Why You Should Measure Putaway Time, Not Just Pick Time

Everyone tracks pick time. It’s the obvious one. Orders out the door = money coming in. But if you’re not tracking putaway time, you’re only seeing half the picture.

Here’s why it matters:

✔ Delayed putaways create chaos – Stock gets dumped “just for now” and never moved properly. This clutters aisles, slows picking, and increases the chance of errors.
✔ It hides stock availability – If items are delivered but not checked in and shelved, your system says “out of stock” even when they’re physically in the building.
✔ It causes double handling – When goods aren’t put away properly, staff spend more time re-moving or hunting for them later.

Start by tracking how long it takes from delivery arrival to stock being fully shelved and system-updated. Set a target—e.g. all deliveries fully put away within 4 hours.

Once you start measuring it, you’ll be shocked how often delays creep in unnoticed.

And the impact?
– Faster pick times
– Better stock accuracy
– Less warehouse stress

📌 Picking gets the glory. But fast, accurate putaways are what make great picking possible.