Summary
- The problem
- An on-hand total is not what can be picked. When holds, reservations and locations are tracked apart, a planner can allocate stock that is under investigation or already committed to another order.
- Seal’s approach
- Receipts, sampling withdrawals, put-away, picks and returns are recorded as attributable movements of a handling unit. Quality status, reservations and location stay with the stock, and eligibility is checked again at the time of the pick.
- What changes
- Held and reserved quantities stay separate from the available quantity, a released lot can still show why a container is unavailable, and physical counts are reconciled against transactions before stock is adjusted.
- Where to start
- One receipt-to-pick workflow and a stock snapshot with holds and reservations. Book a demo.
75 kg on hand is not 75 kg available.
One lot has three remaining stock allocations. Part is held, part is reserved, and only part is available for the planned pick.
RM-084 / on-hand allocations
75 kg
On hold
RM-084-H- Handling unit
- HU-084-03
- Location
- Q-02
- Status
- Quality hold
Handling unit HU-084-03 contains 25 kg under an open handling investigation. Its physical presence in storage does not make it eligible for a production pick.
What follows
Resolve the hold through the authorised quality workflow before considering this stock for use.
Run the work in Seal.
Receive into a known state.
Record the delivery, supplier lot, containers and quantities. Assign the initial status and storage conditions required by your procedure.
Execute each movement.
Scan the handling unit and destination. Record sampling withdrawals, put-away, picks and returns as attributable movements.
Reconcile the location.
Compare physical counts with the transaction record. Investigate differences before adjusting stock or assigning a cause.
The snapshot contains 75 kg, but only 40 kg is currently unreserved and eligible. Keep the 25 kg hold and the 10 kg reservation separate from the available quantity.
RM-084 / allocation review
DraftPlan against 40 kg, subject to current eligibility at pick time. Do not consume held or already reserved stock by treating the on-hand total as availability.
Warehouse planner
Check the planned order against the 40 kg eligible quantity.
Quality
Resolve the handling-unit hold and record the disposition.
Production planner
Retain WO-105’s allocation or authorise a documented reallocation.
The full path through the warehouse.
Why teams choose Seal for warehouse management
A warehouse system can show where a handling unit is without knowing whether it is on hold or reserved, because quality status, holds and reservations sit in a QMS, a LIMS and the planner’s spreadsheet. Seal gives each handling unit its location, quantity, quality status and reservations on the same platform as the batch and laboratory records that change them.
Eligibility is checked again at the pick, so stock under investigation or committed elsewhere is not issued because a total looked sufficient.
Sampling is a stock movement.
Keep the withdrawal, sample identity, remaining quantity and custody together.
Record what was actually removed from each container. Link returned material, retained samples and waste to their own movements; do not assume unused sample material is eligible to return to stock.
Returns do not automatically become available.
A returned container may have a different handling and exposure history.
Capture seals, condition, location, time outside controlled storage and relevant excursion evidence. Route eligibility back through the appropriate quality assessment before reallocation.
Pick for the work that needs it.
Connect production requirements, reservations, container identity and physical picking.
Define the lot-selection and expiry rules, then verify the actual location, handling unit and quantity at pick time. Keep kit assembly, staging and delivery to the batch traceable. A plan or reservation is not evidence that the material was physically moved.
Keep custody beyond the storage location.
Retain the conditions and handoffs needed to assess storage, shipment, returns and recall scope.
Connect temperature or excursion evidence to the affected containers and time window. Record shipment quantities, recipients and the required checks before dispatch. Keep count discrepancies and stock adjustments attributable so genealogy can be followed both into and out of a batch.
Connected to the surrounding work.
Keep specialised systems where they belong. Agree the source of each record, the permitted actions and the reconciliation at each handoff.
Explore integrationsAQuestions and answers
How does WMS differ from inventory?
Inventory describes what is held, its identity, quantity and status. Warehouse execution records physical receipt, location changes, picking, counts and shipping. The two need to remain reconciled.
Can a released lot still be unavailable?
Yes. Reservations, container-level holds, expiry, damage, handling conditions or the requested use can affect eligibility. A lot-level release flag is only one input.
Can we keep ERP or a 3PL system?
Yes. Agree ownership of stock, reservations and movements, then scope the relevant API or data exchanges. Reconcile failed, duplicate and delayed transactions before relying on the interface.