Glossary
Putaway
Definition
Moving received stock from the receiving area to a specific named storage location, and recording where it went.
Putaway is where receiving becomes findable. Stock that arrives and is placed 'somewhere in the back' exists on paper and not in practice, and the picker who cannot find it will report it as out of stock.
Every shelf, bin and rack needs a code, even in a single room. That is what lets a pick list tell someone where to walk instead of relying on one person's memory.
Related terms
- Pick listThe document or screen telling a picker which items to collect, in which quantities, from which locations, ordered by an efficient route.
- Cycle countCounting a small slice of your stock regularly — weekly, by category or velocity — instead of counting everything once a year.
- Warehouse Management System (WMS)Software that manages the physical movement of stock inside a building: where it is stored, how it is picked, how it is packed and how it leaves.