Locations — Pickable vs Non-pickable (and picking logic)
Pickable vs non-pickable locations control what stock can be used for picking and shipping.
This is one of the most common causes of “we have stock, but we can’t ship it”.
Definitions
Pickable location
A pickable location is a bin/shelf that warehouse staff are expected to pick from.
Pickable stock is what the system treats as shippable.
Common examples:
- Pick face / picking bins
- Small-item shelving
Non-pickable location
A non-pickable location is not used for normal picking.
It can still hold stock, but that stock is treated as not shippable until replenished to a pickable location.
Common examples:
- Bulk/pallet reserve
- Staging
Special locations:
- QUARANTINE and RETURNS locations are excluded from picking/shipping checks.
Important rule: only pick from true pick locations
Use the Pickable toggle only on locations that warehouse staff should actively pick from.
Practical implication:
- Make your real pick bins / shelves pickable.
- Keep bulk, staging, quarantine, and similar holding locations non-pickable.
How shipping/picking decides if an order can ship
When creating a shipment, the system performs a stock guard:
- It requires the ordered quantity to exist in pickable locations.
- If the total on-hand exists but it’s stuck in non-pickable locations, shipment creation is blocked and you’ll be prompted to transfer stock.
What to do when you see this:
- Move stock from bulk/non-pickable into a pickable (pickface) bin.
- Use: Inventory Units — Transfer Stock
Location suggestion logic (pick notes / picking screen)
When the system shows a suggested location for a line item, it follows this logic:
- If the order line has a serial recorded, it tries to show the location where that serial currently lives.
- Otherwise, it suggests the first pickable location (by location code) that has available stock.
- If there is no available pickable stock, but stock is reserved for this order in a pickable location, it shows that pickable location so picking paperwork is still actionable.
For serialised items where quantity > 1:
- The system may split the line into single-quantity lines and suggest per-unit pickable locations based on available stock.
Common warehouse patterns
- Bulk (non-pickable) → holds reserve stock.
- Pickface (pickable) → holds the working stock used to fulfil orders.
- Replenishment is simply transferring stock from bulk into pickface.
Troubleshooting
“Stock not pickable” but we have plenty on hand
- Check which locations the stock is in.
- If it’s in bulk/non-pickable, replenish to pickface using Transfer Stock.
Pickable location still should not be used for fulfilment
- Check whether the location is really intended as a pick face.
- Bulk, reserve, staging, quarantine, and returns locations should normally stay non-pickable.