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Warehouse Vertical Guide

RackPlane for Warehouse & Logistics Inventory

This guide covers how to configure and use RackPlane for warehouse operations, distribution centers, and logistics inventory management.

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Warehouse vs Datacenter
  3. Setting Up Warehouse Vertical
  4. Warehouse Terminology
  5. Warehouse-Specific Features
  6. Bin Location Management
  7. Pick/Pack Workflows
  8. Inventory Counts
  9. Use Cases

Overview

RackPlane's Warehouse Vertical Pack adapts the platform for warehouse and logistics environments. Ideal for:

  • Distribution Centers - Track inventory across zones
  • Warehouses - Manage bin locations and picking
  • Fulfillment Centers - Support pick/pack operations
  • Manufacturing - Track raw materials and WIP
  • Retail Backroom - Store inventory management

Key Warehouse Features

Feature Description
Bin Location System Organize by zone, aisle, shelf, bin
Pick/Pack Workflows Guided picking and packing
Inventory Counts Cycle counts and full inventories
Expiration Tracking FEFO for perishable goods
Par Level Alerts Reorder point notifications
Barcode Scanning Fast inventory operations

Warehouse vs Datacenter

Terminology Comparison

Concept Datacenter Warehouse
Primary items Assets Items
Primary items (plural) Assets Items
Main location Datacenter Warehouse
Main locations (plural) Datacenters Warehouses
Storage unit Rack Shelf
Storage units Racks Shelves
Deploy action Deploy Pick
Return action Return Receive
Category Asset Type SKU Category
Status Status Item Status
Storage area Storage Zone
Container Storage Container Bin Location
Position U-Space Slot

Feature Differences

Feature Datacenter Warehouse
Power Efficiency ✅ Enabled ❌ Hidden
Rack Visualization ✅ U-slot view ⚡ Zone/Aisle view
Network Ports ✅ Enabled ❌ Hidden
Bin Locations ❌ Disabled ✅ Enabled
Pick/Pack ❌ Disabled ✅ Enabled
Inventory Counts Basic ✅ Enhanced
Expiration Tracking ❌ Disabled Optional
Par Level Alerts Optional ✅ Enabled

Setting Up Warehouse Vertical

Method 1: During Onboarding

POST /api/v1/tenants/onboard

{
  "company_name": "FastShip Fulfillment",
  "admin_email": "admin@fastship.com",
  "admin_password": "SecurePassword123!",
  "vertical_pack": "warehouse"
}

Method 2: Apply Preset

POST /api/v1/whitelabel/presets/apply

{
  "preset": "warehouse",
  "reset_terminology": true,
  "reset_features": true
}

Warehouse Terminology

Complete Warehouse Preset

{
  "item": "Item",
  "items": "Items",
  "location": "Warehouse",
  "locations": "Warehouses",
  "bin": "Shelf",
  "bins": "Shelves",
  "check_out": "Pick",
  "check_in": "Receive",
  "category": "SKU Category",
  "categories": "SKU Categories",
  "lifecycle": "Item Status",
  "storage": "Zone",
  "stock": "Stock",
  "container": "Bin Location",
  "containers": "Bin Locations",
  "unit": "Slot",
  "units": "Slots"
}

Customizing Terminology

PUT /api/v1/whitelabel/terminology

{
  "location": "Distribution Center",
  "locations": "Distribution Centers",
  "check_out": "Fulfill",
  "container": "Pick Bin"
}

Example UI

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│   FastShip Fulfillment - Warehouse Management               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 📊 Dashboard  │  📦 Items  │  🏢 Warehouses  │  📋 Orders   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Total Items:      15,420                                   │
│  Low Stock Alerts:  12                                      │
│  Picks Today:      347                                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Warehouse-Specific Features

Location Hierarchy

Warehouse uses a different location model:

Warehouse (Distribution Center)
├── Zone (A, B, C, Bulk, etc.)
│   ├── Aisle (01, 02, 03...)
│   │   ├── Shelf (A, B, C, D...)
│   │   │   ├── Bin/Slot (1, 2, 3...)
│   │   │   └── Bin/Slot
│   │   └── Shelf
│   └── Aisle
└── Receiving Area

Bin Location Codes

Standard format: ZONE-AISLE-SHELF-BIN

Examples: - A-01-B-03 - Zone A, Aisle 01, Shelf B, Bin 03 - BULK-05-A-01 - Bulk Zone, Aisle 05, Shelf A, Bin 01 - RECV-01 - Receiving Area, Location 01

Creating Locations

# Create warehouse
POST /api/v1/locations/warehouses/
{
  "name": "East Coast Distribution",
  "code": "ECDC",
  "address": "123 Logistics Way"
}

# Create zones
POST /api/v1/locations/zones/
{
  "name": "Zone A - Fast Moving",
  "code": "A",
  "warehouse_id": 1,
  "type": "pick"
}

# Create bin locations
POST /api/v1/locations/bins/
{
  "code": "A-01-B-03",
  "zone_id": 1,
  "aisle": "01",
  "shelf": "B",
  "bin": "03",
  "capacity": 50
}

Bin Location Management

Bin Types

Type Description Use Case
Pick Primary picking locations Fast-moving items
Bulk Large quantity storage Overstock, pallets
Reserve Backup storage Replenishment stock
Receiving Inbound staging New arrivals
Shipping Outbound staging Ready to ship
Returns Return processing RMA items

Bin Capacity

Track capacity by: - Units - Number of items - Weight - Maximum weight (lbs/kg) - Volume - Cubic dimensions

{
  "code": "A-01-B-03",
  "max_units": 100,
  "max_weight_lbs": 50,
  "max_volume_cuft": 2.5
}

Bin Utilization

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Bin Location: A-01-B-03                                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  SKU: WIDGET-001         |  Qty: 45 / 100                   │
│  ██████████████░░░░░░░░  |  45% Full                        │
│  Last Pick: 10 min ago   |  Picks Today: 12                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Pick/Pack Workflows

Pick Types

Type Description
Single Order Pick items for one order
Batch Pick Pick multiple orders in one trip
Zone Pick Pick specific zones, pass to next
Wave Pick Scheduled pick waves

Pick Process

  1. Receive Order - Orders imported or created
  2. Generate Pick List - System optimizes pick path
  3. Pick Items - Scan bins and items
  4. Verify Quantities - Confirm correct amounts
  5. Pack - Package for shipping
  6. Ship - Generate labels, mark complete

Optimized Pick Path

System suggests optimal walking path:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Pick List #1234 - 8 items                                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ☐ 1. A-01-A-01  |  SKU-001  |  Qty: 2  |  ---->            │
│  ☐ 2. A-01-B-02  |  SKU-045  |  Qty: 1  |  ↓                │
│  ☐ 3. A-02-A-03  |  SKU-102  |  Qty: 3  |  ---->            │
│  ☐ 4. A-02-C-01  |  SKU-089  |  Qty: 1  |  ↓                │
│  ☐ 5. B-01-A-02  |  SKU-234  |  Qty: 5  |  ======>          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  [Start Pick]  [Print List]                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Barcode Scanning

For each pick: 1. Scan bin location barcode 2. Scan item barcode 3. Enter/confirm quantity 4. System moves to next pick

Inventory Counts

Count Types

Type Frequency Scope
Cycle Count Daily/Weekly Subset of bins
Full Count Monthly/Quarterly All inventory
ABC Count Varies By item velocity
Spot Count As needed Specific discrepancies

Cycle Count Schedule

{
  "schedule": {
    "A_items": "weekly",      // High velocity - count weekly
    "B_items": "monthly",     // Medium velocity - monthly
    "C_items": "quarterly"    // Low velocity - quarterly
  }
}

Performing Counts

  1. Generate Count Sheet - System creates count list
  2. Count Items - Physical count at each location
  3. Enter Counts - Record in system
  4. Review Variances - Investigate discrepancies
  5. Adjust Inventory - Approve adjustments

Variance Reports

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Cycle Count #567 - Variance Report                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Location    |  SKU       |  System |  Counted |  Variance  │
│  A-01-B-03   |  WIDGET-01 |    45   |    43    |    -2      │
│  A-02-A-01   |  GADGET-05 |    20   |    22    |    +2      │
│  B-01-C-02   |  PART-789  |    100  |    97    |    -3      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Total Items Counted: 847   |   Accuracy: 99.2%             │
│  [Approve Adjustments]  [Review]                            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Integration with Other Features

Expiration Tracking

For perishable goods:

PUT /api/v1/whitelabel/features

{
  "expiration_tracking": true  # Enable for food/perishables
}

FEFO picking automatically prioritizes items expiring soonest.

Par Level Alerts

Essential for warehouse operations:

PUT /api/v1/items/{id}/par-level

{
  "par_level": 500,
  "reorder_point": 200,
  "reorder_quantity": 1000,
  "lead_time_days": 7
}

Low Stock Dashboard

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ⚠️ Below Reorder Point                                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  SKU-001 Widget Large    |  Stock: 150  |  Par: 500  │ PO ✓ │
│  SKU-045 Gadget Small    |  Stock: 80   |  Par: 200  │ PO ✓ │
│  SKU-102 Part XYZ        |  Stock: 45   |  Par: 100  │      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  [Create Purchase Orders]  [Export List]                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Use Cases

Use Case 1: E-commerce Fulfillment

Scenario: Fulfillment center shipping D2C orders.

Configuration: 

{
  "terminology": {
    "location": "Fulfillment Center",
    "check_out": "Ship"
  },
  "features": {
    "bin_locations": true,
    "pick_pack": true,
    "batch_picking": true,
    "par_level_alerts": true
  }
}

Use Case 2: 3PL Warehouse

Scenario: Third-party logistics with multiple clients.

Configuration: - Use multi-tenant for client separation - Each client = separate tenant - Shared warehouse locations with client tags

Use Case 3: Manufacturing Parts

Scenario: Factory managing raw materials and components.

Configuration: 

{
  "terminology": {
    "item": "Part",
    "items": "Parts",
    "location": "Factory",
    "check_out": "Issue",
    "check_in": "Return"
  }
}

Quick Reference

Warehouse API Endpoints

Endpoint Description
GET /api/v1/locations/warehouses/ List warehouses
GET /api/v1/locations/zones/ List zones
GET /api/v1/locations/bins/ List bin locations
POST /api/v1/picks/ Create pick list
GET /api/v1/picks/{id} Get pick details
POST /api/v1/counts/ Create count session
PUT /api/v1/counts/{id}/entries Record count entries
GET /api/v1/reports/variance Variance report

Warehouse Dashboard Widgets

  • Total Inventory Value
  • Low Stock Alerts
  • Picks In Progress
  • Receiving Pending
  • Bin Utilization
  • Daily Pick Activity

Next Steps