THE PUTAWAY PROCESS

What is a PND Location?

Before I start the discussion of the putaway process, you must first understand what a PND location is because it is mentioned often during this discussion. PND refers to a ‘Pick and Drop’ location where cases or full pallets are staged between reserve locations and selection or receiving points. A PND location is a temporary staging point, not a permanent one.

What is the Twilight Zone?

The other term you will hear mentioned is ‘Twilight Zone.’ This does not refer to a mythical place, but rather is the reference to a location where pallets that are not resolved in the WMS are staged for ICQA to resolve. Once ICQA resolves the problem in the WMS, an RF directed lift driver will pick up the pallet and take it where it belongs.

The Putaway Process: Pre-Movement Evaluation 

So let’s get started with the Putaway process. After the merchandise has been through the receiving process it must be put away. As a forklift driver approaches the staging area he must determine whether the pallets need to be sorted. If this is the case, the forklift driver will consolidate the pallets and stage them for a sorter to deliver to the sortation area. If there are no pallets that need to be sorted, the driver will pick up a pallet and scan the license plate. He will then check his RF terminal for problems. Some problems that may be identified are labels with @ or & locations on them or pallet ID’s that don’t register. When he encounters these he should notify the receiving supervisor so that they can be resolved.

Determining Where to Put the Pallets 

If there are no issues to resolve he then determines whether there are more pallets to be scanned before he travels. Once he is done scanning all of the pallets he is to move he presses the <Enter> key on his RF terminal to display the location where he is to place the pallet. The WMS system will display on the RF terminal the location where he is to put the pallet. The driver checks the location to determine that it is indeed a valid putaway location. This requires that the driver be aware of the module and slot numbering and lettering conventions of the distribution center as well as the various PND and flow through locations naming conventions.

RF System Putaway Location Validation 

If the driver recognizes the displayed location is invalid he can key the system and request that another location be given. If an individual slot is not identified he can also ask the system for a suggested isle and range of slots to choose from. The driver then will proceed to an available location, places the pallet in it and confirms the location of the pallet by keying in the slot identification number along with the check digit printed on the slot label.

Is the Pallet Destined for a PND Location 

If the system indicates a valid putaway location the driver then determines whether it is a PND location or not. If it is, the driver goes to that location and confirms that it is indeed available and then places the pallet in the location and confirms it in the RF system. The Putaway is completed at that point and the inventory becomes active.

Determining Location Suitability 

If the systems indicates a valid putaway location and the location is not a PND location, the driver proceeds to the specified location and determines whether it is a suitable location for the size and weight of the pallet. There could be several reasons that the location is not suitable for the pallet to be put into it, such as the pallet supporting the putaway product is broken, or the location contains different products than those being put away.

In the case of a broken pallet, the driver determines whether the pallet can be switched to another pallet. If this cannot be done, then the pallet is put into the Twilight Zone for reconciliation at a later time. If it can be switched, then the driver moves the freight to the other pallet and continues with the putaway process.

If the location contains different products than what is being put away, the driver determines whether the location is a commingled location or not. If it is not, the driver removes the misplaced product, places the correct product into the slot and confirms it using the check digit on the slot label. If the slot is a commingled slot the driver determines whether there is enough room to place the new freight. If there is not enough room the driver abandons the pallet in the Twilight Zone. If there is, then the driver puts the freight away and confirms the delivery by keying in the check digit location on the slot label into his RF system.

Conclusion 

As you can see, putaway drivers need to be familiar with the warehouse layout, and need to be trusted with the ability to use sound judgment and reasoning skills to make the decisions that will resolve these issues as they arise.

If you have a question that is not answered here, feel free to contact us.

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