Many warehouses still run on printed pick lists, handwritten receiving notes and a spreadsheet that someone updates at the end of the shift. It works — until volumes grow, a key person is on leave, or a client asks for real-time stock.
Moving to scan-driven execution doesn't have to be a risky "big bang". Here is the phased approach we recommend, designed to show value within the first month.
Week 1 — Map the flow, not the software
Walk the floor from dock door to dispatch. Document every hand-off, every piece of paper, and every place someone has to remember something. Identify your location structure and label what isn't labelled. This step alone usually reveals quick wins.
Week 2 — Clean the foundations
- Agree item masters, units of measure and barcodes with your ERP team.
- Label every location with a scannable code.
- Choose devices: rugged RF handhelds for high-volume zones, smartphones with scanners elsewhere.
Week 3 — Pilot one flow in one zone
Start with receiving and putaway in a single zone. Scan inbound against the ASN, capture exceptions with photos, and let the system direct putaway. Run paper in parallel for a few days if it builds confidence.
Prove the flow in one zone before you scale it to the building.
Week 4 — Extend and measure
Add cycle counts and picking, then expand zone by zone. Track a small set of measures from day one: receiving time per truck, putaway accuracy, inventory variance and order accuracy. Share them weekly with the floor team — they are the ones making it work.
What makes it stick
Technology is rarely the hard part. Adoption is. Involve shift leads early, keep screens simple, and make the scanner the fastest way to do the job — not an extra step.
This is the approach built into Warewise, CAN's warehouse execution product, and our standard implementation path.
