Replenishment on the mobile app

Products are usually picked from their standard bin location: the fixed spot in the picking area where a product is stored for picking. Extra stock is kept in containers (pallets, cases) in bulk storage. When a pick list needs stock that is still in bulk storage, it can't be picked until someone brings a container to the standard bin location. That is replenishment.

On the mobile app, replenishment is a short task: open the line, scan the container, scan the bin location, tap Replenish. As soon as the container is on the standard bin location, the waiting pick lists can be picked.

For the background (standard bin locations, how replenishment is planned) see Replenishment in the warehouse section.

Who can replenish

Admins, warehouse associates and replenishers. Users with both picking and replenishment rights switch between the two with the Pick and Replenish tabs at the bottom of the picking screens. A replenisher who may not pick sees the Replenishment screen as soon as the app opens.

When does a pick list need replenishment?

When Boxture reserves (allocates) stock for a pick list, it prefers the product's standard bin location, then other picking bin locations, and only then bulk storage. When the stock for a line has to come from a container in bulk storage, and that container holds more than the pick list needs, the line is set to replenish. Picking the container there would mean taking a few units out of a full pallet in bulk storage; instead the container is first moved to the standard bin location.

A pick list with one or more such lines appears under Need replenishment instead of Fully pickable on the picking overview. You can open it and already pick the other lines; the waiting lines show the replenishment badge and are passed over.

The Replenishment screen

Open the Replenish tab. The Replenishment screen lists Replenish items: one row per container that has to be moved, oldest first. Each row shows:

• the product number;
• above it, from bin location -> to bin location: where the container is now, and the product's standard bin location (the destination);
• below it, the short container number (for example #1A2B3C4D);
• a badge with the number of units in the container.

When nothing has to be replenished, the screen says You are all done!. Pull down to refresh the list.

Step by step: replenishing an item

1. On the Replenishment screen, tap the row you want to replenish. The Replenish item screen opens with the product, the from and to bin locations, the container and the number of units in it.
2. Walk to the from bin location and find the container.
3. Scan the container. It appears in the Container field. If the barcode is not a known container you see Invalid container.
4. Take the container to the to bin location (the standard bin location).
5. Scan the bin location. It appears in the To bin location field.
   • Invalid bin location: the barcode is not a bin location in your location.
   • ... is not standard bin location for this product: the bin location you scanned is the standard bin location of another product, or the product has a different standard bin location. Scan the right bin location.
6. Tap Replenish.

The message Pick list has been replenished confirms the move and you return to the Replenishment screen. If you see Please scan the container, you tapped Replenish before scanning the container.

Skipping the bin location scan

If you tap Replenish without scanning a bin location, the container is moved to the product's standard bin location shown on the screen. Scanning the bin location is the safer way: it confirms you put the container in the right place.

What happens when you replenish

When you tap Replenish, Boxture:

1. moves the container (with everything in it) to the scanned bin location;
2. sets the waiting pick list lines for this stock back to pending, now picking from the new bin location;
3. when the container is moved from a non-picking bin location to a picking bin location, tries to allocate the new stock to orders that are still pending or on backorder (see Allocation and Backorders).

The pick list moves from Need replenishment to Fully pickable as soon as none of its lines wait for replenishment anymore, and pickers can complete it.

Moving a container in another way

Replenishment is a container move. When you move a container that pick list lines are waiting for with Inventory moves, or move it in the desktop application (see Moving inventory), the waiting lines are released in the same way.

Picking a pick list that needs replenishment

From the picking dashboard open Need replenishment (under All or My). These pick lists show all their lines. Pick the lines that can be picked as described in Picking. When you finish them, the message is Pick completed, revisit picklist once inventory is replenished, and the app opens the next pick list that needs replenishment. Come back to the pick list once the containers have been replenished.

Common messages

Message	What to do
Invalid container	Scan the container barcode first, before scanning the bin location.
Invalid bin location	Scan a bin location barcode of your warehouse.
... is not standard bin location for this product	Scan the product's standard bin location (shown after ->).
Please scan the container	Scan the container before tapping Replenish.
Pick list replenishment failed	The move could not be registered; try again or ask a supervisor.