Cross dock phase 3: direct-out from stock, value-added services, returns awaiting disposition

Ship open orders straight from pallets already in storage, send HUs to labeling or assembly without losing their place in the flow, and see which returns are still waiting for a disposition decision.

Direct-out from stock: whole pallets only#

When an open outbound order needs exactly what a full pallet in storage holds, you do not need to pick it through a normal pick task. Open any HU’s “Recommend Destination” dialog (WMS → Cross Dock → HU list) and the “Direct-out from stock” section lists the orders that whole pallets can fully cover, pallet by pallet.

1. Click “Direct-out this pallet” for the pallet you want — the pallet is reserved for that order right away, so nobody else can allocate it. Reserving does not deduct stock yet.
2. The pallet now appears in the HU list with a “Direct-out stock” tag. Load it with a normal cross-dock shipping task — scan it at the dock exactly like any other HU.
3. When the shipping task is closed, stock is deducted and the outbound order is written back as shipped automatically — no second document is created.

Value-added services: labeling, relabeling, assembly#

Goods sometimes need work in the middle of the flow — a new label, a customer-specific carton mark, a quick assembly. On the HU row, click “To Service” and pick Labeling, Relabeling or Assembly. The HU keeps its destination and staging slot and comes back to the same place in the flow when the work is done.

• While in service, the HU shows an orange “In service” tag and cannot be loaded — scanning it for loading explains why and names the work order.
• Assembly creates a work order in the work-order system. When that work order is completed or cancelled, the HU is released automatically — no extra step.
• Assembly needs an active BOM (bill of materials) for the finished product. If the product has no BOM yet, the system will tell you it cannot create the work order — set up the BOM first under WMS → BOMs, then send the HU to assembly.
• For labeling and relabeling, click “Release Service” on the HU row once the work is done.
• Time in service does not count toward dwell time — dwell alerts and the monitor’s dwell hours pause while an HU is being worked on.

Returns awaiting disposition#

Returned goods that come through cross dock carry a “Return” tag. Until the returns team sets a disposition for them in the returns system (restock, return to vendor, dispose and so on), they cannot be loaded — a loading scan is blocked with a plain explanation. The Cross Dock Monitor has a “Returns Awaiting Disposition” section listing every HU still waiting, with its dwell time, so nothing sits forgotten in a corner.

How a return gets into cross dock: the return is created in RMS first — the returns team opens the RMA and decides what should happen to the goods. When the goods reach the warehouse, open the return receipt (WMS → Inbound → Receipts) and use the “Linked RMA” section: type the RMA number and link it. If there is no RMA yet, the “Create an RMA in RMS” button in that section opens RMS in a new tab — build the RMA there, then come back and link it. Once linked, the same page can create the cross-dock receiving task. For goods whose disposition is return-to-vendor or dispose, loading then assigns the matching destination automatically.

Docklify features used in this article#

• Recommend Destination dialog — Direct-out from stock section (WMS → Cross Dock → HU list)
• HU row actions: To Service / Release Service / Release Direct-out
• Cross Dock Monitor — Returns Awaiting Disposition section
• Inbound receipt detail — “Linked RMA” section and the Create Task menu for cross-dock tasks (WMS → Inbound → Receipts)
• Mobile cross-dock execution page — In service / Return / Direct-out tags on HU cards