Put Wall

How to use put wall functionality on Flexe mobile devices to pick and sort multi-line shipments.  

IN THIS TOPIC

• Cart Configuration & Setup
• Before You Start
  • Check your Cart
  • Review Batch Labels
• Starting the Process
• Troubleshooting Put Wall Errors

Put Wall is an optional addition to the picking process best suited for multi-line shipments.

Note: Use of put wall functionality is currently limited to reservations configured to support it. If you think your reservation would benefit from this, reach out to your Flexe Logistics Analyst or contact us at [e-mail].

Cart Configuration & Setup

Prior to setting up a cart or put wall for your reservation, here's what you’ll need to set up: 

Carts/Put Walls

A warehouse can only have one standard set of cubby dimensions of all for carts in the facility. 

Determine the number of carts you'd like to use for the project. The Flexe team will help you determine the correct number of carts based on anticipated volume for the project. The quantity of carts will depend on the volume of units shipped daily; supported cart dimensions and setup, and can be customized in terms of names and dimensions for each cubby. 

Locations

Carts and cubby locations must be set up in the Flexe system by our team. Your Primary Logistics Analyst will provide a template to complete this information. To have your cart(s) setup, you will need to share:

1. The number, name(s), and barcodes of your carts. Each cart and cubby need unique names and barcodes. 

2. The names and dimensions (LxWxH) of each cubby in your cart.

Note: The cart and cubby specifications you enter in Flexe much match the physical rebin carts and cubbies in use--specifically their dimensions and barcodes. Multiple carts can have different cubby names, but the dimensions among your carts will be the same. 

Overflow Areas

An overflow area should be designated for each cart to account for items too large for a cubby. This can be the top row of the cart itself (to make sure any items placed there remain with the batch), or in a location adjacent to the cart. 

Before you start

Before you begin the process make sure to:

Check your Cart

To avoid issues with mixing batches, check the cart you'll be using in your mobile device to make sure it doesn't contain any other items. 

You can use the Lookup Details feature for this. Select the Search icon at the top of the screen to quickly launch Lookup Details, then scan the cart barcode and confirm that it is empty in the system. 

Note: To learn more about using this feature, go to Lookup Details. 

Also make sure that you've completed the picking process before proceeding with sorting. To learn more, go to Mobile Picking Process. 

Review Batch Labels

Ensure that rebin applies to the batch you are about to pick. Each batch label will have a Put Wall field that indicates indicate Yes or No. This will make it easy to determine whether the items picked for that batch should go directly to a pack station, or a put wall/cart. 

Starting the process

To sort batches on Flexe mobile devices: 

1. Select Put Wall from the home screen. 

2. Scan the put wall or cart barcode.

Make sure to scan the barcode used for the entire cart--NOT a cubby barcode.  

3. Scan the batch barcode.

4. Scan the SKU barcode.

Best practice is to start with the largest sized items first, so as to leave room for smaller items in each cubby later in the process. 

5. Scan the cubby barcode, then place the item in the cubby specified on the mobile device screen.

Scan the designated cubby barcode shown onscreen, then place the item in that cubby. 

Keep in mind that you'll only have the option to use the designated cubby; if you try to scan a different one, you'll get an error message. 

Note: If the item doesn't fit, or if there's another problem with using the designated cubby, select the Report an Issue option at the bottom of the screen to proceed. To learn more, review the troubleshooting steps for Item Doesn't Fit in Designated Cubby/Bin. 

6. Scan and sort all items in the batch. 

Scan each SKU in the batch until every item in the batch has been placed in its designated cubby on the cart/put wall. 

You can use the menu at the bottom of the screen to track your progress. Select the arrow or swipe up to expand the menu and review a detailed list of everything you've scanned.

     

7. Select Done.

Once you've scanned everything in the batch, click the Done button. 

Note: If there's anything left on the cart, a warning notification shows onscreen, with a list of the remaining item(s). Select Cancel to return to the cart. Or, select Abandon Cart to complete the batch without the remaining item(s) (i.e. if an item was not picked in the first place).

    

After you select Done, a confirmation window opens onscreen explaining that the batch is complete, and the cart can be moved to a pack station.

Select Complete to confirm.  

Note: If there are still any items on the cart due to a user overpick, or if the shipment is cancelled while the pick was in progress, a notification will appear stating that those items should be moved to a QA location using Move Items. 

Troubleshooting Put Wall Errors

Here are some common mobile error messages seen the put wall process as well as troubleshooting steps to try: 

Error Message or Issue	How to Troubleshoot
Shortages One or more items needed to complete a shipment in the batch weren't picked	For issues with item shortages, here are some things to try: Complete the process like normal; in the last step (after you select Done), use the Abandon Cart option to indicate that there's the shortage for the item(s). Refer to the shipper's SOP for guidance on short-shipping. Shipments can be split on mobile devices during the packing process to isolate items that are short. To learn more, go to Split Shipments.  Short shipments can be canceled on the Flexe platform.
Damages During the process you find that product has been damaged	To move damaged product to a QA location, take the following steps:  1. After scanning the SKU during the process, click the Report an Issue button at the bottom of the screen.  2. Select The item is damaged. 3. You'll then be prompted to scan a QA location to quarantine the damaged product. Go to an available QA location and scan the location barcode.  4. Physically move the damaged product into the QA location, making sure to follow the shipper's established damage-handling policy.
Item Doesn’t Fit in Designated Cubby/Bin One or more items doesn’t fit in its designated cubby	To move an item to the overflow area on the cart, take the following steps:  1. After scanning the SKU during the process, select the Report an Issue option at the bottom of the screen.  2. Select The item doesn’t fit. 3. Click the Label & Continue button to label the item as A1, then place it in the overflow area on the cart. You can then proceed with the rest of the batch.

 

Terminology 

Cart - A mobile put wall used to sort multi-item batches into component shipments after picking. 

Cubby - An area on a cart used to sort items into shipments. Each cubby holds the items for a specific shipment in the batch. 

Put Wall - a stationary wall used to sort multi-item batches into component shipments after picking.