# Replenish pick faces
URL: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000016-replenish-pick-faces
Canonical: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000016-replenish-pick-faces
Markdown: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000016-replenish-pick-faces.md
Updated: 2026-10-07

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.starshipit.com/llms.txt).

> Set up automatic low-stock top-ups, plan replenishment from order demand, and move bulk stock into pick faces in Starshipit WMS.

Replenishment moves stock from bulk storage into pick faces so pickers have stock available to fill orders. Use automatic low-stock top-ups to keep the replenishment queue supplied, order-demand planning to prepare for pending orders, or manual jobs for specific moves.

## Before you begin

* Set up pick-face and bulk storage locations, with eligible stock available in bulk. Stock already reserved for other work may not be available for replenishment.
* Make sure your role can manage settings and locations to configure automatic replenishment.
* Assign the product under **Allowed SKUs** if an empty pick face must retain its replenishment purpose. An unrestricted face without an inventory record does not tell WMS which product to replenish.

Products marked **On pre-order** are excluded from new replenishment work. Existing jobs remain unchanged. See [Manage pre-order products in WMS](/articles/14700000000063-manage-pre-order-products-in-wms) to mark products or restore their normal eligibility when stock arrives.

See [Set up warehouse locations and work areas](/articles/14700000000033-set-up-warehouse-locations-and-work-areas) for location setup.

## Set up automatic low-stock top-ups

Low-stock top-ups work independently of pending orders. When enabled, they top up a product at or below the pick face's minimum towards its maximum, or towards its minimum if no maximum is set.

1. Open the pick face in **Locations**.
2. Set **Minimum capacity** to the stock level that should trigger a top-up.
3. Set **Maximum capacity** to the level you want to refill towards. Leave it blank to use the minimum as the target.
4. Save the location.
5. Go to **System > Settings > Replenishment**.
6. Check that **Automatically top up low pick faces** is on. If you change it, wait for **Replenishment settings updated**.
7. Check the **Replenishment dashboard** for work created for eligible low faces.

The switch is on by default, including for existing accounts. Settings changes save immediately and check eligible low faces. Saving a location can also create work when top-ups are enabled, so review existing settings before changing capacities.

Turning off low-stock top-ups still allows picking-shortage replenishment, automatic order-demand planning when selected, and manually created work. It does not cancel jobs already in the queue.

### How quantities are calculated

Automatic checks combine the enabled low-stock and order requirements. WMS counts replenishment already on the way and creates only the remaining quantity. A small existing job does not block a larger top-up: ready, assigned, paused and in-progress work all count towards the requirement.

For a face with **9 units**, a **minimum of 10** and a **maximum of 50**, an enabled low-stock top-up needs 41 units. If a job is already bringing 2 units, WMS creates a separate job for the remaining **39**, subject to available bulk stock and capacity.

The maximum also limits total occupancy across the destination. WMS counts other products, stock in active containers and incoming replenishment, converting pack quantities into base units. If the face already holds 39 units across its products and its maximum is 50, only **11 more units** can be planned when no other stock is incoming.

Low-stock top-ups do not continuously maintain the maximum. If stock is above minimum, a low-stock check alone does not create work, even when the face is below maximum.

### When low faces are checked

Checks run after relevant warehouse events, including:

* Stock movements that reduce pick-face stock, such as picking or stock adjustments.
* Picking or allocation shortages that request replenishment.
* Stock arriving in bulk, so a low face can be revisited when source stock becomes available.
* Completed replenishments, replenishment-settings saves and edits saved from the location screen.

Checks include empty faces with assigned SKUs. If no eligible bulk stock is available, a top-up cannot be created; a later relevant receipt can trigger another check. There is no fixed periodic sweep.

## Choose when order demand creates work

Use **Create order-driven replenishment work** under **System > Settings > Replenishment** to choose the timing:

| Option | When work is created |
| --- | --- |
| **When picking requires stock** | The default. Picking shortages request the missing stock. Pending orders alone do not create automatic demand work. |
| **When order demand is received** | WMS checks aggregate pending-order demand after relevant order imports and creates work before picking needs it. |

**Demand planning target** applies only to **When order demand is received**. It does not control low-stock top-ups. With top-ups enabled, a low face can still be replenished towards maximum even when the demand target is **Configured minimum**.

Automatic order-demand planning is skipped on parent accounts configured for automatic order routing.

To enable automatic order-demand planning:

1. Go to **System > Settings > Replenishment**.
2. Set **Create order-driven replenishment work** to **When order demand is received**.
3. Wait for the save confirmation. Changing this setting immediately checks existing pending demand.
4. Set **Demand planning target** to **Configured minimum** or **Configured maximum**, then wait for the next save confirmation.
5. Review the **Replenishment dashboard** to confirm the products, destinations, quantities and source allocations.

The default demand target is **Configured minimum**. The target describes the stock level to aim for after pending demand, capped by destination capacity and available bulk stock. If no maximum is set, **Configured maximum** uses the minimum.

For example, with low-stock top-ups **off**, 9 units on hand, 2 units of pending demand and a minimum of 10, and no incoming replenishment, the minimum demand target requests **3 units**: `9 + 3 − 2 = 10`. With top-ups **on** and a maximum of 50, the same low face instead needs **41 units**, before deducting incoming work and applying capacity or source limits.

## Choose preferred bulk sources

Set a bulk location's **Priority** to control where replenishment takes stock from first.

1. Open the bulk storage location in **Locations**.
2. Set **Priority** from `0` (lowest) to `10` (highest).
3. Save the location.
4. Create replenishment work and check its source allocations before picking.

Manual, automatic and demand-generated replenishment use higher-priority bulk locations first. Within the same priority, WMS follows the product's allocation rule, such as FIFO or FEFO. If preferred stock is insufficient, WMS considers the next priority group.

All locations default to `0`. A higher priority can select newer or later-expiring stock ahead of a lower-priority source, so use equal priorities when stock rotation should decide between locations. Source priority does not change existing allocations, pick sequence, destination selection or job urgency.

## Review demand before creating work

Use **Generate from Demand** when a supervisor should review or adjust every suggested quantity before jobs are created.

1. Go to the **Replenishment dashboard** and select **Generate from Demand**.
2. Under **Target after demand**, choose **Location minimum** or **Location maximum**. If a location has no maximum, the maximum option uses its minimum.
3. Review the demand, current pick-face stock and open work, projected stock after demand, location capacity, and available bulk stock for each line.
4. Adjust **Reviewed qty** where needed. Enter `0` to leave a suggestion out of the jobs you create.
5. Select **Create reviewed replenishments**.

WMS can cap a suggestion when the pick face does not have enough capacity or there is not enough available bulk stock. It checks current stock, capacity, product compatibility, and source allocation again when you create the jobs, because warehouse activity may have changed since the preview loaded.

Running demand generation again does not duplicate or reprioritise open work that already covers the demand.

Use this before a high-volume picking run to ensure pick faces are stocked before pickers start. This is particularly useful for:

* End-of-day waves
* Flash sales or promotions
* Any time you have more demand than current pick-face stock can satisfy

## Complete a replenishment job

Replenishment jobs are executed in two steps — pick from bulk, then place into the pick face:

**On desktop:**

1. Go to the **Replenishment dashboard** and select a pending job.
2. Review the product, source (bulk) location, destination (pick face), and quantity.
3. Follow the job to gather the stock from bulk onto your equipment, then confirm placement into the destination pick face.

**On mobile:**

1. Open the replenishment job in the WMS app.
2. **Phase 1 — Pick**: Navigate to the bulk storage location, confirm the product and quantity.
3. **Phase 2 — Move**: Confirm the destination pick face and submit the putaway.

Both phases are guided step-by-step with barcode scanning support. Existing assigned, paused or in-progress jobs remain in the queue until you explicitly complete or cancel them. Stock arriving at the face through another movement does not complete your job for you.

The job detail keeps the source, destination, equipment, quantity and batch information visible while the replenishment is in progress.

![A replenishment job moving batch-tracked stock from bulk storage to a pick face](/uploads/articles/starshipit-wms/web/inventory-management/replenishment-job.png)

## Adjust the quantity while picking on desktop

For non-serial stock, use the scan counter or quantity buttons to pick more than the suggested source quantity. For example, you can scan a carton of 100 against a suggestion of 96. Select **Continue** to submit the actual quantity.

WMS checks that the extra units are available from the same source, batch and expiry. Scanning alone does not reserve the extra stock. Serial-tracked stock keeps its fixed-unit limit.

The counter warns when you exceed the suggestion because the pick face may be full. Check the destination before continuing and review any capacity warning returned after the movement. If the pick fails, adjust the retained counter and retry after resolving the reported issue. After success, check the refreshed job quantity before placing the stock.

To finish a line below its target, the applicable workflow policy must allow **Partial/Manual Completion** and the line must have some stock already picked. See the [WMS settings reference](/articles/14700000000031-wms-settings-reference) to check the policy. Then:

1. Commit any pending scanned quantity with **Continue**.
2. Select **Finish at [picked quantity] of [target quantity]**.
3. Review the gathered quantity and the unpicked remainder, then select **Confirm finish short**.
4. Check the updated line quantity and complete placement into the destination.

Finishing short releases that line's unused reservations. It does not pick pending scans or change other lines. If WMS reports a conflict or an uncertain result, refresh the job before attempting another action.

## Create manual replenishments

Use **Manual Replenishment** to create jobs for specific products, destinations and quantities before a busy period.

1. Open the **Replenishment dashboard** and select **Manual Replenishment**.
2. Add one or more replenishment lines:
   * Product (searchable dropdown)
   * Destination location (pick faces only)
   * Quantity to replenish
   * Priority
3. Select **Create Replenishments**.
4. Review the created jobs and any lines that could not be fully allocated before gathering stock.

Rules that apply:

* SKU restrictions are enforced on destination locations — if a pick face is locked to specific SKUs, only those can be replenished to it.
* Quantities are validated and rounded to integers before submission.

## Assigning and prioritising replenishment jobs

You can assign replenishment jobs to specific team members and set their priority. Higher-priority jobs appear at the top of the queue on the Replenishment dashboard and in the mobile app.

Use **Allocate Now** from an eligible job's dashboard row menu to reserve source stock. This action is hidden when the job already has usable allocations; it does not assign a staff member.

## Best practices

* **Set capacity rules on active pick faces and enable low-stock top-ups.** Choose a minimum that gives the replenishment team enough time to move stock before pickers run out.
* **Use a realistic maximum for high-velocity SKUs.** A higher top-up target can reduce repeated trips, but must fit the total stock held in the face.
* **Use Generate from Demand before high-volume runs.** This catches shortfalls proactively, before pickers start walking and find empty picks.
* **Keep bulk stock topped up.** Replenishment can only create jobs when bulk stock exists. Monitor bulk locations for products with capacity rules to ensure there is always reserve stock available.

## Verify and troubleshoot replenishment

After changing settings, check the queue against one low pick face. Compare its stock, minimum and maximum with incoming jobs, other products at the destination and eligible bulk stock. Confirm the source and destination on the job, then complete the gather and placement steps. Check the job is complete and the destination inventory reflects the movement.

| What you see | What to check or do |
| --- | --- |
| No job for a low face | Check **Automatically top up low pick faces**, its minimum, available bulk stock, destination capacity and incoming jobs. Incoming work may already cover the requirement. |
| An empty face is not replenished | Check **Allowed SKUs**. Assign the intended SKU and save the location so WMS can check it even without existing stock. |
| Less stock is queued than expected | Check total location occupancy, active-container stock, incoming replenishment and available bulk stock. A shared face's maximum applies across products. |
| A minimum demand target creates a larger top-up | Check the independent low-stock switch. At or below minimum, enabled top-ups aim towards maximum. |
| **Settings saved; replenishment check failed** | The settings were retained, but the check did not finish. Review **System > Process Logs**, resolve the reported issue and retry saving the settings. |
| An order imported but no expected demand work appeared | Check order-demand timing, then review stock, capacity and **System > Process Logs**. The imported order remains in WMS if its replenishment check fails; a later relevant order update can retry the check. |

## Related articles

* [WMS settings reference](/articles/14700000000031-wms-settings-reference)
* [Set up warehouse locations and work areas](/articles/14700000000033-set-up-warehouse-locations-and-work-areas)
* [Put away and replenish stock in WMS Mobile](/articles/14700000000027-put-away-and-replenish-stock-in-wms-mobile)