Replenishment Techniques
Wave replenishment involves three steps, so setup is different from standard replenishment where you set up picking parameters for a specific storage location group (SLG).
Also, most replenishment techniques replenish a location to its maximum level and not to just the wave’s required level. This technique is called overpicking since staff bring more then the quantity required.
Many different techniques can be used to replenish the picking area. The following common techniques are often combined:
• Put-away replenishment is replenishment to a certain level of inventory; for example, when warehouse staff put away after a receipt from the supplier.
• Automatic or manual replenishment is a traditional replenishment technique to replenish the stock in a given location or storage location group.
• Wave replenishment is wave action that considers the level of stock in the picking area and compares it to the requirements for all the order lines in a given wave. If inventory is missing to fulfill some order lines, replenishment is needed.
Wave planning reorganizes the workload so that aisles and the lanes leading to the shipping dock, or where you consolidate the items for the different orders—shipping lanes—hold the most efficient number of staff, who pick for or move items for the most efficient number of order lines.
Finally, most warehouses use containers to package and consolidate goods going to the same location. A container can be a box of finished goods, a pallet of boxes, or a truckload of pallets. A location can be an area, such as the shipping lanes or staging area, or the cart or truck. Containerization is a process of assembling pallets and orders for shipment.