Putaway rules

Putaway is the process of routing products to appropriate storage locations upon shipment arrival.

Odoo can accomplish this seamlessly using putaway rules, which dictate how products move through specified warehouse locations.

Upon shipment arrival, operations are generated based on putaway rules to efficiently move products to specified locations, and ensure easy retrieval for future delivery orders.

In warehouses that process specific kinds of products, putaway rules can also prevent volatile substances from being stored in close proximity, by directing them to different locations determined by the warehouse manager.

Configuration

To use putaway rules, navigate to Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Settings, and activate the Multi-Step Routes feature under the Warehouse section. By doing so, the Storage Locations feature is also automatically activated.

Finally, click Save.

Activate Multi-Step Routes in Inventory configuration settings.

Define putaway rule

To manage where specific products are routed for storage, navigate to Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Putaway Rules. Use the Create button to configure a new putaway rule on a Product or Product Category that the rule affects.

Important

Putaway rules can be defined either per product/product category, and/or package type (the Packages setting must be enabled in Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Settings for that).

In the same line, the When product arrives in location is where the putaway rule is triggered to create an operation to move the product to the Store to location.

For this to work, the Store to location must be a sub-location of the first (e.g., WH/Stock/Fruits is a specific, named location inside WH/Stock to make the products stored here easier to find).

Example

In a warehouse location, WH/Stock, there are the following sub-locations:

  • WH/Stock/Fruits

  • WH/Stock/Vegetables

Ensure all apples are stored in the fruits section by filling the field Store to with the location WH/Stock/Fruits when the Product, Apple arrives in WH/Stock.

Repeat this for all products and hit Save.

Create putaway rules for apples and carrots.

Putaway rule priority

Odoo selects a putaway rule based on the following priority list (from highest to lowest) until a match is found:

  1. Package type and product

  2. Package type and product category

  3. Package type

  4. Product

  5. Product category

Example

The product Lemonade can has the following putaway rules configured:

  1. When receiving a Pallet (Package Type) of Lemonade cans, it is redirected to WH/Stock/Pallets/PAL1.

  2. Lemonade can’s Product Category is All/drinks, and when receiving a Box of any item in this product category, items are redirected to WH/Stock/Shelf 1.

  3. Any product on a Pallet is redirected to WH/Stock/Pallets

  4. The product Lemonade can is redirected to WH/Stock/Shelf 2

  5. Items in the All/drinks product category are redirected to WH/Stock/Small Refrigerator.

Some examples of putaway rules.