Inbound: receiving and putaway
Goods enter a warehouse in a fixed order. They are received and checked against what was expected (goods receipt), then moved to a storage location (putaway). Slotting decides which location suits which product, based on how fast it moves and how big it is, and cross-docking skips storage altogether by passing goods straight from the inbound dock to the outbound one.
Returns take the same route in reverse: a returned item is received, assessed and either restocked or disposed of (returns processing). The advance shipping notice that tells a warehouse what is arriving (DESADV) is described under Retail and supply-chain standards.
Terms in this topic
Cross-docking
Cross-docking explained simply: goods arrive and leave again straight away, without being shelved. When it works, when it doesn't, with an example.
Goods receipt — goods-in
Goods receipt explained simply: checking a delivery against the order and booking it into stock. What to check, and why to do it the same day.
Putaway
Putaway explained simply: carrying goods from the dock to a shelf and recording exactly which shelf. Simple rules that work, with an example.
Returns processing
Returns processing explained simply: logging a returned item, checking it and deciding what happens next. Why speed matters, with an example.
Slotting — warehouse slotting
Slotting explained simply: deciding where each product lives in the warehouse so that picking takes the least walking. A simple start, with an example.
Also relevant to this topic
DESADV — Despatch Advice
DESADV explained simply: the message a supplier sends ahead of a delivery listing what is on the truck, so the receiver can check goods against it.
Dock-to-stock time
Dock-to-stock time explained simply: where the clock stops, why available matters more than put away, and why the slow tail is where the money is.
Labour productivity
Warehouse labour productivity explained simply: what it counts that picks per hour does not, how to work it out, and what actually moves it.
Throughput
Warehouse throughput explained simply: what it counts, why it is a volume rather than a score, and why the peak hour matters more than the daily average.
Other topics
- Inventory and stock controlKnowing what you hold and where: SKUs, lots, stock takes, safety stock.31 terms
- Outbound: picking, packing and shippingFrom order to carrier: picking methods, packing, cut-off times, despatch.27 terms
- Warehouse automation (MHE)Machines that store, move and sort goods, and the technologies that guide the work.19 terms
- Systems and integrationWMS, OMS, WCS, WES, EDI and how warehouse software connects.10 terms
- Retail and supply-chain standardsGS1 identifiers, barcodes and the messages trading partners exchange.9 terms
- Metrics and KPIsThe numbers that show how stock and warehouse work are performing.25 terms
Ready to see BizBloqs on your own process?
Book a demo and we will walk your warehouse and order flow end to end — inbound, storage, picking, shipping, returns — and tell you honestly what BizBloqs would change.
Two questions about your own operation
How many of your articles sit in a pick location they empty less than once a month?
Part one: Laying out a warehouse does not start with the racking
After your last integration, how many systems hold a stock quantity for the same item? Name them.