WindoorERP Documentation 19.0

Choose how goods come in and go out

6 min read Updated 2026-08-28 WindoorERP 19.0

What this does

Every warehouse trades control against speed. One step is fastest and records the least; three steps records everything and asks for a validation at each stage. This is how to pick.

Steps

Configuring inbound and outbound flows in WindoorERP is key to optimizing efficiency, traceability, and cost. Warehouse managers must balance speed and control, choosing between a streamlined process or added checkpoints.

WindoorERP offers one-step, two-step, and three-step flows, with more steps providing greater control but increasing operations. The best setup depends on quality checks, packaging, and warehouse size.

This guide helps businesses determine the most suitable configuration.

  1. 01
    Ask what has to be checked before goods are usable — glass for damage, profile for the right finish, hardware for the right handing.
  2. 02
    Ask whether picking and packing are done by different people.
  3. 03
    Pick the flow that matches, per warehouse, on its Warehouse Configuration tab.
  4. 04
    Enable Multi-Step Routes first if you want anything beyond one step.

One-step flow

The one-step inventory flow is the simplest option, with minimal handling steps and the least traceability. In this setup, products move directly from vendors to stock or from stock to customers, with WindoorERP only tracking when items enter or leave the warehouse. This makes it ideal for businesses with high-volume, low-risk products or fast-moving operations where additional validation steps are not necessary.

  • Receiving: Products go directly into stock.
  • Shipping: Products ship directly from stock.
  • Best for: Small warehouses, low stock levels, and non-perishable items, where minimal processing is needed before products are stored or shipped.

Two-step flow

A two-step flow adds an input or output area for processing products before storage or shipment. Incoming goods can be unboxed and inspected before shelving, while outgoing shipments are sorted and consolidated before dispatch. This setup improves efficiency by assigning storage teams to picking and stocking, while dedicated teams handle unboxing, (possibly) packing, and final verification to reduce order fulfillment errors.

  • Receiving: Products move to an input area before being transferred into stock.
    • Until transferred, received products are not automatically reserved for manufacturing, shipping, or other operations.
  • Shipping: Products move to an output before shipping to allow for sorting or consolidation.
  • Best for: Large warehouses, high stock levels, bulky items, and workflows that separate receiving from storage to improve organization and efficiency.

Three-step flow

A three-step flow builds on the two-step process by adding a quality check and packing area, enforcing stricter processes and improving oversight.

Important

While this setup enhances process control, separating picking and packing requires validation at each step. If the same person handles both, it may cause redundancy and slow operations.

Quality checks and packing do not require a three-step flow. To quality check outside of this flow:

  • Enable quality control points separately
  • Perform manual quality checks

Activate the Packages feature to package outside of the three-step flow.

  • Receiving: Products follow a structured process: input area → quality control → stock.
  • Shipping: Products are picked, packed, and then shipped, ensuring proper handling and organization.
  • Best for: Very large warehouses with strict quality control requirements, dedicated picking and packing workflows, and a need for clear traceability across multiple handling stages. Suitable when multiple teams manage different steps before products are stocked or shipped.

Add-ons

To optimize each flow, WindoorERP provides additional features that can enhance the process.

Storage

To organize and store products efficiently, use:

Guide products to specific storage locations based on predefined rules

Set item or weight limits to prevent overstocking at the location and ensure proper organization

Keep track of products owned by third parties

Delivery

Tailor the outgoing shipment process to fit the business needs. Picking methods and removal strategies control how products are reserved for orders, while dropshipping determines how they move. Configuring these options in WindoorERP ensures visibility into product movement and confirms that items reach customers efficiently.

Coordinate with vendors to deliver orders directly to customers, bypassing internal stock

Optimize picking operations using piece, batch, cluster, or wave picking techniques

Use FIFO, LIFO, or FEFO strategies to automate the selection of products for delivery

Customization

WindoorERP's flexible framework enables businesses to tailor workflows to match specific operational needs.

Define tailored receiving or delivery workflows to meet specific business needs

One step

Goods go straight into stock, and straight out of it. Nothing is recorded between the gate and the shelf.

Best for a small store, low stock, and material nobody inspects on arrival.

Two steps

An input area on the way in, an output area on the way out. Deliveries are unloaded and checked before they are shelved; orders are picked and consolidated before the lorry is loaded.

Note that goods sitting in input are not yet reserved for anything — they only become usable once transferred into stock. Best for larger warehouses, bulky material such as profile bundles and glass crates, and separate receiving and storage teams.

Three steps

Receiving becomes input → quality control → stock. Delivery becomes pick → pack → ship. Every stage is validated by whoever performs it.

Best where quality control is formal and picking and packing are different jobs. If the same person does both, the extra validation is pure friction — and quality checks and packaging can be enabled on their own without moving to three steps.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing three steps for the record-keeping and then having one storeman validate all three — the records get rubber-stamped, not checked.
  • Moving a busy warehouse to two steps without telling the floor, so goods pile up in input while everyone waits for stock that is technically already received.
  • Changing the flow while transfers are open.

In this section

Build a route with push and pull rules A route is a chain of rules that moves goods from one location to the next… Configure individual supply and movement rules Defines the atomic push and pull building blocks of your warehouse routes. Each… Receive and deliver in one step The simplest flow: a receipt puts goods straight into stock, a delivery takes… Receive and deliver in two steps Adds a staging area at each end. Goods are received into WH/Input and moved… Receive in three steps with a quality check Puts an inspection between the dock and the shelf: input → quality control →… Deliver in three steps with packing Splits an outgoing order into pick, pack and ship, each validated by whoever… Send arriving goods to the right shelf A putaway rule decides where a product goes when it arrives, so the storeman is… Limit what a location can hold A storage category puts a ceiling on a location — so many pallets, so many… Hold stock you do not own Consignment stock sits in your warehouse but belongs to the supplier until it… Ship straight from the supplier Dropshipping has the supplier deliver directly to your customer. The goods…

Continue learning

Receive and deliver in one step The simplest flow: a receipt puts goods straight into stock, a delivery takes… Build a route with push and pull rules A route is a chain of rules that moves goods from one location to the next…

Was this article helpful?

Running a window or door factory?

Ask for a demo