Purpose of the lesson

Compare transport requirements with warehouse picking plans, identify stock and capacity constraints, and realign picking and replenishment schedules to support approved customer deliveries.

Practical outcome

By the end of this lesson, you must be able to:

• Compare transport-route and picking plans.
• Identify and record schedule variances.
• Assess warehouse capacity.
• Identify stock shortages.
• Realign picking activities around available stock and resources.
• Realign stock-replenishment orders with revised picking requirements.
• Communicate and monitor approved schedule changes.

1. Gather the required information

Obtain:

• Current transport and delivery schedule
• Approved route plan
• Customer-service priority list
• Existing picking plan
• Actual picking-progress report
• Stock-on-hand report
• Stock-allocation report
• Replenishment schedule
• Supplier and production-order status
• Picker and shift availability
• Picking productivity standards
• Equipment availability
• Staging and loading-bay capacity
• Warehouse operating calendar
• Current exception reports

Ensure that all reports have the same cut-off date.

2. Compare the transport plan with the picking plan

For each transport route, confirm:

• Route and vehicle number
• Departure date and time
• Customer orders allocated
• SKUs and quantities
• Required loading sequence
• Planned picking start and completion times
• Actual picking progress
• Staging location
• Order status

Route departure
      ↑
Loading completion
      ↑
Staging and checking
      ↑
Picking completion
      ↑
Stock availability

A picking task must be completed early enough to support checking, staging and loading before departure.

Plan-comparison template

3. Identify schedule variances

Record differences such as:

• Picking starts late.
• Picking finishes after the loading deadline.
• Actual quantities differ from the route plan.
• Orders are assigned to the wrong route.
• Products are staged in the wrong area.
• Delivery priorities have changed.
• Required equipment is unavailable.
• Stock has not reached the picking location.
• Vehicle-departure times have changed.
• Loading capacity is insufficient.

Use:

Quantity variance = Actual picked quantity − Planned quantity

Time variance = Actual or expected completion time − Planned completion time

4. Create a variance register

Prioritise variances that threaten:

• High-priority customers
• Early departures
• Contractual delivery commitments
• Safety
• Product integrity
• Several downstream activities

5. Assess warehouse capacity

Compare the revised workload with the available resources.

Labour capacity

Available labour hours = Number of employees × Available working hours

If four pickers are available for five hours:

Available labour hours = 4 × 5 = 20 hours

Required labour hours = Units to pick ÷ Standard picking rate

If 2,400 units must be picked at 100 units per labour hour:

Required labour hours = 2,400 ÷ 100 = 24 hours

The warehouse has a shortfall of four labour hours.

Equipment capacity

Confirm the availability and suitability of:

• Forklifts
• Reach trucks
• Pallet jacks
• Scanners
• Trolleys
• Packing equipment
• Loading equipment

Facility capacity

Check:

• Picking locations
• Aisle congestion
• Packing stations
• Staging space
• Loading bays
• Receiving bays
• Yard capacity
• Storage space
• Cold or secure areas

6. Identify stock shortages

For each picking requirement, calculate:

Picking shortfall = Quantity required − Quantity available for picking

Do not count stock that is:

• Damaged
• Quarantined
• Reserved for another confirmed order
• Still being produced
• Unconfirmed in transit
• Located where it cannot be transferred before picking

Stock-shortage register

7. Determine the effect on customer deliveries

For every shortage or capacity constraint:

1. Identify affected orders.
2. Confirm customer priorities.
3. Check the transport departure time.
4. Determine the quantity that can be completed.
5. Establish when the outstanding quantity will become available.
6. Identify alternative stock or resources.
7. Notify the responsible functions.
8. Record the proposed schedule change.

Possible effects include:

• Partial delivery
• Delayed dispatch
• Revised route
• Vehicle underutilisation
• Customer back order
• Overtime or additional shift
• Increased handling or transport cost

8. Realign the picking schedule

Revise the picking sequence according to:

• Customer priority
• Route departure time
• Stock availability
• Replenishment timing
• Employee availability
• Equipment availability
• Staging and bay capacity
• Product-handling requirements

Possible actions include:

• Pick a priority order first.
• Delay an order awaiting replenishment.
• Split an order into available and outstanding quantities.
• Move trained employees between picking zones.
• Assign alternative equipment.
• Combine compatible picking work into a wave.
• Change staging or loading-bay allocation.
• Coordinate a revised vehicle-departure time.

Realigned picking schedule

Check that every revised completion time still supports staging, loading and dispatch.

9. Realign stock-replenishment orders

Update replenishment requirements to support the revised picking plan.

For each shortage:

• Confirm the outstanding quantity.
• Review existing supplier or production orders.
• Confirm the required-at-warehouse time.
• Check supplier or production capacity.
• Expedite or revise the order where authorised.
• Adjust delivery and receiving bookings.
• Link the replenishment order to the affected picking task.
• Monitor it until stock becomes available.

Realigned replenishment schedule

Do not expedite replenishment without checking receiving capacity and the effect on other operations.

10. Coordinate inbound and outbound activities

A revised replenishment delivery may compete with customer dispatches for:

• Dock space
• Employees
• Equipment
• Staging areas
• Yard access
• System-processing capacity

Update the dock and resource schedule to prevent conflicts.

11. Approve and communicate the revised plan

Communicate:

• Original and revised picking times
• Orders and routes affected
• Stock shortages
• Revised replenishment dates
• Resource reallocations
• Required actions
• Responsible persons
• Escalation requirements

Notify:

• Inventory control
• Transport
• Customer service
• Production
• Procurement
• Receiving and dispatch teams
• Affected supervisors

Obtain approval before releasing material changes.

12. Monitor execution

Track:

• Replenishment receipts
• Stock put-away
• Picking start and completion
• Quantities picked
• Order checking
• Staging readiness
• Vehicle loading
• Dispatch
• Outstanding quantities
• New variances

Update the variance and constraint registers until all exceptions are resolved or formally escalated.

Practical task

You are provided with delivery schedules, customer priorities, picking plans, stock information and warehouse constraints.

Complete the following:

1. Compare the transport plan with the picking plan.
2. Identify all schedule and quantity variances.
3. Create a variance register.
4. Calculate the available warehouse labour capacity.
5. Identify equipment, staging and loading constraints.
6. Identify stock shortages.
7. Determine the effect on customer deliveries.
8. Realign the picking schedule according to customer priorities.
9. Realign replenishment orders with the revised picking plan.
10. Coordinate inbound and outbound resource requirements.
11. Submit the approved revised schedules.

Required evidence

Include the following in your Portfolio of Evidence:

• Original transport plan
• Original picking plan
• Plan-comparison schedule
• Variance register
• Labour-capacity calculations
• Equipment and facility-capacity assessment
• Stock-shortage register
• Initial and realigned picking schedules
• Realigned stock-replenishment schedule
• Revised dock or resource schedule
• Communication and approval records
• Monitoring or progress report
• Completed observation checklist
• Learner declaration of authenticity

Competence checklist

Lesson Summary

To coordinate warehouse and facility schedules, compare the transport plan with current picking activities and record every timing, quantity and resource variance. Assess labour, equipment, staging and loading capacity, then identify stock shortages and their effect on customer deliveries. Realign picking according to customer priorities, route deadlines and available resources, and revise replenishment orders to support the new plan. Coordinate inbound and outbound operations, communicate approved changes and monitor execution until all variances are resolved.