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Warehousing – Which Way to Go? Part 1

This post is part of the Warehousing: Which Way to Go blog series.

Dynamics NAV provides many configurable levels of warehouse management. During NAV implementations, business analysis discussions always turn into great debates about choosing the best method for managing warehousing activities; the focus is to serve the client for their current business needs but also equip them for taking it to the next level.

During this series of blog posts, I will explain the differences between the various configurations available and the impact on various operations related to warehousing. This post, however, is aimed at understanding basic terms, and sets the context for the blogs that follow.

The criteria for choosing a level of warehousing can be categorised into:

  • Segregation of duties
  • Size of warehouse
  • Volume of Orders
  • Level of system integration, control and automation within the warehouse
  • Computer literacy of warehouse staff

The following are the main primary functions available within Dynamics NAV:

Pick:

Pick operations consist of instructions for the warehouse staff to pick the stock for sales, production or any other internal movements. Depending upon the warehousing level, this instruction could include bins, lot or serial numbers based on First Expired First Out (FEFO).

Put-Away:

Put-Away consists of a place instruction that instructs warehouse staff to place stock into the warehouse. Depending upon the warehousing level, this instruction includes bin rankings; use of primary and secondary bins; any equipment needed (e.g. forklift) and other criteria defined by a put-away template.

Warehouse Shipments:

A Warehouse Shipment document allows warehouse staff to manage multiple outbound orders such as sales orders, outbound transfers and purchase returns etc., within the same operation. Orders can be combined based on customer, due dates or transport companies.

Warehouse Receipts:

A Warehouse Receipt document allows warehouse staff to manage multiple inbound orders such as purchase orders, inbound transfers and sales returns, within the same operation. This can be useful if your transport companies combine deliveries to the warehouse.

Other than these primary functions, several other warehousing functions such bin replenishment, internal movements, quarantine etc., become available depending on the warehousing level.

In my next blog, I will go further and explore these.

Stay tuned…