Putaway
Putaway is the warehouse process of moving newly received goods from the receiving dock to their designated storage locations. After inbound goods are received and checked, putaway assigns each item or pallet to the right slot — recording the location so the stock can later be found and picked accurately.
Good putaway is more than just shelving: it uses slotting logic to place fast-moving items in easy-to-reach locations, groups related products, respects weight, size and special requirements (hazardous, cold-store), and keeps location data accurate in the warehouse management system. Poor putaway — wrong or unrecorded locations — leads to lost stock, slow picking and inventory errors. Directed putaway (where the WMS tells the operator exactly where to place goods) improves speed and accuracy. Putaway is the quiet counterpart to picking: getting goods into the right place is what makes getting them out again fast and reliable.
Where you put goods away determines how fast and accurately you can pick them later — smart, well-recorded putaway makes the whole warehouse efficient, while sloppy putaway loses stock and slows every downstream pick. It is the unglamorous first move that quietly sets warehouse productivity, which is why WMS-directed putaway matters.
What is directed putaway?
Where the warehouse management system tells the operator exactly which location to place received goods, improving speed and location accuracy.
Why does putaway affect picking?
Correct, well-slotted, accurately recorded locations make items fast to find and pick; poor putaway causes lost stock and slow picking.