WMS Selection
Part of Receiving and putaway technology
Assigning storage locations using warehouse rules
Design putaway rules around eligible locations, capacity, stock condition and a visible overflow decision.
Assign putaway locations by excluding unsuitable positions first, then choosing a preference among the rest. The rule needs reliable item, stock-status, handling-unit and location data. A suggested bin is provisional until a worker confirms the placement.
Critical factors influencing putaway rule success
- Data reliability required
- Item, stock-status, handling-unit and location accuracy
- Rule sequence importance
- Determines which directive applies during processing
- Disposition code control
- Limits directive use to specific registration values
Set eligibility before preference
Start with conditions that should stop an assignment: wrong warehouse or zone, a location closed to inbound work, insufficient capacity, incompatible stock status, or a handling unit the location cannot take. Define these from the site's storage policy.
Then decide whether to prefer a fixed position, consolidate with matching stock, or use an empty location.
| Rule input | Decision to define | Failure to surface |
|---|---|---|
| Item and variant | Which zones or fixed locations may hold it? | No valid item-location rule |
| Stock condition | Does held stock need separate storage? | Saleable and held stock mixed unintentionally |
| Unit and quantity | Must a pallet stay together, or may work split? | Suggested position lacks capacity |
| Current location state | Is a location empty, occupied or expecting incoming work? | Preferred location is no longer eligible |
This is a design checklist, not a claim that every WMS has these fields or checks. Keep rule inputs and the owner visible so an unexpected assignment can be explained.
Check what the configured rule chooses
In Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, location directives are rules that help identify pick and put locations. They consist of a header and associated lines, and they are created for specific work order types. Directive and line sequence numbers, query constraints, and directive line fields such as quantity ranges and units all affect which directive applies.
A disposition code limits the use of a purchase order putaway location directive, so the directive is only used if the warehouse worker enters that specific value during registration of the item using a mobile device. The result also depends on the warehouse, location setup, quantities, units and rule sequence.
Check capacity against the handling unit that arrives. Directive lines include unit and quantity fields, and if the unit field is left blank the inventory unit from the item is used. An unexpected fallback may therefore be caused by missing or inconsistent data rather than a full preferred area.
Impact of missing or inconsistent data in location directives
- Missing unit field in directive
- Uses inventory unit from item; may cause unexpected fallbacks
- Incorrect disposition code
- Prevents use of purchase order putaway directive even if location is eligible
- Inconsistent quantity data
- May result in insufficient capacity checks failing
Define the response when no location qualifies
When no suitable location is found, leave the work visible and give a supervisor a route to choose a controlled destination or correct the data. Do not use an unrecorded floor position.
Confirm in the proposed configuration how a failed location search is handled, and make that response visible to supervisors.
Give workers an approved route when a suggested location is physically unusable. Record the reason and actual destination, and complete the warehouse movement so the next worker can find the goods.
Compare suggestion with placement
For a configuration review, include an ordinary carton, a full pallet, held goods and an item whose preferred area is full. Inspect rule inputs, the suggested location, the fallback action and the final confirmed position. These are proposed cases, not reported results. Revisit rules when products, packaging or capacity change.
