Replenishments

Replenishment refers to the process of moving inventory from reserve locations to active locations within a warehouse. A replenishment wave task is automatically created when inventory required for an order is unavailable in any active location but is available in reserve locations. The replenishment task ensures that the stock is transferred to an active location so that the order can be fulfilled promptly.

When a wave is created and there is insufficient inventory in active locations, a replenishment line is added to the wave details. This indicates that the inventory must be replenished before it can be allocated for the picking process. Replenishment waves are visually marked with an "R" symbol in the system.

Creating a Replenishment Wave Task

When a new order is received and the required items are unavailable in active locations, the following occurs:

1. Identification of Reserve Inventory: If the replenishment wave template is selected during wave creation, the system checks for the needed inventory in the reserve locations.

2. Wave Creation: Upon confirming that inventory is in reserve, a replenishment wave task is generated. This is represented by an "R" symbol in the wave details.

   

   If you delve into the wave details, this wave includes an additional "Waiting For Replenishment" line item indicating that inventory replenishment is needed before allocation to fulfill the order.

   

   In the above example, the "Allocated" item line indicated that the inventory has been allocated from the "Reserve" location. The "Waiting For Replenishment" task indicates that the inventory needs to be replenished. Once the replenishment is done, the inventory will be allocated.

Conditions for Replenishment Task Creation

In the XoroWMS system, replenishment tasks will only be generated if the following conditions are met:

1. Replenishment Carton Break Rule: This rule must be activated during the wave creation process. It determines how inventory can be broken down and moved.

2. Wave Template Selected: The specific wave template chosen must allow for replenishment. Failure to select the appropriate template will result in no replenishment tasks being generated.

3. LPN Case Quantity: To generate a replenishment task, the case quantity of the LPN should be equal to the quantity available in the reserve location.

Types of Tasks Generated

Whenever replenishment is triggered in XoroWMS, two types of tasks are created:

1. Replenishment Task: This task involves picking inventory from the reserve location and transporting it to the designated active location. It is essential for ensuring that active locations are stocked adequately to fulfill orders.

   
2. Waiting for Replenishment Task: This task is generated when the wave is waiting for inventory to be replenished. Notably, this task cannot be fulfilled until the corresponding replenishment task is complete. Once inventory replenishment is accomplished, the system allows users to proceed to fulfill the waiting task and allocate the added inventory for order completion.

   

Important: The replenishment task must be completed before moving forward with the "Waiting for Replenishment" task.

Scenarios for Replenishment Task Creation

There are three common scenarios where replenishment tasks are triggered in the warehouse:

1. All Inventory in Reserve Location: When the entire quantity of the required inventory is available in reserve locations, a replenishment task is created to move the inventory to active locations for picking. In this scenario, there is no stock available in the "Active" location.

   

   In the above example, you can see a "Waiting for Replenishment" line in the wave details, indicating that the inventory is available in the Reserve location and needs to be replenished.

2. Partial Inventory in Active and Reserve Locations: If some of the required inventory is available in active locations but the rest is in reserve locations, a replenishment task is triggered to move the remaining stock from the reserve location to the active location to complete the order.

   

   In the above example, you can see that that the allocation has been done from two locations: Active and Reserve. The inventory available in the active location has been allocated and an additional "Waiting for Replenishment" line has been generated for the inventory that needs to be replenished from the reserve stock.

3. Linked SO Replenishment: Linked SO Replenishment allows users to fulfill multiple orders with one replenishment task instead of creating multiple replenishment tasks for each order. This process helps manage replenishment tasks for all related orders without creating redundant tasks, streamlining the fulfillment process.

   

   When Is Linked Replenishment Triggered?

   Linked replenishment is triggered in the following scenario:

   • Multiple sales orders are created for the same item.

   • The item is out of stock in the active warehouse locations but is available in the reserve location. This means that the active locations do not have sufficient stock to fulfill the sales orders, requiring replenishment from the reserve location.

   How Does Linked Replenishment Work?

   Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the Linked Replenishment process:

   1. Multiple Sales Orders: Multiple sales orders for the same item are created, but the active picking locations do not have sufficient stock to fulfill these orders.

   2. First Wave Creation: The first wave for this item is created, which initiates the main replenishment task. This means that the first wave acts as a trigger to move inventory from the reserve location to the active location.

   3. Replenishment Task Linking: The replenishment task associated with the first wave is linked to all the other waves/orders for that item. This ensures that all subsequent replenishment tasks are dependent on the completion of the first replenishment.

   4. Subsequent Tasks: All subsequent replenishment tasks for the remaining orders and waves are linked to the first replenishment task. These tasks are dependent on the completion of the first replenishment.

   5. Replenishment Completion: Once the inventory is replenished in the active picking location for the first wave, the stock becomes available to fulfill the remaining orders.

   Checking Linked Replenishment Users can view the Wave Allocation Details to see how the replenishment task from the first wave is linked to the other waves.

The Replenishment Process

Replenishment is crucial in ensuring efficient inventory management within a warehouse, particularly when the necessary stock is stored in reserve locations rather than active picking locations. The replenishment process ensures that inventory is moved from reserve locations to active locations so it can be allocated to fulfill orders. The replenishment process involves three key steps: picking the inventory from the reserve location, putting away the inventory in an active location, and finally allotting the inventory to the concerned order.

1. Replenishment Pick

The Replenishment Pick is the first step in the replenishment process, where inventory is picked from a reserve location. This task is similar to regular picking, with the only difference being that the inventory comes from a reserve location rather than an active one.

When conducting the replenishment pick, the warehouse picker has the ability to filter tasks to focus specifically on replenishment activities. By selecting the "Replenishment" filter, the picker can view only replenishment tasks in the system, making it easier to prioritize and begin the process. It is important to note that during replenishment picking, the entire case or unit will be picked from the reserve location.

2. Replenishment Putaway

Once the inventory has been picked from the reserve location, the next step is to move it to an active location through the Replenishment Putaway process. The putaway task involves placing the picked inventory into an active location, where it becomes readily available for allocation to fulfill orders.

After the inventory is successfully put away in the active location, it is visible and accessible for further processes, such as order picking and fulfillment. Completing this step is essential before the inventory can be allocated to any open orders.

3. Picking the Tasks Waiting For Replenishment

Once the replenishment has been completed and the inventory is moved to an active location, the users can proceed with fulfilling the lines that were Waiting for Replenishment. These lines can be viewed and selected from the Pick Task Assignment by using the "Waiting for Replenishment" filter. This allows users to filter and identify orders that were delayed due to the unavailability of inventory in active locations.

After selecting the replenishment task from the filtered list, the users can now allocate the replenished stock and proceed with the standard picking process to fulfill the order.