or Unmatch to remove a match), then click Save. For details and examples, see Matching Location Zones with Product Groups.
Works for product and LP putaway. For an LP, every product on it must belong to the same product group. If the LP holds products from several groups, or any product without a group, the rule is skipped and the next rule is tried.
Example: Zone Z-Chilled is matched to product group Chilled. A tote of chilled yogurts goes to Z-Chilled. A tote mixing yogurts and crisps skips this rule and falls to the next one, for example a mixed-stock rule.
Unlike the other actions in this group, this one doesn't require matching stock, so it works with Suggest an empty location too.
Location filters
These check attributes of the target location itself.
Action | Location must | Example |
Suggest a location with the selected location zone | Be in the zone you select | Hazmat products only go to the Hazmat zone |
Suggest a location with the selected location group | Be in the group you select | Pallets go to the Pallet Racking group |
Suggest a location with the selected location type | Be of the type you select | Totes go to Shelf-type locations |
Suggest a location with the selected area type | Be in the area type you select. Packing areas are only suggested when a rule uses this action | Pack-ready LPs go to the packing area |
Suggest a location with the selected replenishment type | Be a Source (reserve) or Target (pick face) location | Bulk putaway only uses Source locations, leaving pick faces to replenishment |
Suggest a location with the selected ABC Code | Have the location ABC code you select | A-movers go to A-class locations near dispatch |
Suggest a location with the entered aisle | Match the aisle and comparator you enter | Aisles 01 to 05 only |
Suggest a location with the entered column | Match the column and comparator | Columns up to 10 (nearest the dock) |
Suggest a location with the entered level | Match the level and comparator | Heavy items only on level 1 |
Suggest a location with the entered height | Match the height and comparator | Tall pallets only in locations over 180 cm high |
Suggest a location with the entered length | Match the length and comparator | Long items only in locations over 200 cm long |
Suggest a location with the entered width | Match the width and comparator | Wide cartons only in locations at least 120 cm wide |
Suggest a location with the entered volume | Match the volume and comparator | Small parts only in bins under 0.05 m³ |
Suggest a location where the allocation is prevented | Have Prevent Allocation on or off, as you choose | Quarantined returns go to locations that can't be picked from |
Suggest a location where the inventory sync to stores is prevented | Have Prevent Inventory Sync to Stores on or off, as you choose | Stock awaiting QC isn't published to sales channels |
Check Damaged Locations | Have the Only Damaged Items parameter on | Damaged returns only go to locations reserved for damaged stock |
Suggest exactly the selected location | Be the location you select. Use comparators to allow several | Everything from receiving goes to STAGE-01 |
Volumetric putaway
Action | What it does |
Configure Volumetric Putaway | Only suggests locations whose free volume fits the stock. Choose how volume is calculated |
Volumetric Putaway - Suggestion Strategy | Fit the whole putaway, or at least one unit |
Volumetric Putaway - Location Capacity Utilization (%) | How much of each location's volume counts as usable |
Example: A rule with Configure Volumetric Putaway and Fit Entire Putaway Volume sends 10 boxes of 2,000 cm³ only to locations with at least 20,000 cm³ free.
See Volume Based Putaway and Volume-Based LP Putaway for set-up and validations.
Example: combining actions
Rule 1 — Actions: Suggest a location with the selected location zone = Forward Pick, Suggest a location that has the same SKU, Check Location Capacity.
Rule 2 — Actions: Suggest a location with the selected location zone = Forward Pick, Suggest an empty location. Order by: Walking Path Priority.
Rule 1 tops up Forward Pick locations that hold the SKU, up to their capacity. If none has room, Rule 2 opens an empty Forward Pick location. Stock never leaves the Forward Pick zone: if both rules find nothing, there's no suggestion.
Common questions
I added Suggest a location that has the same SKU and Suggest an empty location to one rule. Why is nothing suggested? All actions apply together: the location would have to be empty and hold the SKU at the same time. Split them into two rules.
Why is an empty location with an LP capacity never suggested? The rule doesn't have Suggest an empty location, so it only considers occupied locations. Add a second rule with Suggest an empty location and Check Location Capacity.
Does Check Location Capacity block an operator from overfilling? No. Actions only shape suggestions. To stop operators choosing other locations, see Enforcing Suggested Locations During Putaway.