Releasing orders to the warehouse initiates the outbound processing of orders for fulfillment using wave transactions. It enables you to select and prioritize the orders or line items you want to include in a wave. When you release a wave, you make the orders available for picking on mobile devices and further fulfillment processing.
The NetSuite transaction and record used for releasing orders to the warehouse are described as follows:
- Wave – Wave transactions contain the list of orders you want to release and their associated pick tasks.
- Pick Task – Pick task subrecords display picking details, including quantity, status, and pick assignment. It records picking details gathered through a mobile device.
You can generate pick task subrecords only from wave transactions.
In a sample scenario, you create a wave with orders to be delivered by a shipping provider along a specific route.
Narrow down the list of orders based on priority or ship date.
From a wave, NetSuite WMS generates the pick tasks, which you can assign to warehouse operators or pickers.
You can manage both the list of orders for release and pick tasks on a wave transaction.
Pickers that you assign to one or more tasks can update their progress using a mobile device.
Any picker can access and process unassigned pick tasks.
Based on pick task updates, NetSuite WMS updates the status of the associated wave.
It also generates items fulfillments from completed pick tasks.
On both wave transactions and pick task subrecords, you can track the progress as soon as you release the orders to the warehouse.
Supported Transactions and Item Types
To include orders in wave transactions, make sure they meet the following conditions for transactions and item types:
- Sales or transfer order transactions must be unfulfilled.
- Orders must have fully or partially committed line items not included in any active waves.
- This condition does not apply to non-inventory items, which cannot be committed.
- Items must belong to the following supported item types:
- Inventory and assembly items, including, matrix, lot numbered, and serialized items
- Kit/package items, including kits with kit components
Service and non-inventory items (for sale and for resale only)
Note: To release and fulfill orders for these item types, you must enable the Can be Fulfilled/Received setting on the item record.
- Item groups
- Orders or line items must be associated with a warehouse location.
By default, NetSuite WMS filters transactions to include in a wave using the location in the header for sales orders and the from location for transfer orders.
Limitations
Note the following limitations for waves and releasing orders to the warehouse:
- You can create waves only for sales and transfer order transactions.
- The following preferences or settings do not apply when fulfilling released orders:
- Fulfill Based on Commitment – Non-committed item quantities cannot be included in waves. Using NetSuite WMS, you can release and fulfill only fully or partially committed items.
- Allow Overage on Item Fulfillments – For released orders, you cannot pick more than the quantity on the pick task.
- Use Item Cost as Transfer Cost – Even with this preference enabled for transfer orders, you can release and fulfill partially committed items.
- Sorting of picks through FIFO (first in, first out) and LIFO (last in, first out) are both not supported.