What is putaway in a warehouse?

Putaway is the warehouse step that moves received goods from the receiving dock to the storage location they will be kept and picked from, and records that location in the system. It starts once goods are checked in on a GRN and ends when the operator scans the bin to confirm where the stock went.

How putaway works in an Indian D2C or omnichannel warehouse

Putaway is the second half of inbound. Until it is done, received stock can’t be picked, so it isn’t really available to sell.

  1. Receive. Goods are counted and checked against the purchase order, and the accepted quantity is recorded on the GRN.
  2. Check and label. Damaged units are held back. Units without a scannable barcode are labelled. Batch and expiry are captured for dated goods.
  3. Assign a location. The bin comes from a rule (directed putaway) or from the operator’s choice.
  4. Move. Stock is taken from the dock to the bin, often grouped by aisle to save walking.
  5. Confirm. The operator scans the bin, then the item, and the system records the quantity in that bin. Only now can the stock be picked.

Example: dock-to-stock time. A delivery of 40 cartons, 1,200 units across 25 SKUs, arrives at 10:00 (illustrative):

Step Time taken Clock
Unload and count 45 minutes 10:45
Inspect, label and record the GRN 60 minutes 11:45
Wait for a putaway team 90 minutes 13:15
Move and scan into bins 75 minutes 14:30

Dock-to-stock time = 14:30 − 10:00 = 4 hours 30 minutes. Most of the delay is the 90-minute wait, not the work. Scheduling putaway straight after receiving would cut it to 3 hours.

Putaway strategies

Strategy How the bin is chosen Fits a D2C SKU mix when…
Fixed location Each SKU always goes to its own bin The catalogue is small and stable
Directed The system assigns the bin by rules: zone, product type, size or batch There are many SKUs, several zones or dated goods
Dynamic (random) Any free bin; the system records which Space is tight and the catalogue changes often
Closest empty bin The nearest free bin to the dock Speed matters more than pick-path design
Zone-based Stock goes to a zone by category or temperature, then any bin in it Mixed categories, such as cosmetics alongside apparel

Common mistakes

  • Putaway deviation. The operator places stock in a different bin than the one directed or recorded. The system then sends pickers to an empty bin. Catch it by requiring a bin scan to confirm every putaway, and by cycle counting bins where picks fail.
  • Letting stock wait on the dock. It is received but unpickable, and channels may already be selling it.
  • Mixing batches in one bin without recording it. FEFO can’t pick the right batch.
  • Putting fast movers far from packing. Every pick for a top seller then costs extra walking.
  • Skipping putaway for returns. Returned stock left in a corner is invisible to every channel.
  • Dock-to-stock time = time putaway is confirmed − time unloading started. Example: 4 hours 30 minutes.
  • Putaway accuracy = putaways confirmed in the directed bin ÷ total putaways. Example: 1,176 ÷ 1,200 = 98%.
  • Putaway productivity = units (or lines) put away ÷ labour hours spent on putaway.

Putaway in the Indian context

  • Dated goods. Food labels carry a batch or lot number and expiry or use-by dates under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 (regulations 5(9) and 5(10)). Putting batches away separately, with the batch recorded per bin, is what lets the warehouse pick by expiry later.
  • Dark stores vs fulfilment centres. A quick-commerce dark store carries a narrow catalogue on fixed shelves, so stock flows from receiving almost directly to its slot. A brand’s fulfilment centre holds a wider range across zones and needs rules for where each SKU, size or batch goes.
  • Marketplace stock feeds. If channels see stock as soon as the GRN is posted, they can sell units still on the dock. Publish stock to channels after putaway is confirmed, or keep received-but-not-put-away stock out of the sellable count.

How Fretron CommerceOS handles putaway

Fretron CommerceOS includes warehouse management for receiving and putaway, and directed putaway is live in its warehouse module. It does not choose the closest empty bin or optimise slotting.

Questions and answers

What is putaway in a warehouse?
Putaway is the step that moves goods from the receiving dock into the storage location they will be picked from, and records that location. It follows receiving and the GRN, and ends when the operator scans the bin to confirm. Until putaway is confirmed, the stock can't be picked, so it isn't truly available to sell on any channel.
What are the steps of the putaway process?
There are five: receive the goods and record the GRN; check, label and capture batch and expiry; assign a storage location, by rule or by choice; move the stock to that location; and confirm by scanning the bin and the item. The scan updates the bin's quantity, and the stock becomes available for picking.
What putaway strategies are there, and which suits ecommerce?
The main strategies are fixed location, directed (the system assigns a bin by rules), dynamic or random (any free bin, recorded by the system), closest empty bin, and zone-based. Ecommerce warehouses with many SKUs, frequent new products or dated goods usually do best with directed putaway. A small, stable catalogue can run on fixed locations.
What is directed putaway in a WMS?
Directed putaway means the warehouse management system tells the operator which bin to put stock in, based on rules such as zone, product type, size or batch. The operator scans the item, is shown the bin, moves the stock and scans the bin to confirm. It takes the guesswork out of putaway and keeps similar stock together.
What is putaway deviation?
Putaway deviation is when stock ends up in a different bin from the one the system directed or recorded, for example because the directed bin was full or the operator chose a closer one. The system then sends pickers to the wrong place. Requiring a bin scan to confirm every putaway, and cycle counting bins where picks fail, catches it.
What does putaway mean in a dark store (Zepto, Blinkit)?
In a quick-commerce dark store, putaway is the same idea on a smaller scale: incoming stock is moved from receiving to its shelf slot so pickers can find it. Dark stores carry a narrow catalogue on fixed shelves, so putaway is short and simple. If you've seen "putaway" in a dark-store job listing, it refers to this shelving work.
How long should putaway take (dock-to-stock time)?
There's no single standard; it depends on volume, staffing and layout. Measure dock-to-stock time, from unloading to the last putaway scan, and look at where the time goes. In our example, a 4.5-hour dock-to-stock time included a 90-minute wait for a putaway team. Removing waits usually helps more than working faster.
How does putaway strategy affect picking speed (slotting by sales velocity)?
Where stock is put away decides how far pickers walk. Slotting by sales velocity places the fastest-selling SKUs in the easiest bins, near packing and at waist height, and slow movers further away. A good putaway rule keeps that layout as new stock arrives. For picking methods and routes, see order picking.

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Last reviewed: by Fretron.

Sources

  1. Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, compendium Version VI (22 Feb 2023), regulations 5(9) and 5(10). FSSAI. https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Comp_Labelling.pdf (accessed 5 Nov 2026).