Six incoming cases are assigned to today’s store route and move from receiving directly to outbound lane 4.
When this method works well—and when it does not
Works well when
- Known outbound demand before receipt
- Reliable advance shipping notices and item identity
- Short, predictable wait time targets
- Large or fast-moving items that should avoid storage
Usually a poor fit when
- High inbound uncertainty
- Inspection-heavy or regulated material
- Weak outbound allocation discipline
- Facilities without protected staging capacity
Show exactly what happens at each step
Write down actions that someone can see or confirm: what the worker does, what moves, who owns the next step, and what happens if something goes wrong.
- 1Receive
- 2Store
- 3Replenish
- 4Pick
- 5Stage
- 1Pre-allocate
- 2Receive
- 3Verify
- 4Route to outbound lane
- 5Ship
Get these basics right before adding technology
- One named person owns the process, and everyone agrees what one task includes
- Current time, accuracy, problem, and volume numbers collected using written rules
- One named person corrects product and location information
- A written backup method and a clear path for getting help
If workers cannot reliably identify the item, order, or location, correct that problem before expecting new guidance equipment to improve accuracy.
Step-by-step procedure
- 01
Define eligibility before the truck arrives
- 02
Reserve an outbound destination and cutoff clock
- 03
Verify identity and quantity at the first touch
- 04
Keep storage backup method available for missed timing
- 05
Expire stale allocations rather than blocking the dock
Information the process must track
For each task, decide what item or order is being worked, where it comes from, where it goes, how much is expected, how the worker confirms completion, what happens when something goes wrong, and which system records the final result.
Technical notes for the warehouse software or IT team
Use one unique task ID. Re-sending the same message should not create a duplicate move or pick. Keep a way to compare records and repair differences when messages are delayed, repeated, or missed.
Decide what workers should do when something goes wrong
Release to storage or reallocate under a named rule.
Replan the outbound order; do not keep the lane blocked indefinitely.
Separate at unload using clear destination guidance.
Numbers to watch
Before the test starts, write down what is counted, what it is divided by, when the clock starts and stops, what is excluded, and where the data comes from. Keep those rules the same through the test.
Test it on a small scale before a full rollout
Trial steps
- Choose one realistic area, shift, and order mix
- Watch the current method long enough to include normal work and a busy period
- Test the new method using exactly the same measurement rules
- Review every problem and worker workaround before expanding the change
What must be true before rollout
- The target output is maintained for one full, realistic shift
- Accuracy and problem recovery meet the written target
- New workers can follow the process without unwritten tips from experienced workers
- The backup method works, and the team can return cleanly to the normal process
Voodoo is one possible way to guide the work—not the answer to every problem.
Where it may help
Portable lane displays can change destination assignments dynamically and confirm movement without wired staging hardware.
See how Voodoo worksWhen to choose something else
Lights cannot compensate for unreliable advance shipping notices, transportation timing, or outbound allocation logic.
Read how recommendations are made