The strategies
Continuous Replenishment
Proactive top-ups. A replenishment task is generated automatically whenever stock falls below the configured minimum trigger. Best for fast-moving stock you always want available.
Demand Replenishment
Reactive top-ups. A replenishment task is generated only when a specific pick task cannot be fulfilled by any other pickface — typically because of shelf-life criteria. Best for sensitive or low-frequency requirements.
Order Volume Replenishment
Demand-calculated top-ups. When a pick task is generated, the system replenishes only the shortfall between the order quantity and what’s on the shelf. Best for keeping stock movement lean and tied to active orders.
At a glance
| Continuous | Demand | Order Volume | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it replenishes | Stock drops below the minimum trigger | A pick task cannot be fulfilled from any other pickface | A pick task needs more than is on the pickface shelf |
| What it replenishes | Up to the maximum trigger (or full storage units if enabled) | Always a full pallet | The shortfall for the order (quantity entered on the HHD) |
| Stock allocation | Soft allocation (standard) | Hard allocation to the replen and pick task | Calculated at pick task generation |
| Typical use case | Standard picking for fast movers | Customer- or order-specific shelf-life requirements | Lean stock movement tied to actual order demand |
| What goes on hold | The pick task, if no pickface meets criteria | The pick task and replen task, if no empty demand pickface is available | — |
Choosing a strategy
- Pick Continuous when the product moves quickly, has predictable demand, and customers don’t enforce tight shelf-life rules. The system keeps the pickface topped up automatically and distributes picks across multiple locations in priority order.
- Pick Demand when the product has customers with strict shelf-life criteria (for example, a maximum sell-by date) that the everyday pickface stock may not meet. The system reserves an empty location to receive a full pallet of compliant stock only when the order demands it.
- Pick Order Volume when you want replenishment driven purely by live order demand rather than fixed triggers — the system tops up only the shortfall needed to fulfil the pick. See Order Volume Replenishment.
- Use both when a single product needs everyday throughput and occasional compliance picks. Configure a Continuous location as the primary and a Demand location as the secondary. See Combining strategies.
Before you start
A location must already be enabled as a pickface before you can assign it to a product. See Set up a pickface for the location-level configuration.Related pages
- Continuous Replenishment — full setup and behaviour
- Demand Replenishment — full setup and behaviour
- Order Volume Replenishment — demand-calculated top-ups
- Combining strategies — primary + secondary patterns
- Understanding On Hold picks — why a pick goes on hold and how it auto-releases