Using Cross Docking

The Cross Docking feature enables you to move items for which there is open demand from the receipt staging area directly to the shipping dock for immediate picking and shipping. This feature saves time and effort, because you do not need to put the receipt quantity away before picking it for order fulfillment. Cross docking reduces labor costs and accelerates inventory turnover.

When you receive an item that has been defined as a cross dock item, the Load Staged Items process calculates open demand for the item to determine whether some or all of the receipt quantity should be placed on the shipping dock (the item's cross dock location). If open demand exists for the item, the Load Staged Items process places enough stock to fulfill the demand in the cross dock location. The Order Release process (IN_FUL_RLS) selects quantities from the cross dock location first before selecting stock in other material storage locations.

You typically use cross docking for high-volume items. The Cross Docking feature must be defined for the business unit and item.