Picking strategy scenarios: which pallet should be picked first?

Set a rotation strategy (FIFO / FEFO / LIFO / FMFO / LEFO) per warehouse, per client, or per product, start from one of eight scenario templates, and let the mobile app suggest the right pallet with a plain-language reason.

When the same product sits on several pallets, someone has to decide which pallet to pick from first: the oldest one, the one expiring soonest, or the fullest one? The picking strategy makes that call automatically. Open WMS → Task Rules → Picking tab — the Picking Strategy panel at the top is where you set it once, and every pick task after that follows it.

First, read the effective chain#

A strategy can be set at four levels, and the topmost one that is set wins: Product → Client → Warehouse → System default (FIFO). The panel draws this chain for you and highlights the level that is currently in charge. Example: the warehouse default is FIFO, a food client is set to FEFO at the client level, and one short-dated product is set to FEFO on its own — that product follows the product setting, the client’s other products follow the client setting, and everything else follows FIFO.

The warehouse level is what you edit when the client selector (top right of Task Rules) is on "All (tenant default)". Pick one client in that selector and the same panel edits that client’s level instead — the Apply button even changes to "Apply to this client". The product level lives on the product itself: Master Data → Products → open a product → "Picking Rotation" (leave it on Inherit to follow the levels below).

Fast start: apply a scenario template#

Eight ready-made scenarios cover the common warehouse types. On each card you can open Details to see exactly what it sets, then click Apply — the values are copied into the strategy form of the current level and saved right away (the panel tells you how many settings were filled in). Applying copies values; it does not link the template, so later edits are yours alone.

• General Warehousing (default) — plain FIFO, no extra rules. The safe starting point for mixed goods.
• Food & Beverage Distribution — FEFO, residual pallets first, at least 75% shelf life remaining, lots expiring within 30 days are not suggested.
• Pharmaceutical & Medical — FEFO with lot lock on and a strict 90-day near-expiry block.
• Cosmetics & Personal Care — FEFO, residual pallets first, 60-day near-expiry block.
• E-Commerce Retail Fulfillment — FIFO with pick-face first, then nearest. Tuned for fast piece picking.
• Full-Pallet Wholesale — FIFO with full pallets first, for whole-pallet shipping.
• Auto Parts & Tires — FMFO (first manufactured, first out), full pallets first, lot lock on.
• Building Materials & Bulk — LIFO (the newest stock stacked on top goes first), staging area cleared first.

After applying, the card shows an "In use" badge. If you later change any value that the scenario had set, the badge disappears and the chain shows "Custom" instead — the badge always reflects the values actually in effect, not the last button you clicked.

Or tune it by hand#

• Rotation — pick one of five: FIFO (oldest stock first), FEFO (earliest expiry first), LIFO (newest first), FMFO (first manufactured first), LEFO (latest expiry first, for goods that age well).
• Preference chain — extra tie-breakers applied in order after the rotation, e.g. "residual pallet first" cleans up half-empty pallets. With FIFO/LIFO, lots received on the same day count as one batch, so a preference decides between them even when they arrived hours apart. Add, remove, and reorder them with the arrows; the order matters.
• Lot lock — when on, pickers pick the lot named on the document (existing lot-lock behavior).
• Minimum remaining shelf life — lots below this percentage of remaining shelf life are left out of suggestions (they can still be picked manually if someone really needs them).
• Near-expiry block — lots expiring within this many days are left out of suggestions.

Change values in the form, then click "Save strategy". If you are editing at the client level, everything saves to that client only.

What the picker sees#

On the mobile pick task, the suggested location shows the suggested pallet together with the reason in plain words, e.g. "FEFO · expires 2026-11-05". In the pallet picker, the suggested pallet is pinned to the top with a Suggested tag, so it can be tapped without scrolling or searching. If every pallet is filtered out by the shelf-life rules, the app says so instead of silently suggesting a bad one.

One honest detail: if a product is set to FEFO but its lots carry no expiry dates (nobody recorded them), the system falls back to FIFO order and the reason says so — "FEFO · no expiry dates, FIFO order". Record expiry dates when receiving, and FEFO can do its real job.

Quick reference: Docklify features used in this article#

• Picking Strategy panel — WMS → Task Rules → Picking tab (top panel): effective chain, scenario templates, strategy form.
• Client selector — Task Rules top right: switches the panel between warehouse level and one client’s level.
• Product picking rotation — Master Data → Products → product → Picking Rotation: per-product override, Inherit by default.
• Mobile suggested pallet — pick task → suggested location & pallet picker: pinned suggestion with the reason.