Stock Pick and Replenish Hierarchy
Khaos Control uses stock location types (TType) to determine how stock is picked, replenished and put away. The same hierarchy is used when working with Handheld Terminals (HHTs).
Understanding these priorities helps ensure stock is picked from the correct locations, replenishment is managed efficiently and warehouse stock remains organised.
Picking and GRN Put Away Priority
When:
- Standard picking reports are used, or
- Repick (Auto) is selected from the Sales Invoice Manager,
the system automatically allocates stock based on the stock location type hierarchy shown below.
The same priority order is also used when putting goods away from a Goods Received Note (GRN).
Picking Priority Order
| Priority | Stock Location Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Picking (Primary) |
| 2 | Picking (Secondary) |
| 3 | Picking (Bulk) |
| 4 | Put Away (Bulk) |
| 5 | No Auto-Pick |
Important Picking Rules
- The system will never automatically pick stock from a No Auto-Pick location.
- Stock can still be selected manually from a No Auto-Pick location if required.
- If the same stock item exists in multiple locations with the same location type and available stock, the location name determines which location is used first.For example, if stock is available in both location A and location B, the system will pick from A first.
Replenishment Priority
When running a Warehouse Replenishment report, Khaos Control identifies locations that contain stock which can be used to replenish other locations.
The replenishment hierarchy works in the opposite direction to the picking hierarchy.
Replenishment Priority Order
| Priority | Stock Location Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | No Auto-Pick |
| 2 | Put Away (Bulk) |
| 3 | Picking (Bulk) |
| 4 | Picking (Secondary) |
| 5 | Picking (Primary) |
This means stock will always be replenished from the highest-priority replenishment location before lower-priority locations are considered.
Replenishment Rules
Locations with the Same Type
If all locations holding an item are configured with the same stock location type, such as Picking (Primary), every location containing that item may be suggested as a replenishment source.
This can create a continuous replenishment cycle. For example:
- Location A replenishes Location B.
- The report is run again.
- Location B is then suggested as the replenishment source for Location A.
Because of this behaviour, replenishment tasks may never be fully cleared if all locations use the same location type.
Replenishment Uses the Highest Available Source
The replenishment report only suggests stock from the highest-priority replenishment location.
For example, if an item exists in:
- A Primary Picking location
- A Secondary Picking location
- A Bulk Picking location
only the Bulk Picking location will be suggested as the replenishment source.
The Secondary Picking location will only be suggested once the Bulk Picking location no longer contains stock.
This behaviour helps prevent stock gradually being spread across multiple locations, often referred to as creeping stock.
No Auto-Pick Locations
No Auto-Pick locations act as the highest replenishment priority when the Exclude No Auto Pick Locations option is unticked in the Warehouse | Replenishment filters.
If this option is enabled, No Auto-Pick locations are excluded from replenishment suggestions.
Multi-Stock Locations
The Replenishment Report does not take account of multi-stock locations where multiple stock items occupy the same location.
Always review replenishment suggestions carefully if you use shared storage locations.
Best Practice
For the most effective replenishment process:
- Use distinct location types for picking and bulk storage areas.
- Reserve No Auto-Pick locations for overflow, quarantine or reserve stock where appropriate.
- Avoid assigning the same location type to every location that stores an item.
- Review replenishment reports regularly to ensure stock is flowing from bulk locations to picking locations as intended.
- Use consistent location naming conventions to ensure predictable picking behaviour when priorities are equal.