Mapping of pyck Terms

Common warehouse management terms and their pyck equivalents

Audience: Logistics Manager

This dictionary maps traditional warehouse management system (WMS) terminology to pyck's innovative naming conventions. Understanding these mappings will help you navigate pyck's unique approach to warehouse management.

Warehouse Management Terms

Storage & Locations

Warehouse → Repository (root level)

A warehouse is a large building where goods are stored before distribution. It's the main storage hub in a supply chain - like a giant organized garage for products. Warehouses have loading docks, storage areas, and equipment like forklifts. In pyck, warehouses are simply root-level repositories (no parent) in your tenant. You name them based on your needs ("Main Warehouse", "DC-East", "Building A") and use custom dataTypes to add attributes like address, capacity, or operating hours.

Zone → Repository

Zones are logical areas within a warehouse dedicated to specific activities or product types. Common zones include receiving (truck unloading), storage (bulk areas), picking (order assembly), packing (boxing), and shipping (order departure). Some warehouses have specialized zones like cold storage or hazardous materials. In pyck, zones are repositories nested within your warehouse repository. You might create "Receiving Zone", "Cold Storage", or "Fast Movers" - the structure and naming is entirely flexible based on your operations.

Location/Bin → Repository

A location or bin is a specific spot where items are stored - like a designated parking space for products. Each has a unique identifier (e.g., "A-12-3" for Aisle A, Rack 12, Level 3) enabling quick item retrieval. Good location management is crucial - imagine finding a book in a library without a catalog. In pyck, locations are repositories nested within zones or shelves. The hierarchical flexibility means you can model your exact warehouse layout, whether simple (warehouse → locations) or complex (warehouse → zone → aisle → rack → shelf → bin).

Pallet → Repository (dynamic)

A pallet is a flat transport structure (usually 48"×40" wood or plastic) that enables efficient movement with forklifts. Pallets turn individual boxes into single manageable units for bulk storage and shipping. Think of them as movable floors that can hold dozens of cases. In pyck, pallets are dynamic repositories that can contain items and move between locations. You might name them with existing IDs ("PAL-001") or generate new ones. Being repositories, pallets maintain their contents while moving through the warehouse.

Inventory & Items

SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) → InventoryItem.sku

A SKU is a unique code for each distinct product and variant. A red t-shirt size M might be "TS-RED-M" while size L is "TS-RED-L". SKUs are like social security numbers for products - the foundation of inventory tracking. Every warehouse operation references SKUs: receiving ("100 units of SKU-X arrived"), picking ("get 2 of SKU-Y"), and shipping. Without SKUs, managing thousands of products would be chaos. In pyck, SKU is the only required field for InventoryItems - everything else is flexible.

Inventory/Stock → Stock

Inventory refers to product quantities in the warehouse, tracked at multiple levels: total quantity (what you have), available (what can be sold), and reserved (already allocated). It's like a bank account - you need total balance, available balance, and pending transactions. Accurate tracking prevents overselling and guides reordering. In pyck, Stock records provide real-time quantities AND complete history across all repositories. You can query "how much of SKU-X was in location Y last Tuesday" - powerful for analysis and auditing.

Lot/Batch → InventoryItem.data

Lot or batch numbers group products manufactured together, essential for traceability and recalls. If contamination is found in pharmaceutical lot #12345, you can quickly isolate affected units. Food uses lots to track expiration - "lot A expires March 2024". This tracking is mandatory in regulated industries and valuable everywhere for quality control. In pyck, lots are stored in flexible custom data fields, allowing different lot strategies per product type or supplier requirement.

Expiry Date → InventoryItem.data

Expiry dates indicate when products become unsuitable for sale. Critical for food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, they drive FIFO (First In, First Out) or FEFO (First Expired, First Out) strategies. Systems alert when products approach expiry, enabling markdowns or donations. Shipping expired goods risks returns, fines, or lawsuits. In pyck, expiry dates live in the flexible data JSON field, enabling custom alerts and queries based on your specific requirements and regulations.

Barcode/Serial Number → InventoryItem.data

Barcodes identify product types while serial numbers track individual units. Scanning eliminates errors - imagine typing 1000 codes daily versus scanning in seconds. Modern warehouses use various technologies: 1D barcodes (traditional lines), 2D codes (QR), or RFID (radio frequency). In pyck, SKU is the only required identifier. All others - UPC, EAN, serial numbers, RFID tags - are stored in custom data fields. Define your dataType schema to match your scanning infrastructure and partner requirements.

Core Operations

Receiving → ReceivingInbound

Receiving is the warehouse's "intake department" - accepting deliveries from suppliers. It involves unloading trucks, verifying quantities against purchase orders, quality inspection, and system recording. Poor receiving creates cascading errors throughout operations. Modern receiving captures photos, lot numbers, expiry dates, and damage documentation. In pyck, ReceivingInbound entities track arrivals. Items move from virtual "supplier" repositories into your physical warehouse, maintaining complete documentation of what arrived when and from whom.

Putaway → Movement

Putaway moves received goods from docks to storage locations. It's strategic - fast-movers go near picking areas, heavy items on lower shelves, chemicals separate from food. Like organizing a kitchen, frequently used items go in accessible places. Efficient putaway reduces future picking time and prevents damage. In pyck, putaway is a movement from receiving area to storage repository. The system can suggest optimal locations based on product velocity, available space, and warehouse rules you define.

Pick List → Collection Movement

A pick list is a document that tells warehouse workers which items to collect for orders. It's like a shopping list optimized for efficiency - items are typically ordered by location to minimize walking distance. A picker might handle multiple orders at once (batch picking) or focus on one order (discrete picking). Modern pick lists might be displayed on handheld devices with optimal routes highlighted. In pyck, Collection Movements go beyond traditional pick lists by orchestrating both item picks and equipment movements in sequence.

Picking → Movement

Picking retrieves items from storage to fulfill orders - often 55% of warehouse operating costs. Methods vary: single-order (one at a time), batch (multiple orders together), zone (pickers in assigned areas), or wave (grouped releases). Optimization is crucial - smart routing reduces travel time by 50%. In pyck, picking is movements from storage to staging/packing areas. Collection movements enable sophisticated strategies like batch picking with optimal routing across multiple orders and zones.

Wave Picking → Collection Movement

Wave picking releases orders in coordinated groups rather than continuously. Like bus schedules, orders accumulate and depart together. Waves align with shipping schedules ("2 PM truck"), delivery routes, or shift patterns. This batching improves efficiency through better resource allocation and reduced congestion. In pyck, waves are collection movements orchestrating multiple picks and equipment movements. You might create waves for "Morning Route", "Express Shipments", or "Zone A Replenishment".

Transfer/Transport → Movement

Transfers are the relocation of inventory between locations within a warehouse or between warehouses. This could be moving items from bulk storage to picking locations (replenishment), consolidating partial pallets, or shipping to another facility. Think of it like reorganizing your closet - moving winter clothes to the attic in summer. Transfers must be tracked precisely to maintain accurate inventory. In pyck, all transfers are movements - executable instructions for workers or automated systems.

Replenishment → Movement workflow

Replenishment refills picking locations from bulk storage before they empty. Like restocking store shelves from the backroom, it's proactive to prevent stockouts. Systems calculate timing based on pick frequency, current levels, and incoming orders. Poor replenishment kills productivity when pickers find empty locations. In pyck, replenishment workflows create movements between repositories. Smart systems trigger replenishment during quiet periods or combine with other movements for efficiency.

Cross-docking → Movement

Cross-docking bypasses storage - products flow directly from receiving to shipping. Like a relay race where the baton never stops, it reduces handling, storage costs, and delivery time. Common for perishables, high-volume retail, and hub-and-spoke distribution. Requires precise coordination - incoming and outgoing schedules must align. In pyck, cross-dock operations are movements from receiving virtual repository directly to shipping virtual repository, with minimal time in physical warehouse space.

Shipping/Dispatch → Movement

Shipping is the warehouse "departure gate" where orders leave for customers. It involves order staging, truck loading (first stop loads last), documentation, and carrier integration. Everything must be verified before goods leave your control. Modern shipping includes real-time tracking and proof of delivery. In pyck, shipping moves items to virtual repositories representing customers or carriers ("Customer-ABC", "FedEx-Truck-123"). This maintains the movement record while removing items from physical inventory.

Cycle Count → Stock verification workflow

Cycle counting verifies inventory accuracy through regular partial counts rather than disruptive annual counts. Like checking your bank balance frequently instead of waiting for year-end. Workers count specific locations/SKUs daily, comparing physical to system records. Discrepancies trigger investigation - theft, damage, or data error? Regular counts maintain 99%+ accuracy. In pyck, cycle count workflows compare physical counts to Stock records, creating adjustment movements for discrepancies with reason codes.

WMS → pyck framework

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software controlling warehouse operations - the facility's "brain". It tracks inventory, directs workers, optimizes storage, and integrates with other systems. Good WMS improves accuracy to 99.9%, reduces labor 30%, and increases storage utilization 20%. pyck is NOT a WMS but a framework for building lean WMS stacks. With pyck's flexible repository and movement architecture, you can create industry-specific solutions for fashion, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, or any vertical relatively easily.

Common Operations Mapping

Traditional WMS Operation	pyck Implementation
Create putaway task	Create movement from receiving to storage repository
Generate pick list	Create collection movement with ordered tasks
Transfer inventory	Create movement between repositories
Receive goods	Create ReceivingInbound and movements from virtual supplier repository
Ship order	Create movements to virtual customer repository
Move pallet	Create repository movement changing parent
Batch pick orders	Create collection movement with items from multiple orders
Cycle count	Run verification workflow, create adjustment movements
Cross-dock receipt	Create movement from supplier virtual to customer virtual repository
Replenish pick face	Create movement from bulk to pick repository
Adjust inventory	Create movement from/to virtual "adjustment" repository
Quarantine items	Move to "quarantine" repository with hold reason
Consolidate pallets	Create movements to merge items onto single pallet
Split case	Create movements dividing case quantity to multiple locations

Understanding these mappings enables you to leverage pyck's powerful framework for building exactly the warehouse management solution your operation needs.