Putaway is the step between "received at the dock" and "available to pick": deciding which bin each carton goes into. Done by habit, it creates half-empty bins, hidden stock and long walks. Volumetric putaway decides by size instead.
The idea
Every bin has a volume. Every product has dimensions. A carton's volume divided into a bin's free volume tells you how many cartons fit. That's it. The system just does the arithmetic for every carton, every time.
For example:
- Bin A-01-03 measures 100 × 60 × 80 cm = 480 litres.
- You keep a free-space buffer (say 10%) so bins never get packed to the brim, which leaves about 432 litres usable.
- A carton of mugs measures 40 × 30 × 25 cm = 30 litres.
- If 70 litres of that bin is already used, that's (432 − 70) ÷ 30 = 12 cartons that still fit.
Three rules worth having
- Fill bins that already hold the SKU first. One SKU in few bins means shorter picks and fewer mistakes.
- Then use the next bin with the most free volume, so you don't scatter a SKU across the warehouse.
- Never mix expiry dates in one bin. Mixing is how short-dated stock gets picked by mistake. See FEFO vs FIFO.
What you need to make it work
- Bin dimensions recorded once per row of similar bins.
- Product dimensions (length, width, height), which you can bulk-import.
- Barcoded bins so putaway can be confirmed by scanning.
What it doesn't do
Volume is only one input. It doesn't know about weight limits, hazardous goods segregation or pick velocity. Treat the output as a good default that people can override, not a rule.
How Waretech does it
Waretech's putaway generator uses bin and product volume with a free-space buffer, fills bins that already hold the SKU first, and blocks mixed expiry dates. The putaway list prints with bin barcodes, and confirming it puts the stock live. Watch it run, or book a demo.