Inbound Menu
Written by sonia bahri
Updated at July 4th, 2025
Table of Contents
Click here for the Interactive WorkFlow
WMS Inbounds Workflow Overview
1. Purpose
This workflow map serves as the top-level guide for all inbound (receiving) functionality in the WMS. It breaks the end-to-end process into six discrete modules:
- Set Ups
- Set Ups (Continued)
- Processes
- Processes (Continued)
- Queries & Reports
- Purging
Each module contains its own detailed steps, decisions, and outputs, but together they form the complete inbound lifecycle—from initial system configuration through dock receipt, quality controls, reporting, and finally data retention management.
2. Roles & Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| WMS Administrator / Data Architect | Configure core system defaults, numbering, master-data (Sections 1–2) |
| Business Analyst / Supervisor | Define client-specific data, messaging rules, and validate settings |
| Warehouse Operator / RF User | Execute real-time receiving transactions and generate audit trails |
| Reporting Analyst / Billing Clerk | Run on-demand queries, print reports, and finalize invoicing |
| Data Governance / IT | Schedule and monitor purge jobs to enforce retention policies |
3. Module Summaries
Set Ups
- Scope: Core configuration of receiving defaults, numbering schemes (receipts & in-transit), and custom receipt types.
- Goal: Ensure the system is ready to capture every inbound transaction with unique IDs and the required data fields.
Set Ups (Continued)
- Scope: Advanced options such as blast/quick-freeze zones, holds, billing profiles, plus appointment and vendor/carrier master-data.
- Goal: Enable specialized processes (e.g. cold-chain handling) and integration points (ASN, appointments).
Processes
- Scope: The live receiving steps—starting with ASN handling, appointment logging, RF or paper receipts, and quick-freeze procedures.
- Goal: Capture physical receipt events accurately, apply necessary holds, and prepare stock for put-away.
Processes (Continued)
- Scope: Finalization of receipts—stock moves, rating, receipt audits, and invoice printing.
- Goal: Complete the inbound cycle by applying rates, generating audit reports, and issuing invoices.
Queries & Reports
- Scope: On-demand lookups and printed reports for open or closed receipts, in-transit reconciliation, client-specific data, and custom attachments.
- Goal: Give operations and finance instant visibility into the status and details of every inbound transaction.
Purging
- Scope: Automated deletion of aged history and invoiced receipts based on retention settings.
- Goal: Keep the database performant and compliant with data-retention policies.
4. Best Practices
Follow Order: Always complete Set Ups before executing Processes.
Validate at Each Stage: After each module, run test transactions or reports to confirm correctness.
Use Queries Early: Leverage Queries & Reports in parallel with Processes to catch data issues before purging.
Schedule Purging Off-Hours: Configure retention jobs to run during low-usage windows to minimize system impact.